A Guide to Funding Resources
Contents
The source of the image on the right is the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Online: http://www.ustreas.gov/topics/currency/index.html
Introduction
The "Internet Resources" section of A Guide to Funding Resources includes links to searchable
databases offering funding opportunities
from government and/or private sources that are available to local governments, community organizations,
and individuals. It provides web links to more than sixty full-text online guides, manuals, and
tips to assist grantwriters prepare successful proposals. The section of "Additional Resources" is a
bibliographic listing of published grant writing resources and funding directories.
The reader may locate links to additional funding programs and information
on the Rural Information Center (RIC):
For additional information, contact the RIC at 1-800-633-7701 or
ric@nal.usda.gov
This resource guide was revised and updated by Patricia LaCaille John, November 2004.
Links were checked and updated in June 4, 2008.
Rural Information Center Publication Series; no. 68 2004
The Funding Process
The process of grantsmanship covers a broad scope of activities including preliminary
planning and research, proposal development, and proposal follow-up. Through this process,
two questions are commonly asked by grantseekers, "Where is the money
available?" and "How do I get it?" The following discussion addresses these
questions and provides useful information for grantseekers in search of funding dollars.
Where Does the Money Come From?
The two primary sources of grant money are public and private funds. Public funds are
obtained from governmental units, such as federal, state, and local agencies. Private
funds, on the other hand, come from organizations involved in charitable giving, such as
foundations, direct giving programs, voluntary agencies, and community groups.
Federal Funding
The Federal government is the largest of all the grantmakers. However, much of the federal
grant budget moves to the states through formula and block grants. From there it is up to
the states to decide how to use the money.
The federal government administers several types of grants designed to accomplish
different purposes, such as conducting scientific research, demonstrating a particular
theory, or delivering services to a specific population. Examples of these grants include:
- research grants to support investigations aimed at the discovery of
facts, revision of accepted theories, or application of new or revised theories;
- demonstration grants to demonstrate or establish the feasibility of a
particular theory
or approach;
- project grants to support individual projects in accordance with
legislation that gives
the funding agency discretion in selecting the project, grantees, and amount of award;
- block grants to provide states with funding for a particular purpose;
and
- formula grants to provide funding to specified grantees on the basis of
a specific
formula, using indicators such as per capita income, mortality, or morbidity rates,
outlined in
legislation or regulations.
Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number
All organizations applying for a federal grant or cooperative agreement must have
a DUNS number. Individuals who would personally receive a grant or cooperative agreement award
from the federal government apart from any business or non-profit organization they may operate,
and foreign entities are exempt from this requirement.
The DUNS number is a unique nine character identification number provided by the commercial
company Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). The DUNS number is D&B's copyrighted, proprietary means of identifying
business entities on a location-specific basis worldwide.
A DUNS Number remains with the company location to which it has been assigned even if it
closes or goes out-of-business. The DUNS Number is widely used by both commercial and federal
entities and was adopted as the standard business identifier for federal electronic commerce in October 1994.
The DUNS was also incorporated into the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in April 1998 as the
Federal Government's contractor identification code for all procurement-related activities.
In addition to federal funding, state and local agencies also administer grants. Monies
used to support these programs are obtained primarily through state and local tax revenues
and funds received from the federal government (e.g., block and formula grants).
Federal Application Forms. FedForms.gov provides
"one-stop-shopping" for the federal forms most used by the public. Fedforms contains many,
but not all, of the forms issued by the federal agencies. If you can not find the forms you
need in FedForms, try the Agency Forms Links at:
http://www.forms.gov/bgfPortal/agencyDocs.do.
Private Funding
Private funding can be obtained from a variety of sources, such as foundations,
corporations, voluntary agencies and community groups. For the most part, philanthropic
organizations fund programs which either address their individual interests (e.g., farm
safety) or benefit a particular group (e.g., company employees and their dependents).
Examples of major types of philanthropic organizations include:
- private foundations which receive income from an individual, family or
group of individuals. The funding priorities of private foundations are usually based on
the personal philosophies of the founding members.
- corporate foundations which receive contributions from a
profit-making entity, such as a corporation.
- community foundations involved in grant giving within a
specific
community or region.
- direct giving programs philanthropic arms of corporations which donate
goods and services for charitable causes.
- voluntary agencies private organizations which support charitable
programs that are
consistent with their overall mission. The American Red Cross, for example, provides
printed materials and staff consultation for health projects in various communities.
- community groups local organizations which focus on supporting
projects
within their communities. Examples of these organizations include churches, Junior
Leagues, and
civic organizations.
How Can I Obtain Funding?
Regardless of the type of funding desired, the grantsmanship process involves three
distinct phases: preliminary planning and research, effective proposal writing, and
proposal follow-up. To complete these phases successfully, the grantseeker should consider
the following steps:
STEPS IN THE FUNDING
PROCESS
|
| Steps |
Questions to Consider |
Step 1:
Identify a Need |
- What is the problem?
- How does my plan address the problem? |
Step 2:
Identify Funding Sources |
- Who should I approach for funding?
- How do I obtain information about potential funders? |
Step 3:
Develop Proposal
|
- What are the goals and objectives of the program?
- How will the program be carried out?
- How will I budget the program?
- What type of proposal format should be used?
