Category Archives: grant opportunities

Two Great Opportunities for Grant Writing Resources Are Slipping Away

Two big opportunities are coming to an end in the next few days, so I thought I’d send out an announcement so you can take advantage of them before it’s too late.

First, the opportunity to become a member at GrantGoddess.com for the early-bird membership rate of $9.99 per month (or $99.99 per year) ends on Monday.  Beginning June 1st, the membership price will go up to $19.99 per month (or $199.99 per year).  It’s a bargain at the regular rate, but why miss this great chance to lock in the reduced pri9ce forever?

Members get unlimited access to articles, webinars, videos, and other resources on grant writing, grant seeking, program evaluation, and non-profit development. This summer, we’ll be offering our first, full-blown online grant writing course, and members will get the first chance at registration and a dramatically decreased registration fee.  Go to the member information page to get more information and to sign up before June 1st.

As if that’s not enough, if you become a member between today and 11:59 p.m. on May 31st, I’ll also give you a FREE copy of my book, 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers!  If you live within the United States, I’ll pay for shipping, too!

And here’s another opportunity — If you go to our Grant Goddess Facebook page and click on the “Like” button at the top of the page by midnight tonight (5/28), you’ll have a chance to win of TEN free books I’ll be giving away! Tomorrow morning, I’ll be randomly selecting 10 friends/fans from that page and contacting them to send them a free 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers book!  If they live in the U.S., shipping will be free, too.

Our Grant Goddess Facebook page focuses on electronic and multimedia resources for grant writing.  We post grant tips, sources, inspiration, and other interesting tidbits. It’s 100% free and it’s focused on providing information, not selling anything.

So, act now to take advantage of these two great opportunities before they slip away forever.

Two Great Opportunities for Grant Writing Resources Are Slipping Away

Two big opportunities are coming to an end in the next few days, so I thought I’d send out an announcement so you can take advantage of them before it’s too late.

First, the opportunity to become a member at GrantGoddess.com for the early-bird membership rate of $9.99 per month (or $99.99 per year) ends on Monday.  Beginning June 1st, the membership price will go up to $19.99 per month (or $199.99 per year).  It’s a bargain at the regular rate, but why miss this great chance to lock in the reduced pri9ce forever?

Members get unlimited access to articles, webinars, videos, and other resources on grant writing, grant seeking, program evaluation, and non-profit development. This summer, we’ll be offering our first, full-blown online grant writing course, and members will get the first chance at registration and a dramatically decreased registration fee.  Go to the member information page to get more information and to sign up before June 1st.

As if that’s not enough, if you become a member between today and 11:59 p.m. on May 31st, I’ll also give you a FREE copy of my book, 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers!  If you live within the United States, I’ll pay for shipping, too!

And here’s another opportunity — If you go to our Grant Goddess Facebook page and click on the “Like” button at the top of the page by midnight tonight (5/28), you’ll have a chance to win of TEN free books I’ll be giving away! Tomorrow morning, I’ll be randomly selecting 10 friends/fans from that page and contacting them to send them a free 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers book!  If they live in the U.S., shipping will be free, too.

Our Grant Goddess Facebook page focuses on electronic and multimedia resources for grant writing.  We post grant tips, sources, inspiration, and other interesting tidbits. It’s 100% free and it’s focused on providing information, not selling anything.

So, act now to take advantage of these two great opportunities before they slip away forever.

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

U.S. Department of Education Funding Forecast

About three weeks ago, the new funding forecast from the U.S. Department of Education was released. The forecast outlines the discretionary grant competitions the Department plans to fund for the coming year. It is not a legal document and it changes throughout the year, but it is extremely valuable if you want an idea of what grants might be coming your way and when they might be due.

As I mentioned, it’s not always accurate. For example, last week the forecast said the application notice for the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools grant would be out on December 15th. It wasn’t. Now, it simply says, “TBD” for information on when the application will be available. So, you have to keep checking back for the latest information. By the way, the latest information will be available at the Department’s website or on grants.gov anyway, but the forecast is still effective as an early planning tool.

