Grants Panel Shared Resources
A Big Thank you to our panelists and moderator, Steve Aguerrebere, Mary George, Susan Golden, Bernice Kertavage and Donna Johnston, for an outstanding discussion with lots of knowledge and experience to gain.
Also, a big thank you to the Tech4Good organizers and volunteers: Birgit Pauli-Haack, Donna Johnston, and Mark Benson. We are very grateful for your time and work!
And a huge thank you to our sponsors NTEN, TechSoup, Noble Acts, Pauli Systems, and last but not least the Unitarian Universalist Congregation for letting us use their fabulous facility at no charge!
Don’t forget to join our closed Facebook Group, where we stay in touch between meetings and provide a safe space to ask questions and help each other out.
Resources and more information is also available in this 58 page PDF document, curated by Donna Johnston.
Grant Resources
Local (SWFL)
- Nonprofit Consultants at Community Foundation of Collier County
- Community Needs Assessment 2018 – Schulze Family Foundation
- Vital Signs – Community Foundation of Collier County
- E-Civis Access – “any Collier County based non-profits can contact Edmond Kushi, Senior Accountant, regarding a free subscription through Collier County gov’t.” Thanks you, to Susan Golden for the follow-up after the meeting.
General National
- GuideStar
- Foundation Center
- Grantsmanship Center
- BoardSource
- NetworkforGood
- MissionMeasurement
- Charity Channel –
- National Center for Charitable Statistics
- National Center for Families Learning
- Grant Station (TechSoup runs high discount days, twice a year for 1st time subscribers)
- Philanthropy News Digest’s RFP Bulletin
Tools
Gathering of Materials
The Community Foundation’s Nonprofit Directory powered by
GuideStar– everything plus more about your local nonprofit.
Be prepared to provide information about your EIN#, Mission, Areas
Served, Programs, Strategic Goals, Board, Staff, and Financials.
Vital Signs – what are the specific needs of the clients you serve and
the universe you serve
Program Outcomes Worksheet – complete the worksheet first then
write the narrative
Evaluating the rfp & the grantor
- Does the grantor’s mission align with yours
- Look at who and what they have funded in the past
- check 990 (foundationcenter.org)
- Are you reaching to qualify?
- Contact the grantor, start building a relationship
- Some grantors require that you be registered before applying, i.e.
Guide Start, Dunn & Bradstreet - Or that you submit a Letter of Intent (LOI), then applying for the grant
requires an invitation - Read the questions more than once to understand what they are
asking
Budget requirements
- Operating
- Project
- Request
Financial documents
- Audited Annual Report
- 990
- Anticipated results; measurement methods
- Current Board of Directors
Mechanics of Submission
Goals: The Community Foundation of Collier County’s strategic plan ties its
grantmaking to relevant community information and outcomes that impact the
greatest needs.
- Calendar – Go to “apply for Grants at www.cfcollier.org
- Deadlines for Grant Programs – They change every year. New deadlines will be
announced in early July. - Click on the link to get started with a username and password and enter your EIN
when asked - Complete the application and
- upload the documents when prompted
- Submit and
- wait for an email with your “tracking number”
Other website sites have a similar process
Tips & Gotchas
- Bookmark the grants page!
- SAVE OFTEN
- Note whether content size is by words or by character
- Copy & paste; some are comfortable writing right to the site
- Watch for timing out – again, SAVE OFTEN
- Upload budgets, financials, etc.
Give yourself enough time to go back to the guidelines and check that
you have followed directions by answering all questions correctly and
thoughtfully.
Did we mention SAVE OFTEN?
After the deadline
- Expect 60 days for decisions to be made
- A committee (at the Community Foundation) will score the application using the following questions:
- Demonstrated Need – shows a need for the program
- Timeliness, urgency. The proposal shows that the investment in this work is
urgent, timely, or pressing. - Clear, tangible outcomes. Outcomes for the project are clear and measurable.
- Organizational credibility. The organization has credibility for this kind of work.
- Staffing. The human resource allocation to this project is appropriate (internal
staff expertise, use of external consultants, advisory committee). - Sustainability. The project is sustainable; it will be institutionalized; and/or
alternative sources of funding will be pursued. - Fit with our Vital Signs. To provide access to needed community services.
How to register for Grants.gov?
Applicant – Individual Information
- Complete the required form fields
- Confirm your email address
- Add an organization applicant profile or individual applicant profile after registering.
- Confirm your email address
Mobile App: Grants.gov
- Search for grants by keyword, CFDA
number, and federal agency - Browse grant forecasts and
opportunities from federal agencies - Review eligibility requirements for
each grant opportunity - Subscribe to specific grant opportunities
and get notified about changes made by
the grant-making agency - Manage your grant opportunity
subscriptions - Access your application submission
history - Receive and manage push notifications
from your Grants.gov account
CFDA Number = Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
- Department of Agriculture [USDA]
- Department of Commerce [DOC]
- Department of Defense [DOD]
- Department of Education [ED]
- Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]
- Department of Housing & Urban Development [HUD]
- Department of Labor [DOL]
- Department of Transportation [DOT]
- National Endowment for the Arts [NEA]
- Small Business Administration [SBA]
web & mobile developer for business and nonprofits in Naples, Florida. WordPress Meetup SWFL organizer, Netsquared organizer, #nptech, photographer.
Works at Pauli Systems, Naples , FL (project manager for Enterprise WordPress and CiviCRM implementations, custom API integrations) , volunteer at NPTechProjects providing nonprofit technology support and education in Florida and deputy on WordPress Global Community Team.
