Non Profit Grant Blog

Does anyone know of a software that will help you right a grant proposal? I just wrote my business plan for starting a bbq restaurant and used a software that helped me alot. Now I need to do the proposal to submit for help on funding and it's hard! I did a search and couldn't find anything, but surely there is something! Even a sample one that I could read to see the structure and format? Any help would be so appreciated. Thanks all!

There are grant management softwares, but no grant writing softwares unlike business plans. The government grant site Grants.gov offer downloadable software that is required for submission of grants http://www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp

Note those that grants are typically not given for starting a restaurant.

Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for starting a for-profit business.

One possible exception is for companies developing or exporting agricultural goods, including food and forest product. Another exception could be the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbir/index.html , which fund the research and development of technological innovation that meets specific government needs.

Your best bet actually will be from the states if they offer grant programs for women (or any other special interest groups — minorities, women, disabled, veterans, etc). Or check with non profit organizations, particularly women organizations if they offer grants. Examples include

Iowa Women's Foundation http://www.iawf.org/
New Mexico Women's Foundation http://www.nmwf.org/guidelines.html

Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/mostrequesteditems/CON_FAQ2.html

"The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments."

Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov – these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.

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Here are some resources on writing grant proposals

Teaching Yourself to be a Grantwriter http://www.grantproposal.com/starting_inner.html
Minnesota Council on Foundations Writing a Successful Grant Proposal http://www.mcf.org/mcf/grant/writing.htm
American Association of Grant Professionals http://www.grantprofessionals.org
Non profit Guides http://www.npguides.org/
GrantExperts.com http://www.grantexperts.com
Association of Fund Raising Professionals http://www.afpnet.org/
Foundation Center (learn about proposal writing) http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/learnabout/proposalwriting.html

Books you can read:

- Demystifying Grant Seeking: What You REALLY Need to Do to Get Grants
- I'll Grant You That: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Funds, Designing Winning Projects, and Writing Powerful Grant Proposals
- Winning Grants: Step by Step, 2nd Edition
- Grant Winner's Toolkit : Project Management and Evaluation
- Grant Writing For Dummies®

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As for funding your non profit, I suggest you check out Foundation Center to help you gain ideas on how to properly establish your organization and get support from private foundations. They have the most extensive database of private donors, and they publish a magazine that can be very helpful to your new non profit.

http://fdncenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/establish/index.html

One of the leading thinktanks in Washington DC has a huge Development department (bigger than their research departments) whose primary job is to get funding and grant monies.

Non profits are just like any business – you need to get the word out in order to get the needed funding to help support your activities. Here are some tips to help you market your non profit:

1. Determine your your target audiences: who are the groups and audiences that your non profit wants to reach. Remember that one target group may respond differently to a marketing message as another group so make sure that each strategy is tailor made for each audience.

2. Develop a communications strategy, creating timelines for marketing efforts such as newsletters, press releases, special events, and others.

3. Develop a visual image. Prepare your logo and other branding tools – and use them consistently across various mediums. Make sure that you repeat your branding messages, slogans in everything you make from brochures to newsletters.

4. Employ multiple communications tactics: Nonprofit organizations often target several audiences, which may respond to different approaches. Various communications campaigns can help establish and maintain a more widespread positive image.

5. Select and use appropriate media: Plan to use a combination of approaches best suited to reaching your targeted audiences and that make best use of your financial resources. Include a variety of methods including phone calls, letters, e-mail, newsletters, PSAs, press releases, and editorials.

For detailed information on how to start a non profit, I suggest you read the following books:

- Starting and Running a Nonprofit Organization — by Joan M. Hummel
- Starting and Running a Non-Profit Made Easy by Entrepreneur Press, David H. Bangs
- Starting & Building A Nonprofit: A Practical Guide by Peri Pakroo

I have found a website that compiles various resources on starting a non profit. I especially like the Minnesota Council of NonProfits because the site gives information on governance, developing strategic alliances, fund raising and other ingredients of successfully running a non profit.

http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/znpbib.htm

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