Still Hoping for Some Federal Stimulus Money?

August 2009

Still hoping for some federal stimulus money? A new area of grants.gov provides information on recovery-related grant programs with upcoming deadlines – most are due by the end of September and are for very focused projects. The Department of Health and Human Services has posted webinars that will help users navigate the website.

If you are considering applying for one of these opportunities, here are some tips to strengthen your proposal:

1. Connect with agency program officers. Having a contact at the funding agency, particularly in a local or regional office, can help you understand the nuances of the grant guidelines and learn how to be more competitive with your proposal.

2. Give yourself enough time to do a good job. Preparing federal grant proposals requires a tremendous investment of time. Be honest with yourself and your colleagues about how much time it will take to apply for a very competitive grant – and the opportunity cost of devoting your time to this process.

3. Complete all registrations in advance. Make sure that your organization is registered on grants.gov – a process that can take 3-5 days and as long as 4 weeks if information is incomplete. Note that there are several other registration processes that are required in advance of the grants.gov registration.

4. Build partnerships. Your proposal may be stronger if you partner with a local governmental agency, educational institution or another nonprofit. Keep in mind that partnerships often mean less money for your organization and give yourself enough time to negotiate partnership terms and get appropriate documentation of the partnership. If the administrative burden of preparing the grant proposal is too great, consider joining a collaboration with a partner that does have the resources to complete the application.

5. Pay attention to outcomes. Most grant programs will have a specific format in which you are requested to share projected outcomes of the grant project. Make sure that they tie back to the program’s stated purpose and that they are realistic, but ambitious enough to be competitive.

To see where recovery money has been directed, check out http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/maps. Check out your state recovery website for opportunities that may be available through those agencies as well.

Schultz & Williams is a national consulting firm based in Philadelphia; providing management, fundraising and marketing consulting for nonprofit organizations, along with full-service direct marketing, database and creative/production services.