(e.g., forms or letters) |
Step 4:
Submit Proposal |
- Am I consistent with the funder's application deadlines?
- Am I sending the proposal to the appropriate contact? |
Step 5:
Follow-up |
- Was the proposal accepted?
- If not, why?
- Should I submit a revised proposal? |
Although not exhaustive, these steps provide a general "game plan" for
individuals embarking on a grant search. By following these guidelines, grantseekers can
prepare a more effective funding strategy and increase their overall chances for success.
How Do I Get Started?
Perhaps the hardest part of the grantsmanship process is getting started! With this in
mind, the following checklist has been developed to help grantseekers get off on the right
track.
If you are a first time grantseeker, you may wish to attend a grant writing workshop or
team up with an experienced fund raiser. In addition, you may also wish to hire a
professional consultant for proposal guidance and development.
Check your local library! Several libraries have sections related to grantsmanship and
funding resources. If your local library does not have a copy of a book or periodical
mentioned in this publication, they should be able to obtain a copy through interlibrary
loan.
Oftentimes grantseekers approach the larger, national foundations for projects which
may be more attractive to local, community funders. Remember, national funders support
projects which have a broad impact, while smaller funders support those which effect their
own community. Be sure to consider this when beginning your search.
Contact associations and members of organizations that are related to your field of
interest. They might be able to offer suggestions for the best place to begin your funding
search.
Be sure to identify several potential funders when conducting your search. The odds of
a successful search are greater when you approach a variety of funders.
Maintain a journal of what organizations you have contacted and when. Each grant
program will probably have a different set of deadlines, so it is helpful to have a master
list.
The staff of the Rural Information Center may be able to direct you to potential
funding sources. Contact RIC at 1-800-633-7701 or
ric@nal.usda.gov
Internet Resources
Federal Funding Databases
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). CFDA is an Internet database containing information
about all federal domestic programs including federal grants, loans, insurance, and training programs;
information is available on eligibility, application procedures, selection criteria, and deadlines.
http://12.46.245.173/cfda/cfda.html Federal Funding Sources for Rural Areas Database for Rural Areas Database.
This online Internet database contains information about rural federal domestic programs including federal grants, loans, insurance, and training programs;information is available on eligibility, application procedures, selection criteria, and deadlines.
http://ric.nal.usda.gov/nal_web/ric/ffd.php Grants.gov
1-800-518-4726
http://www.grants.gov
Grants.gov is an online database containing information on more than 900 federal grant programs.
Private Funding Databases
GuideStar at:
http://www.guidestar.org/search/index.jsp allows you to search more than 1 million U.S.
nonprofits by subject, category, keyword, state, nonprofit type, etc. to identify local or
state organizations.
Guide to GuideStar:
http://www.charitablegift.org/planning_research_guidestar.shtml.
Tutorial:
http://www.guidestar.org/help/tutorial/index.jsp
The Foundation Center. http://foundationcenter.org/
Community Foundations by State. TGCI, The Grantsmanship Center. http://www.tgci.com/funding.shtml Community Foundations by State. Council On Foundations.
http://www.cof.org/Locator/index.cfm?menuContainerID=34&crumb=2 Idealist.org at: http://www.idealist.org allows you to search
more than 40,000 nonprofit and community organizations in 165 counties by city, state, keyword, etc. Search for Charities. IRS. Search by city, city and state, or state.
http://www.irs.gov/charities/index.html
Guides to State Foundations
Finding Local Funding: A Guide to State Foundation Directories. Marc Green. TGCI, The Grantsmanship Center.
http://www.tgci.com/magazine/Finding%20Local%20Funding.pdf State And Local Funding Directories: A Bibliography. Sarah Collins, Jimmy Tom. The Foundation Center.
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/faqs/html/state.html
Foundation Databases/Directories by State
CA: Foundation & Grantmakers Directory. Northern California Community Foundation, Inc. http://www.foundations.org/grantmakers.html CO: Financial Assistance. Colorado Department of Local Affairs.
http://www.dola.state.co.us/financial_assistance.html DE: Directory of Delaware Grantmakers 2003. Delaware Community Foundation.
http://www.delcf.org/Download/2003%20DIRECTORY%20OF%20DELAWARE%20GRANTMAKERS.pdf MA: Grantmakers in Massachusetts. Fundsnet Online Services.
http://www.fundsnetservices.com/massachu.htm MA/NH: Associated Grant Makers. Associated Grant Makers.
http://www.agmconnect.org
The Grant Makers Directory is available to members only. NH: Directory of Charitable Funds in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Department of Justice. http://doj.nh.gov/publications/directory-main.html NJ: Directory of Registered Charities (Database). Office of the Attorney General. Division of Consumer Affairs.
http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/charfrm.htm NM: New Mexico Funding Directory (Database). University of New Mexico's Office of the Vice Provost for Research.
http://research.unm.edu/nmfd/index.cfm NM: New Mexico Funding Directory. 6th ed. University of New Mexico's Office of the Vice Provost for Research.
http://research.unm.edu/publications/nmfd_book/ NY: Private Foundations Providing Support for Areas of Upstate New York. Neighborhood Preservation Coalition of New York State.
