Researching Grants for

the First Time Grantwriter

Presented by Gary Sharp & Buzzy Nielsen July 27, 2009

This presentation is licensed under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution United A member of
States license. For more information, visit http://www.creativecommons.org.
Grants are stories

Photo source: umjanedoan on Flickr

Storytelling
is a process

Starting your tale

Telling your story

Finding listeners
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

Photo source: Lin Pernille Photography on Flickr

Starting your tale
Resources to help you

Books at NBPL
 The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grant Writing by Waddy
Thompson, c2003. Call #658.15224 THOMPSON
 The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing (5th ed.) by
Jane C. Geever, c2009. Call #658.15224 FOUNDATION
 Getting Funded: A Complete Guide to Proposal Writing (4th ed.)
by Mary Hall, c2003. Call #658.1522 HALL
 Grant Writing for Dummies (3rd ed.) by Beverly A. Browning,
c2009. Call #658.15224 BROWNING
 The “How To” Grants Manual: Successful Grantseeking
Techniques for Obtaining Public and Private Grants (5th ed.) by
David G. Bauer, c2003. Call #658.15524 BAUER
 Writing Grant Proposals That Win edited by Deborah Ward, c2006.
Call #658.15224 WRITING
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

Books at NBPL
The Grantseeker’s Guide to Winning Proposals

Sample budgets

Sample letters
of inquiry
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

Books at NBPL
Getting Funded: A Complete Guide to Proposal Writing
Funding sources Application Checklists
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

Books at NBPL
Getting Funded: A Complete Guide to Proposal Writing

Diagrams and
procedures to help
you through the
application process.
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

Foundation Center
http://www.foundationcenter.org
Basic online classes on grantwriting
Guides to online resources for grantseekers
Overviews of philanthropy, nonprofit
management, and other topics.
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

Foundation Center
http://www.foundationcenter.org

Reference
Guides

Proposal
Writing

Online
Training
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

Foundation Center
Online Courses

Registering on the site

gives you access to
some free online courses
on various grant and
nonprofit topics.
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

Foundation Center
Online Courses
Telling your story
Demographics

American Factfinder
http://factfinder.census.gov
Demographic profiles of incorporated communities
Information on economics and housing
Detailed Census data
Telling your story
Demographics

American Factfinder
Overview
Telling your story
Demographics

American Factfinder
Community Profile

The profile includes

statistics on:
 General demographics

 Social characteristics

 The economy

 Housing
Telling your story
Demographics

American Factfinder
Community Profile
Telling your story
The economy

Oregon Labor Market Information System

http://www.qualityinfo.org/olmisj/
Telling your story
The economy

Oregon Labor Market Information System

Telling your story
The nonprofit environment

GuideStar
http://www.guidestar.org
Information about various nonprofit organizations
The ability to search for nonprofits in your area
Tax & financial data (990 forms) from various
organizations
Telling your story
The nonprofit environment

GuideStar
Overview

GuideStar lets you search

for specific nonprofits or
find nonprofits that work
on specific topics.
Telling your story
The nonprofit environment

GuideStar
Search Results

Clicking “View
Report” will give you
more detailed
information about the
nonprofit in which
you're interested.
Telling your story
The nonprofit environment

GuideStar
Nonprofit Profiles

Scroll down further to

gain access to the
organization's 990s
(federal tax forms)
Finding listeners
Oregon grants

Oregon Foundation Databook

Finding listeners
Oregon grants

Oregon Foundation Databook

Sample entry: Meyer Memorial Trust
Basic info: Address,
contact info, etc.

Mission & focus:

Purpose, geographic
focus, restrictions,
areas of interest

Finances: Assets,
grant amounts,
distribution of
grants given.
Finding listeners
Oregon grants

Oregon Foundation Databook

Sample entry: Meyer Memorial Trust

Recently awarded grants

Finding listeners
Oregon grants

Oregon Foundation Databook

Indexes and other tools

Category index

Geographic distribution
of grants

Deadline calendar
Finding listeners
Oregon grants

Oregon Foundation Databook

Indexes and other tools
Finding listeners
Grants for individuals

Foundation Grants to Individuals

Finding listeners
National grants

Foundation Directory Online

http://fconline.fdncenter.org/
Profiles of thousands of foundations around the
country.
Database allowing grantseekers to search by
geography, areas of interest, and other factors.
Up-to-date contact information for many
foundations.
Only accessible at the Library
Finding listeners
National grants

Foundation Directory Online

Starting Out

Click here to search These options are unavailable

for foundations. through the Library's subscription.
Finding listeners
National grants

Foundation Directory Online

Searching
Finding listeners
National grants

Foundation Directory Online

Using Indexes
Finding listeners
National grants

Foundation Directory Online

Types of support
Searching by this factor allow
you to find foundations that
support endowments, capital
campaigns, operating
expenses, etc.
Finding listeners
National grants

Foundation Directory Online

Your results

Results can be sorted in a wide variety of ways,

saved, and even exported into a spreadsheet
program to help you keep track of applications.
Finding listeners
National grants

Foundation Directory Online

Foundation profiles
Finding listeners
National grants

Foundation Directory Online

Foundation profiles
Finding listeners
National grants

Want to access the

Foundation Directory Online?

Come into the Library and we

can connect you to this great resource!
Finding listeners
Government grants

Grants.gov
http://grants.gov
Access to thousands of federal grant opportunities
Online applications for grants
Finding listeners
Government grants

Grants.gov
Overview
Finding listeners
Government grants

Grants.gov
Searching for grants

Federal grant opportunities

general have standardized
numbers assigned to them.
You can use these numbers
to find the grants on
Grants.gov.
Finding listeners
Government grants

Grants.gov
Searching for grants
Finding listeners
Government grants

Grants.gov
Search results
Finding listeners
Government grants

Grants.gov
Grant notices
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