Applying for grants and identifying donor prospects can be a challenging task. Below are tips to making the process easier for first time or new administrators.
- Visit a webpage like Grant Watch, an organization dedicated to providing organizations with current available grants, funding opportunities, and awards. Use the search box to search by geography, grant interests or cause, and type of funding. Grant Watch will provide a list of all available opportunities. When selecting which grants you will apply for - don't be afraid to think outside of the box and make connections to varying elements or causes. A pantry or food program will focus on children, nutrition, food insecurity, and hunger (just to name a few!), but can also be applied to STEM, arts & culture, or business, depending on how your program operates.
- Organization is key to securing grants. First select the grants the you will apply for - don't be overzealous or stretch yourself too thin. Grant writing can be very time consuming. Choose a few grants to apply to and select one reach grant. A reach grant can be a reach in terms of funding or in terms of interest/cause. Once you have selected the grants be sure to keep a grant writing calendar. Dates are often not negotiable and materials need to be turned in by the deadline. Finally - be sure to supply all of the information the foundation or program is requesting. Often grant requests are denied due to insufficient information or failure to turn in the proper documents.
- ConAgra Foods
- Walmart
- Joy in Childhood Foundation (Formerly The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation)
- Newman's Own Foundation
- Bank of America
- Acme Markets