http://www.npcys.org/Foundations/upstatenewyorkfound.htm NY: Private Foundations Providing Support for Organizations Throughout New York State. Neighborhood Preservation Coalition of New York State.
http://www.npcnys.org/Foundations/newyorkstatefoundations.htm NY: Private Foundations Supporting Organizations in the New York City Metropolitan Area. Neighborhood Preservation Coalition of
New York State. http://www.npcnys.org/Foundations/nycfoundations.htm SC: South Carolina Foundation Directory 2006. South Carolina State Library.
http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/grant-and-funding-sources/ SD: South Dakota Grant Directory (Database). South Dakota State Library.
http://www.sdstatelibrary.com/info/GrantDirectory.htm
Newsletters
- Federal Register. Washington, DC: Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records
Administration. Monday through Friday. http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
Includes information on federal assistance such as grants and contracts.
- Giving Forum Newspaper Online. Minneapolis, MN: Minnesota Council on Foundations. Quarterly.
http://www.mcf.org/mcf/forum/
Features articles on funding programs, profiles people in philanthropy, lists
grants made by both foundations and corporate giving programs, and includes a calendar of philanthropic events
and educational opportunities.
- The Grantsmanship Center Magazine. Los Angeles: The Grantsmanship Center. Quarterly.
http://www.tgci.com/magazine.shtml.
Contains articles about grantsmanship, fundraising techniques,
grantsmanship seminars and reference literature on funding sources.
Available free to staff of nonprofits and government agencies.
- Humanities: The Magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Washington, DC: National
Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Bimonthly.
http://www.neh.gov/news/humanities.html
Describes NEH projects and programs in the humanities. It lists recent grants, application
deadlines, and other useful information for grant seekers.
Philanthropy News Digest. New York: Foundation Center. Weekly.
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/ Compendium of philanthropy-related articles and features culled from print and electronic media outlets nationwide.
PND Connections. New York: Foundation Center.
Biweekly.
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/connections/index.jhtml Covers philanthropy-related content on the web.
PND RFP Bulletin. New York: Foundation Center. Weekly.
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/ Covers recently announced requests for proposal (RFPs)
from private, corporated, and government funding sources.
Grant Writing Resources
General
Basic Elements of Grant Writing. Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
http://www.cpb.org/grants/grantwriting.html
A Condensed Version of Proposal Planning and Writing. Jeremy T. Miner, Lynn E. Miner.
http://www.minerandassociates.com/PPW3 Brief.htm
Developing and Writing Grant Proposals. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.GRANT_PROPOSAL_DYN.show
-
EPA Grant-Writing Tutorial. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.epa.gov/seahome/grants.html
The Foundation Center's User-Friendly Guide to Funding Research & Resources.
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/gfr/
Grant Writing and Fundraising Articles. TechSoup.
http://www.techsoup.org/howto/articles.cfm?topicid=10&topic=Funding
Non-Profit Guides: Grant-Writing Tools for Non-Profit Organizations.
http://www.npguides.org/index.html
Preparing a Grant Proposal: Five Steps in the Proposal Writing Process. Appalachian Regional Commission.
http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=102
Proposal Budgeting Basics. Foundation Center.
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/prop_budgt/
Proposal Writing: The Basic Steps in Planning and Writing A Successful Grant Application. Eric Rinehart,
Barbara Bouie-Scott. http://www.ildceo.net/NR/rdonlyres/EC10F834-50A0-4CB0-8121-B6185951F91D/0/ProposalWriting2003.pdf
Proposal Writing Short Course. Available in English and Spanish. Foundation Center.
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/shortcourse/budget.html
What Grantmakers Want Applicants to Know. GuideStar.
http://www.guidestar.org/news/features/grantadvice.jsp
What To Do Before You Write A Grant Proposal. Ohio Literacy Resource Center.
http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/grants/first.html
Writing A Successful Grant Proposal. Minnesota Council on Foundations.
http://www.mcf.org/mcf/grant/writing.htm
Guides for Research Grants
The Art of Grantsmanship. Jacob Kraicer.
http://www.hfsp.org/how/ArtOfGrants.htm
Award and Administration Guide. National Science Foundation.
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag081&org=NSF Grants and Grant-Proposal Writing. 3rd ed. John O'del.
http://eweb.slu.edu/papers2/grantOlv32e.pdf
A Guide for Proposal Writing. National Science Foundation.
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf04016
Proposal Writer's Guide. Don Thackrey.
http://www.research.umich.edu/proposals/pwg/pwgcontents.html
Writing From the Winner's Circle: A Guide to Preparing Competitive Grant Proposals. David Stanley.
http://www.unl.edu/nepscor/newpages/noframes/pubs/winners/writing.html
Sample Grant Proposals
Examples of Grant Proposals. Foundation Center.
http://fdncenter.org/learn/faqs/html/propsample.html
Examples of Successful Proposals. Appalachian Regional Commission.
http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=1730
Funding: Templates. SERA Learning.
http://www.sera.com/index.php?section=funding&option=funding&page=funding_templates
A Sample Grant Proposal. Plugged In.
http://www.pluggedin.org/tool_kit/sample_grant.html
Sample Grant Proposals. The Idea Bank.
