We are a small organization and we can’t afford to hire a grant writer, accountant, and lawyer to help us seek a Federal grant. Is there any help for us?

Answer

Most Federal agencies have experts who are available to help organizations apply for and manage their grants. Applicants may call the official identified in the grant announcement or contact an agency’s regional office. These agency staff are available to answer questions over the phone. They may also refer applicants to local or nearby technical assistance workshops or to organizations that are under contract with the Federal government to provide this kind of assistance.

Assistance may also be available from one of the organizations funded by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Compassion Capital Fund. These organizations help small faith-based and community organizations learn about the grants process. They may also help small groups with other challenges, such as training volunteers and staff or expanding the reach of the services they provide. They do this at no cost to your organization. You can learn more about the Compassion Capital Fund and the organizations it funds at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccf/index.html. 

In addition, for general questions about writing a grant proposal, many State governments and cities provide grant-writing workshops, as do a number of non-profit organizations and foundations.

Source: Guidance to Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Partnering with the Federal Government (published by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives 2002) http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/guidance_document.pdf.