Grant Writing Tips and Training

Arkansas Watershed Advisory Group

Grant Development Training and
Capacity Building Resources

This area of the tool kit provides you with a wealth of links and and resources to help you improve your grant seeking skills.

There are many excellent manuals, strategies, and other information that will significantly enhance your agency's ability to locate and secure the funding your need.

EPA Grant Writing Tutorial
This web-based software walks users through the grant-writing process & helps them learn to write more competitive grants. It has detailed information and tips on writing a grant proposal & completing a grant application package; sections on 3 EPA grant programs; examples of good, complete grant packages; & a mock grant-writing activity. (available for download or on a CD-ROM)
http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/grants.html
Introduction to effective proposal writing
Grant Proposal.com
Polaris Grants Central
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
TERC Grant Writing Guide
10-Point Plan for Standard Grant Funding Proposal - from Non-Profit Guides
Basic Elements of Grant Writing - from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting
The Body, Heart & Soul of grant writing from BOOKENDS, Online Cafe
Consulting Fees for Grant Proposal Writing - Article from TGGI
Developing and Writing Grant Proposals - from The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Elements of a Grant Proposal - from The Paladin Group
Grant Writing: A Hands On Approach © - Grant Writing Software
Grantwriting Printed Resources from The University of Michigan
Grant Proposal Writing Guide - University of Michigan Research Center
Grantseeker's Checklist - from Montana State University
Grant Writing Tutorial - from the Seattle Community Network
Guidelines for a Letter of Inquiry - from UMASS at Amherst
In Search of Outcomes - Article from TGGI
A Proposal Writing Short Course - from The Foundation Center
Proposals Pointers and Pitfalls - by Deborah Kluge, Proposalwriter.com
Proposal Writing: Tips & Techniques - free newsletter from PS Associates, Inc.
Research 101 - From GrantsDirect.com
Researching and Writing a Teaching Development Grant Application by John Milton
Review of Evaluation Resources for Nonprofit Organizations: The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy
Revisions Grant Services
Sample Winning Education Grant from GetAGrant.com
The Grantseeking Process from The Foundation Center
Ten Commandments of Private Foundations Grant Proposals
from The American Society for the Advancement of Science.
United Way of America's Outcome Measurement Resource Network
Writing Grant Proposals from PacBell
Online Grantwriting Resources from Pacific Bell Knowledge Network Explorer
Writing a Successful Grant Proposal - Minnesota Council on Foundations
NEWS & VIEWS FEATURE - Competition for foundation money can be intense. To help nonprofits increase their chances of success, GuideStar asked grantmakers what they would most like to tell applicants. Here are their recommendations, 15 in all.
What Grantmakers Want Applicants to Know
[More articles in the News & Views Index]

NEWS & VIEWS FEATURE - The sub-title of this article is "Top tips on getting your proposal through, straight from the people who know what works: funders." And, as obvious as some of what Ms. Long says, grant writers too often ignore these basics to the detriment of their proposals and their organizations. There are books and videos and classes and many other sources of grant-writing tips... and this article which actually tells you what the funders want! Read this detailed and very helpful magazine article from FannieMae Foundation.
The Inner Secrets of Successful Proposals, by Linda A. Long
[More articles in the News & Views Index]

About.Com: Information About Grant Proposals - An excellent compilation of articles and web links related to grants and grant writing prepared in the Stan Hutton section of this network of internet guides. Outlines and guidance on proposal preparation, links to funding sites and research help, sample proposals, and other suggestions for grant writers and program developers. Best Bet.
http://nonprofit.about.com/jobs/nonprofit/msubgra.htm

Afterschool.Gov: How to Get Money - This database gives you one stop for information about more than 100 sources of federal funding for after-school and youth development programming. For eachof the programs listed in the database, you will find a brief description of the kinds of activities that can be funded, along with information about the application process, and contact information (web site addresses and telephone numbers).
http://www.afterschool.gov/fed.html

Basic Elements of Grant Writing - The Corporation for Public Broadcasting evaluates hundreds of proposals each year for a variety of funding purposes. This publication is an easy guide to the basic elements of grant writing and is offered to assist applicants to CPB and to other funding sources. It offers guideposts to help you through each stage of the process. These guideposts are transferable to a variety of grant applications.
http://www.cpb.org/grants/grantwriting.html

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance - The bible of federal grant assistance, and also federal government projects, services, and activities. Maintained by the U.S. General Services Administration. Best Bet.
http://www.gsa.gov/fdac
CFDA Developing and Writing Grant Proposals
http://www.cfda.gov/public/cat-writing.htm

Community Foundation Services – Contact information for 400+ community foundations in the US. Part of the Council of Foundations web site.
http://www.communityfoundationlocator.org/search/index.cfm

Council on Foundations - The Council on Foundations is a membership organization that serves the public good by promoting and enhancing responsible and effective philanthropy. The main page includes information of interest to those seeking to start of foundation, but also to understand how foundations work. Sections include: What is a Foundation?, Starting a Foundation, Resources for Foundations, Legal and Governmental Affairs, Links and Networking, and The Future of Foundations.
http://www.cof.org/whatis/index.htm

Grantmaking Basics - A Field Guide for Funders and an online Study Guide for grantmakers.
http://www.cof.org/grantmakingbasics/index.html

Cultural Funding: Federal Opportunities - A National Endowment for the Arts online resource of Federal Funding available for arts initiatives through national, state, and local funding programs. Over 20 federal agencies are represented.
http://www.arts.gov/federal.html

CyberGrants - Works to bring grantmakers together with grant seekers through online application preparation and submission; and through electronic strategic development and grant management.
http://www.cybergrants.com

Educational Funding Strategies - Link for "The Internet Insider" for grantseekers & fundraisers, a free, twice-monthly e-mail newsletter of Internet sites, jokes, news items, and more including a special section for Canadians. Also, Distance Learning Courses of self-paced, e-mail-and-Internet-based online courses for nonprofits, educational organizations, local governments, and public agencies. Site also promotes In-Person Training and Workshops and E-books and Courses-On-Disk.
http://efsinternet.com/

Exploiting Technology Grants: Information Resources – Grant information, how-to books and papers, online media resources, and other basic grant-seeking references.
http://www.unc.edu/cit/guides/irg-07.html

EPA Grant-Writing Tutorial - EPA developed this program with Purdue University to help communities and non-profit organizations identify financial assistance opportunities for their environmental-oriented development programs (but it works for all grants). Also, this program was developed to make it easier for applicants to produce more competitive grant applications. There are eight tutorial sections including a mock grant writing activity. Best Bet.
http://www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/msieopen.htm

Faculty and Research: Writing a Grant Proposal - Columbia University Writing Tips and Application Forms. Sections include: Tips for Scientific/Technical Writing, Grant Application Forms, Columbia University's Health Sciences Division's Manual of Policies and Procedures, Courses, Seminars, and Slide Presentations on Preparation of Applications, and Comprehensive Research Funding Information. Best Bet.
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/research/writing.htm

Virtual Classroom - Learn how to write and research grants with free, online training courses. Featured classes include introduction to the Foundation Center, the Proposal Writing Short Course, an Orientation to Grantmaking and Guide to Funding Research among others. There is also a list of on-site courses offered by the Foundation Center, both free and fee-based.
http://fdncenter.org/learn/classroom/index.html

FC Stats - FC Stats is a free online resource that provides users with ready access to a wealth of statistical data on U.S. private and community foundations and their funding patterns. FC Stats currently offers 520 data tables available only from the Foundation Center. These tables and ranked lists provide the most frequently requested types of summary financial data on foundations. Best Bet.
http://fdncenter.org/fc_stats/