`http://theideabank.com/onlinecourse/samplegrant.html
Sample National Grant Proposal: Nashville Cares. Gill Foundation.
http://www.gillfoundation.org/tata_materials/tata_materials_show.htm?doc_id=90214
Sample Proposals. Non-Profit Guides.
http://www.npguides.org/guide/sample_proposals.htm
Sample Proposals. SchoolGrants.
http://www.k12grants.org/samples/
Glossaries
Complete Glossary. Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership.
http://www.nonprofitbasics.org/CompleteGlossary.aspx?ID=-1
Financial Glossary. The Robertwood Johnson Foundation.
http://www.rwjf.org/grantees/howtotools/financialglossary.jsp
Glossary. Foundation Center.
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/gfr/glossary.html
Glossary of Grant Terms. Oakton Community College.
http://www.oakton.edu/resource/grants/glossary.pdf
Glossary of Terms. Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund.
http://www.charitablegift.org/basics_glossary.shtml
Grantwriting Glossary of Terms. Marywood University.
http://www.marywood.edu/orcc/glossary.htm
Funding Information Sources
Dialog Corporation
Corporation Headquarters
11000 Regency Parkway, Suite 10
Cary, NC 27511
(800) 3-DIALOG (North America)
http://www.dialog.com
The Dialog Information Retrieval Service provides online access,
for a fee, to more than 450 databases with subject coverage of a wide range of disciplines. The
databases include statistical data, bibliographic citations, abstracts, and full-text products. The Dialog
include information on funding programs include the Foundation Grant Index, the Grants Database, and
the Foundation Directory.
The Foundation Center
79 Fifth Avenue/ 16th Street
New York, NY 10003
(800) 424-9836
http://www.foundationcenter.org
The Foundation Center provides up-to-date information on foundation and corporate giving. Its
national collections are located in Washington, DC and New York, NY. At both locations, grantseekers have
free access to core Center publications plus a wide range of books, periodicals, and research documents
relating to foundations and philanthropy. The Center's website contains many useful funding information
resources. The Foundation Center provides both CD-ROM and online subscription access to the Foundation
Directory Online, Providing access to more than 77,000 grant makers.
Grants Database
Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
88 Post Road West, P.O. Box 5007
Westport, CT 06881-5007
(800)-225-5800
http://www.greenwood.com
Grants provides information on more than 10,000 available grants offered by federal, state, and local
government, commercial organizations, associations, and private foundations. Each entry includes full description,
qualification, money available, and renewability. Full name, address, and telephone number for each sponsoring
organization, if available, are also included. The Grants database corresponds to the print publications Directory
of Research Grants, Directory of Biomedical and Health Care Grants, Grants in the
Humanities, Funding Sources for Community and Economic Development, Funding Sources for K-12 Schools and Educational
Organizations and Operating Grants for Nonprofit Organizations. The Grants Database in available from DIALOG online
on a fee-based subscription service.
Grant Writing Publications
-
Asking for Money. The Grantsmanship Center. Los Angeles: TGCI.
Brief guide on how to approach face-to-face situations in fund raising.
-
Best of Both Worlds: Winning Government Funding for Commercial Product
Development
under the Small Business Innovation Research Program. Wellesley Hills, MA:
SPHINX
Technologies, 1994. 245 p.
Presents an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs. Includes topics
formulating a winning technical proposal, preparing a cost proposal, and managing your
SBIR project.
-
Earning More Funds: Effective, Proven Fundraising Strategies for Every Nonprofit
Group.
Chip & Ralfie Blasius. Fort Wayne, IN: B.C. Creations, 1995. 180 p.
Provides an overview of several tested fundraising strategies.
-
Finding Funding: Grant Writing From Start to Finish,
Including
Project Management and Internet Use, 4th ed. Ernest W. Brewer, Charles M. Achilles, and Jay
R.
Fuhriman. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2001. 392 p.
Introduces where to look for government grants and how to write proposals.
Describes the steps involved with implementing, conducting, and following a project
through to completion.
-
Finding Funding: The Comprehensive Guide to Grant Writing, 2nd ed. Daniel M. Barber.
Long
Beach, CA: Bond Street Publishers, 2002. 287 p.
Appropriate for the beginning grant writer or the experienced fund seeker.
Covers every aspect of the grant process.
-
The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing. Foundation Center. New York:
The
Center. Updated regularly.
Provides guidance on every aspect of
proposal preparation and follow-up. It gives a step-by-step approach; provides actual
sample proposals, cover letters, project descriptions and budgets; and covers information
on current trends in grantmaking and the proposal review process.
-
Foundation Fundamentals: A Guide for Grantseekers. New York:
Foundation Center.
Updated regularly.
Includes basic procedures of grant application and a complete overview of the
grant-making process and points the user to appropriate funding sources.
-
Fund Raising Basics: A Complete Guide, 2nd ed. Barbara Kushner Ciconte and Jeanne G.
Jacob.
Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, 2001.
Offers a comprehensive view of fund raising. It covers the basics, such as
the vocabulary of fund raising; trends; case studies; diverse approaches; and real life
examples. It is written for both development staff and novice fund raisers.
-
Fundraising Ideas: Over 225 Money Making Events for Community Groups, with a
Resource
Directory. Janell Shride Amos. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 1995. 148 p.
