Researching Grants and Finding
Funding Opportunities
Three truths of funding
1. There is money available
2. But there is more competition for those
funds than ever before
3. Researching funding opportunities is
critical to grant writing success
Who gives grants?
Federal and State Agencies
Foundations
Corporations
Federal and State Agencies
Local Government Grants:
• City and county governments receive monies through block grants
• Grants tend to be small and allocated annually
• Contact your local city or county planning departments to identify
these grants
State Government Grants:
• May be simple to moderately complex to apply (easier than Federal)
• Typically distribute smaller awards for one-year funding
• Most state agencies list grant opportunities on their web pages
Federal Government Grants:
• Are the most complex, competitive and lengthy type of proposal
• Offer larger awards and fund for multiple years
Foundation Grants
Independent Foundation
• Established to aid social, educational, or charitable activity; Endowed
by a single source (individual or family); Decisions by donor, board, or
trust officer; Discretionary giving, usually limited to local area
Community Foundation
• Publicly-supported organization making grants for charitable purposes
in a geographic area; Contributions from many donors (tax-deductible
benefit); Decisions by board representing diversity of community
Company-Sponsored Foundation
• Endowed by a profit-making corporation; decision by board (often
company officials); Giving related to corporate activities or
communities where corporation operates
The Foundation Center: http://foundationcenter.org/ (foundation finder or
use library in Manhattan on Fifth Ave.)
Guide Star: http://www.guidestar.org
Corporations
Corporations are interested in:
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Creating public awareness
Promoting their products and increasing profits
Assisting employees (and their families)
Training the future workforce
Corporations:
• Donate via Corporate-Giving Programs and CompanySponsored Foundation
• May be national, regional, state, or local in scope
• Donate cash, products, and or/manpower
Locating funding sources
• Starts with an idea of a project that you are
passionate about
• Does not start with a sponsor
• Is not fundraising for a specific item
Fundraising is….
• Solicitation from individual and corporate donors
• Usually done on a one-time basis
• Often an aggressive, short-term marketing
program
• Focused on operations or general operating
expenses
• Sometimes focused on helping a specific, target
population
Successful grant ideas…
• Prevent or reduce a community problem or
researches a major issue facing society
• Always help a targeted population
• Attack problems through creative, innovative
programs or services
• Result in gaining knowledge about how to prevent
& reduce a problem
• Disseminate the new knowledge to others
• Are easily replicated
You need a sponsor who..
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Considers the problem as a priority
Funds comparable projects
Funds in your geographical area
Has eligibility requirements that won’t
exclude your organization from funding
Resources for locating
funding sources
• CEHS Grants Website:
http://cehs.montclair.edu/cehs/faculty/grants
.shtml
• MSU ORSP Website:
http://www.montclair.edu/ORSP/fundingop
p.html
• SPIN module within InfoEd:
http://www1.infoed.org/
How to use SPIN
• Click on the SPIN tab
• Click on Advanced Search
• Click Keywords
– Search for a Particular Keyword
– In this box, type keywords that match topics relating to the
research interests. Click “Search”
– Click on the keywords that you want to include in search and click
the box “select”
– When you are done selecting keywords, click “return”
• In Applicant types – you can leave blank or narrow your search
• Click “deadline” - you can leave blank or search for open opportunities
by putting in today’s date
Funding Results
• Click “run search”
• Search results will appear
– Choose the programs you would like more
information by checking the box OR
– In the REPORTS box click
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Select all programs from whole search
Summary format
Save to file
Click “BUILD”
– Download to Word File and access information
using links within each funding opportunity.
The Request for Proposal (RFP)
review should first consider:
Eligibility
Time Frame
Appropriateness
Effort Required
Likelihood of Success
Review of RFP (continued)
 Understand the RFP completely.
 Then, the PI may wish to contact the program
officer if further clarification is needed and/or you
want to briefly introduce yourself and discuss your
idea.
 Ask smart questions, not questions that are already
answered in the RFP.
Grant Writing needs to …
 Be finite, and measurable.
 State the specific accomplishments that must be
achieved to meet the PI’s goal(s).
 Discuss desired results, not how they will be
achieved.
 Define the minimum measures of success of the
project.
 Be program-focused, not budget-oriented
Advice
 Consider a subcontract. Partnering with a respected
member of your field can get you started.
 No grant is too small. Investigate smaller
opportunities to get preliminary data.
 Investigate grants from the State of New Jersey and
private foundations that have a geographic focus on
New Jersey.
 If the projects are rejected, get the reviews and read
them. Revise. Chances of success improve on the
second and third submission.
Common elements of a proposal
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Cover Letter
Signed Face Page
Abstract (Summary)
Table of Contents
Narrative/Project
Description
 Budget/Sustainability Plan
 Resumes/Biosketches/Job
Descriptions
Project Description:
Introduction (background)
Problem Statement
Specific Aims:
Goals & Objectives
Methodology: Work plan
Personnel & Facilities
Evaluation
Dissemination Plan
Conclusion