Provides a brief description of the event, helpful planning tips and creative
suggestions, notes about the type of workers and tools needed to ensure success, cross-
references to related ideas, and resource recommendations.
-
Grant Application Writer's Handbook, 4th ed. Liane Reif-Lehrer. Sudbury, MA: Jones
&
Bartlett Publishers, 2004. 416 p.
Introduces several tips and tricks for every aspect of the fund
raising process. There are sections about proposal writing, as well as following up your
requests for funding.
-
Grantwriting, Fundraising, and Partnerships: Strategies that Work! Karen B.
Ruskin, Charles M. Achilles. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 1995. 200 p.
Helps schools identify funders, describe the school setting with effective
catchwords, market the grant proposal, and develop relationships with community
businesses.
-
Handbook for Writing Proposals. Robert J. Hamper and L. Sue Baugh.
Lincolnwood,
IL:
NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, 1995. 209 p.
Reviews steps involved in choosing the right project to bid on,
conducting research, and producing documents to follow up the project. It also has samples
from every stage of
the process, including helpful graphics.
-
The "How To" Grants Manual: Successful Grantseeking Techniques for
Obtaining
Public and Private Grants. David. G. Bauer. 5th ed. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. 2003.
Describes how to organize the grantseeking process, discusses proposal development, and describes
how to research funding sources.
-
Keys to Successful Funding: A Small Community Guide to Federal & Foundation Resources.
Hamilton Brown, Nancy Stark, Dennis Reader. Washington, DC: National Center
for
Small Communities, 1999. 96 p.
Focuses on federal grants for
small towns and rural areas, especially in the areas of infrastructure rebuilding and
economic
development. It also offers a section on grant proposal writing.
-
Practical Guide to Planned Giving. Taft Group. Farmington Hills, MI: Taft Group.
Includes basic information on marketing and running a
planned giving program, describes planned giving options and explains the advantages and
disadvantages of each, lists additional information sources, and discusses tax laws
related to planned giving.
-
Program Planning & Proposal Writing. Expanded Version. TGCI. Los Angeles: TGCI. 48 p.
Offers a basic introduction to the fundamentals of proposal writing.
-
Proposal Planning & Writing. 3d ed. Lynn E. Miner, Jeremy T. Miner. Westport, CT: Greenwood
Press, 2003. 216 p
Features a concise, straightforward, and topical approach to grant seeking.
It identifies print and non-print foundation, corporate, and federal funding resources.
Charts, outlines, and proposal examples are included.
-
Proposal Writer's Guide. 2nd ed. Michael E. Burns. New Haven: Development
and
Technical Assistance Center, 1993. 64 p.
Provides quick information on proposal writing.
-
Raising Money from Grants and Other Sources Success Kit. Tyler G. Hicks.
Merrick,
NY:
International Wealth Success, Inc., 1998-9.
Collection of seven books on fundraising.
-
Successful Fundraising for Arts and Cultural Organizations. 2nd ed. Karen Brooks
Hopkins and Carolyn Stolper Friedman. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1997. 280 p.
Focuses on corporate sponsorship, but
also covers endowment campaigns. Includes statistics, examples, and many types of sample
documents and forms.
-
Winning Grants Step by Step: The Complete Workbook for
Planning, Developing, Writing Successful Proposals, 2nd ed. Mim Carlson. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2002.
Structured Exercises both government and private foundation proposals guide the reader of
through the entire proposal writing process. The exercises are for .
For health-related funding sources, see the following Rural Information Center publications:
The following directories are divided into subject categories for easier access. Directories that cover
the entire range of grant givers are listed under the heading: General.
Arts and
Humanities
-
Arts Funding: An Update on Foundation Trends. New York:
Foundation Center.
Updated regularly.
Analyzes grantmaking and grantmakers in arts and culture, allowing the
user to determine how and where to find the best funding opportunities.
-
Directory of Grants in the Humanities. Westport, CT: Oryx Press. Updated annually.
Contains nearly 4,000 entries with information on private,
government, and corporate grants available for projects in the arts and humanities. Include
a guide to proposal planning and writing.
-
National Guide to Funding in Arts and Culture. New York:
Foundation Center. Updated regularly.
Includes descriptions of foundations and corporations that support arts and culture and
advice on researching them. A partial listing of areas includes theaters, museums,
archeology projects, orchestras, and dance groups.
Building,
Construction, and Technology
-
Directory of Building and Equipment Grants. Richard M. Eckstein. Loxahatchee,
FL:
Research Grant Guides, Inc.
Includes over 5,000 funding entries covering grants for building,
equipment, and renovation.
-
Directory of Computer and High Technology Grants. Loxahatchee, FL: Research
Grant
Guides, Inc.
Includes over 500 foundations that provide funding for computers and technological
equipment are profiled.
-
National Guide to Funding for Information Technology. New
York:
Foundation Center. Updated regularly.
Covers grantsmakers of awards for projects in computer science,
engineering and technology, telecommunications, and related fields of information
technology.
Disabilities
-
Directory of Grants for Organizations Serving People with Disabilities.
Loxahatchee, FL:
Research Grants Guides, Inc.
Contains information
on more than 800 foundations and 2,700 grant entries. Indexed by subject categories.
-
Financial Aid for Persons with Visual Impairments. El Dorado Hills, CA:
Reference
Service Press. Updated regularly.
Describes nearly 200 programs that offer financial aid to persons with visual impairments.
Available in regular and large print versions.
-
Financial Aid for the Disabled & Their Families. El Dorado Hills, CA: Reference
Service
Press. Updated regularly.
Describes scholarships, fellowships, loans, grants, awards, and internships.
Education
-
The Distance Learning Funding $ourcebook: A Guide to Foundation, Corporate,
and
Government Support for Telecommunications and the New Media. Arlene Krebs, ed.
Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 1998. 448 p.
Provides information about foundations, federal government programs,
regional and local telephone companies, corporations, and contacts in the cable television
industry.
-
Funding Sources for K-12 Schools and Adult Basic Education. Westport, CT: Oryx
Press. Updated regularly.
Covers grants/funding available for technology, arts in education, teacher development,
career education, literacy, language and citizenship, and job-skills training for
minorities, women, veterans, immigrants, and the disadvantaged.
-
Guide to Federal Funding for Education. Washington, DC : Educational Funding
Research
Council. Updated quarterly
Includes information on funds available to state education agencies, school
districts, colleges, and community groups. Each entry includes the program's purpose and
goals, application procedures and deadlines, program restrictions, information about
previous grant recipients, and contact information.
-
National Guide to Funding for Elementary and Secondary Education. New
York: Foundation Center. Updated regularly.
Profiles foundation support for elementary and secondary education projects.
-
National Guide to Funding in Higher Education. New York:
Foundation Center. Updated regularly.
Covers nearly 4,000 foundations and corporate programs that have
previously awarded grants for higher-education projects and institutions.
Elderly
-
National Guide to Funding in Aging. New York: Foundation Center. Updated
regularly.
Covers funding programs of state and federal agencies, foundations, and
nonprofit organizations that support programs for the elderly.
General
-
America's New Foundations. Farmington Hills, MI: Taft Group. Updated annually.
Provides details on private, corporate, and community foundations
created since 1988. Includes listing of grants.
-
Annual Register of Grant Support: A Directory of Funding Sources. New
Providence, NJ: R.R. Bowker.
Lists thousands of United States and foreign
grant sources. It includes foundations, corporate giving programs, federal agencies,
education associations, professional associations, church organizations, and
social-service agencies. Includes
contact information; type and amount of each grant; application instructions and
deadlines; and eligibility requirements.
-
Corporate Giving Directory. Farmington Hills, MI: Taft Group. Updated annually
Offers profiles of the 1,000 largest
corporate foundations and corporate charitable giving programs.
-
The Directory of Corporate and Foundation Givers. Farmington Hills,
MI: Taft Group. Updated annually.
Profiles over 8,000 private foundations that have assets of at least
$1.8 million or that distribute at least $250,000 annually in grants, describes 3,900
corporate giving programs, and gives details on nearly 50,000 actual grants. Customized
versions are available on diskette and magnetic tape.
-
Directory of Operating Grants. Loxahatchee, FL: Research Grant Guides, Inc. Updated annually.
Profiles more than 640 foundations and includes 4,000 funding
entries in the following categories: AIDS, animal welfare,
community funds, culture, disabled, education, elderly, environment, health, hospitals,
minorities, recreation, religion, social welfare, universities, women, and youth.
-
Foundation 1000. New York: Foundation Center. Updated regularly.
Profiles the largest 1,000 grant makers listed in The
Foundation Directory. It also includes extensive lists of grants the donors have made in
the past.
-
The Foundation Center's Guide to Grantseeking on the Web.
New
York: Foundation Center. 2003. Approx. 800 p.
Includes an introduction to the World Wide Web and a structured guide through Web-based
grants resources. Provides abstracts of 200+ Web sites; profiles of searchable databases;
and lists of government resources, online journals and newsletters, and interactive
services.
-
The Foundation Directory. New York: Foundation Center. Updated annually.
Provides information, arranged by state, on over 10,000 U.S. grantmaking foundations
that hold assets of at least $2 million or that award grants totaling $200,000 or more
annually. Information is included for more than 200 specific subject areas.
-
Foundation Directory Part 2: A Guide to Grant Programs $50,000-$200,000. New
York: Foundation Center. Updated annually.
Provides information, arranged by state, on the second 10,000 U.S. grantmaking foundations that award
grants totaling $50,000 to $200,000 annually. Information is included for more than 200
specific subject areas.
-
Foundation Yearbook: Facts and Figures on Private and
Community Foundations. New York: Foundation Center. Updated annually.
Presents an overview of recent trends in grantmaking and summarizes the history of the
growth in foundation giving.
-
Foundation Grants Index. New York: Foundation Center. Updated annually.
An index of recently awarded grants, divided into subject areas, then broken down
geographically. More recent updates are available in The Foundation Grants Index
Quarterly.
-
Foundation Reporter: Comprehensive Profiles and Giving Analyses of America's Major
Private Foundations. Taft Group. Farmington Hills, MI: Taft Group. Updated regularly.
Lists comprehensive profiles and analyses of
America's major private foundations. It covers more than 1,000 leading foundations in the
United States that have assets of at least $10 million or that annually give a minimum of
$500,000. It is indexed by state, and by type and location of grant recipient.
-
Government Assistance Almanac. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, Inc. Update annually.
Includes more than 1,500 federal
domestic assistance programs and includes coverage of grants, loans, fellowships, and scholarships.
-
The Grants Register. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Updated annually.
Describes assistance available, from government agencies and
organizations, for professional or advanced vocational training and for students above the
graduate level.
Includes scholarships, fellowships, research grants, grants-in-aid, artistic or scientific project
grants, professional awards, and vocational awards.
-
Guide to Federal Funding for Governments and Nonprofits. Washington DC: Thompson Publishing Group.
Updated regularly.
Includes a primer on the federal grants process,
descriptions for hundreds of federal programs, contact information, and information on
online resources.
-
National Directory of Corporate Giving. New York: Foundation Center.
Updated regularly.
Provides information on over 2,800 company-sponsored foundations and
more than 900 direct corporate giving programs.
-
National Directory of Nonprofit Organizations. Farmington Hills, MI:
Taft Group. Updated regularly.
Comprehensive resource aid to locating funding from charitable organizations
of all varieties. Volume 1 covers organizations with annual
revenues of over $1 million. Volume 2 covers organizations with
annual revenues between
$25,000 and $99,999. Additional indexes allow users to locate organizations by activity
and geographical location.
-
National Guide to Funding for the Environment & Animal Welfare. New York: Foundation
Center. Updated regularly.
Provides information on over 2,900 foundations that support for those working on
projects involving the environment or animal welfare.
-
The PRI Directory: Charitable Loans and Other Program-Related Investments by Foundations, 2nd ed.
New York: Foundation Center, 155 p. 2003.
Lists leading PRI(program-related investing) providers and includes tips on how to seek out and
manage PRIs. PRIs have been used to support community revitalization, low-income housing, microenterprise development,
historic preservation, human services, and more.
-
Who Gets Grants: Foundation Grants to Nonprofit Organizations.
New York: Foundation Center. Updated regularly.
Allows grantseekers to pinpoint typical funding sources for organizations similar to their own.
Indexed by subject areas and by locale within each subject area.
Government, Community, and Economic Development
-
Funding Sources for Community and Economic Development. Westport, CT: Oryx Press. Updated regularly.
Includes funding for capital construction, equipment,
travel, outreach, and ongoing support for community programs and projects.
-
National Guide to Funding for Community Development. New York: Foundation Center.
Updated regularly.
Profiles more than 2,600 programs and focuses on grantmakers that have contributed to economic
development projects. Examples include housing construction and rehabilitation, community groups, and employment
and vocational training programs.
-
Foundation Grants to Individuals. New York: Foundation Center. Updated regularly.
Includes
opportunities for support in education, the arts and culture, and research, and grants for company employees,
professionals, and others. Also includes prizes and awards, and grants by nomination. Indexed by subject area,
types of support, geographic area, sponsoring company, educational institution, and grantmaker name.
Libraries and Museums
-
The Big Book of Library Grant Money, 2004/2005. Prepared by the Taft Group for the American Library
Association. Chicago, IL: The Association, 2004.
Includes library-specific funding programs from the broader, more expensive funding directories.
-
The Big Book of Museum Grant Money. American Association of Museums. Washington, DC: The Association, 1996. 896 p.
Profiles 3,000 private sector
funders that have contributed to museum programs.
-
Libraries and Information Services Grant Guide. New York: Foundation Center. Updated regularly.
Describes foundation grants of at least $10,000 awarded for library and information services.
-
National Guide to Funding for Libraries and Information Services. New York: Foundation Center.
Updated regularly.
Lists approximately 800 funding sources for libraries and information services.
Minorities
-
Financial Aid for African Americans. El Dorado Hills, CA: Reference Service Press. Updated regularly.
Describes scholarships, fellowships, loans, grants, awards, and internships.
-
Financial Aid for Asian Americans. El Dorado Hills, CA: Reference Service Press. Updated regularly.
Describes funding opportunities for Asian Americans.
-
Financial Aid for Hispanic Americans. El Dorado Hills, CA: Reference Service Press.
Updated regularly.
Describes funding opportunities for Hispanic Americans.
-
Financial Aid for Native Americans. El Dorado Hills, CA: Reference Service Press. Updated regularly.
Describes funding opportunities for Native Americans, Alaskans, and Pacific Islanders.
Religious Organizations
-
Fund Raiser's Guide to Religious Philanthropy. Farmington Hills, MI: Taft Group.
Updated regularly.
Includes over 500 corporate and private philanthropies who have recently awarded
grants for religious causes.
-
National Guide to Funding in Religion. New York: Foundation Center. Updated regularly.
Provides information on more than 8,400 corporate giving programs and foundations that provide
funding for programs sponsored by organizations affiliated with religion. Includes contact information, application
requirements and deadlines, and descriptions of recently-awarded funds.
Research
-
Directory of Research Grants. Westport CT: Oryx Press. Updated regularly.
A comprehensive guide to research funding from foundations, private sources, state and local organizations,
and federal sources.
Social Services
-
Directory of Social Service Grants. 2nd ed. Loxahatchee, FL: Research Grant Guides, Inc, 1998.
Profiles more than 900 foundations that offer grants to disadvantaged groups and special populations.
Examples of subject categories include child welfare, the disabled, the elderly, family services, food banks,
substance abuse, and women.
-
Fund Raiser's Guide to Human Service Funding. Taft Group. Farmington Hills, MI: Taft Group. Updated.
Profiles more than 1,850 leading private and corporate foundations that provide support
for human service organizations. Cites potential funding sources for programs for the elderly, homeless,
disabled, children, family, and for other human service programs.
-
National Guide to Funding for Children, Youth, and Families. New York: Foundation Center. Updated regularly.
Includes data on foundations and corporate direct giving programs that award grants
for programs designed to benefit children, youth, or families.
Veterans
-
Financial Aid for Veterans, Military Personnel, and Their Dependents. El Dorado Hills, CA: Reference Service
Press. Updated regularly.
Describes scholarships, fellowships, loans, grants, awards, and internships set aside
specifically for veterans, military personnel, and their families.
Women
-
Directory of Financial Aids For Women. El Dorado Hills, CA: Reference Service Press. Updated regularly.
Aids in locating fellowships, awards, grants, internships, loans, and scholarships for women.
-
National Guide to Funding for Women and Girls. New York: Foundation Center. Updated regularly.
Profiles foundations and corporate giving programs that award grants to programs designed to
benefit women and girls. Funding is available for education programs, health clinics, shelters for abused or
homeless women, girls' clubs, employment programs, and in other subject areas.
Newsletters
- Aid for Education Report. Silver Spring, MD: CD Publications. Semi-monthly.
Provides information, including application deadlines and eligibility, on private and public
funding sources for all levels of education, programs, and services related to aging. Indexed by subject,
location, and type of organization supported.
- Charity Rating Guide and Watchdog Report. Chicago: American Institute of Philanthropy. Quarterly.
Reviews charities and foundations based on factors such as percentage of total
expenses spent on charitable programs. Monitors regulations affecting charities and news about
fraudulent programs.
- Children and Youth Funding Report. Silver Spring, MD: CD Publications. Semi-monthly.
Covers grants (foundation, private, and federal) available for child and youth programs.
Includes news coverage that affects organizations that work with adolescents.
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Washington, DC: The Chronicle. Bimonthly.
Contains news articles, a listing of new grants, summaries of foundation annual
reports, book reviews, software reviews, an event date book, and other philanthropic information.
- Corporate Giving Watch. Farmington Hills, MI: Taft Group. Twelve issues per year.
Provides up-to-date information on corporate funding. Covers trends in
corporate philanthropy, new grants, funding program changes, statistics, information sources, and other topics.
- Corporate Philanthropy Report. Alexandria, VA: Capitol Publications. Monthly.
Provides spotlights on philanthropy by industry or issue.
- Development Director's Letter. Silver Spring, MD: CD Publications. Monthly.
Contains grantseeking tips and fundraising strategies to help nonprofit and government administrators
gain additional support for programs in health care, education, family services, child welfare, crime prevention,
and other critical areas.
- Disability Funding Week. Silver Spring, MD: CD Publications. Semi-monthly.
Provides details on funding opportunities for persons with disabilities, including grants for
housing, transportation, rehabilitation, research, special education, and more.
- Federal Assistance Monitor. Silver Spring, MD: CD Publications. Semi-monthly.
Contains reviews on federal funding information, private grants, and legislative actions that
affect community programs such as education and health.
- Federal Grants & Contracts Weekly. Washington, DC: Capital Publishing Group. Weekly.
Highlights notices from the Federal Register and the Commerce Business Daily
and contains information on federal grants and contracts related to research, training, and services.
- Foundation Giving Watch. Farmington Hills, MI: Taft Group. Twelve issues per year.
Covers foundation funding, including foundation giving trends, grant programs,
and new foundations. Include new grant-related resources and publications, as well as information on private
foundation grantmaking trends.
- Foundation Grants Index Quarterly. New York: Foundation Center. Quarterly.
Covers more than 5,000 recently awarded grants. Includes updated information on grant
makers and on recent publications such as annual reports and newsletters produced by corporate giving programs,
foundations, and grant-maker associations.
- Foundation News & Commentary. Washington, DC: Council on Foundations, Inc. Bimonthly.
Profiles private foundation funding programs and discusses trends in giving.
- The Local/State Funding Report. Washington, DC: Government Information Services. Fifty issues per year.
Focuses on grants and funding information for state and local governments, non-profits,
and community groups. Keeps readers abreast of federal regulations and new and existing programs and features selected
announcements from the Federal Register and Commerce Business Daily.
- Responsive Philanthropy. Washington, DC: National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRF). Quarterly.
Includes information on trends in philanthropic giving to racial and ethnic, women's,
low-income, and other social justice movements.
- Taft Monthly Portfolio. Farmington Hills, MI: Taft Group. Twelve issues per year.
Contains articles on fundraising, with cases studies and surveys, especially aimed at non-profits.
This publication contains material that is considered accurate, readable,
and available. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily
reflect the views of the United States Department of Agriculture. Inclusion
of publications, software, and databases in this publication does not
imply product endorsement. Last Modified: June, 2008
USDA, Rural Information Center
National Agricultural Library
10301 Baltimore Ave., Room 132
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
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