And don’t forget, the official notice of grant applications, rules, and funding criteria will be published in the Federal Register.

U.S. Department of Education Funding Forecast

About three weeks ago, the new funding forecast from the U.S. Department of Education was released. The forecast outlines the discretionary grant competitions the Department plans to fund for the coming year. It is not a legal document and it changes throughout the year, but it is extremely valuable if you want an idea of what grants might be coming your way and when they might be due.

As I mentioned, it’s not always accurate. For example, last week the forecast said the application notice for the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools grant would be out on December 15th. It wasn’t. Now, it simply says, “TBD” for information on when the application will be available. So, you have to keep checking back for the latest information. By the way, the latest information will be available at the Department’s website or on grants.gov anyway, but the forecast is still effective as an early planning tool.

And don’t forget, the official notice of grant applications, rules, and funding criteria will be published in the Federal Register.

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

FY 09 Recovery Act Grant Opportunities

Wow! The federal Recovery Act has created a whole bunch of grant opportunities. Take a look at the FY 09 Recovery Act page of grants.gov to see the new grants that have become available.

Don’t just search by agency; look at all of the opportunities.

And don’t wait! I know you’re busy right now. We are all busy these days, but these deadlines are approaching quickly, and if you wait, you’ll miss out.

FY 09 Recovery Act Grant Opportunities

Wow! The federal Recovery Act has created a whole bunch of grant opportunities. Take a look at the FY 09 Recovery Act page of grants.gov to see the new grants that have become available.

Don’t just search by agency; look at all of the opportunities.

And don’t wait! I know you’re busy right now. We are all busy these days, but these deadlines are approaching quickly, and if you wait, you’ll miss out.

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Grants.gov Trouble

If you have been trying to upload a grant to grants.gov within the last several days, you have been frustrated. As many of us predicted, the grants.gov servers went down when over 27,000 agencies tried to upload applications at the same time.

Overall, grants.gov activity of all kinds has doubled in the past several months, straining the already glitchy system to a breaking point.

The grants.gov blog says that everything is fixed now, but please be aware that the warnings to start early with your uploads (not waiting until the last day) are more important than ever.

Also, you should know that several federal agencies have reverted to their old electronic grants submittal formats, stepping away from grants.gov for now, until they can be sure the glitches are all worked out.

What does this mean for YOU? You may need to register all over again on a new system that you haven’t used recently. Here are our tips for success in this interesting period of many opportunities and much competition:

  • Read the directions very carefully on any grant you are considering. Pay attention to submittal instructions.
  • If a new or different electronic submittal process is included in the RFP, register early.
  • Set your own deadline of about 3 days before the actual grant deadline so you can be sure you resolve any submittal issues with plenty of time to spare.
  • Most importantly, don’t let this unprecedented windfall of special grant opportunities pass you by! Don’t just search grants.gov my agency for opportunities. Look at all of the available FY 09 Recovery Act grants. You will probably find one or more that is a perfect fit for your community in an unexpected category.

Grants.gov Trouble

If you have been trying to upload a grant to grants.gov within the last several days, you have been frustrated. As many of us predicted, the grants.gov servers went down when over 27,000 agencies tried to upload applications at the same time.

Overall, grants.gov activity of all kinds has doubled in the past several months, straining the already glitchy system to a breaking point.

The grants.gov blog says that everything is fixed now, but please be aware that the warnings to start early with your uploads (not waiting until the last day) are more important than ever.

Also, you should know that several federal agencies have reverted to their old electronic grants submittal formats, stepping away from grants.gov for now, until they can be sure the glitches are all worked out.

What does this mean for YOU? You may need to register all over again on a new system that you haven’t used recently. Here are our tips for success in this interesting period of many opportunities and much competition:

  • Read the directions very carefully on any grant you are considering. Pay attention to submittal instructions.
  • If a new or different electronic submittal process is included in the RFP, register early.
  • Set your own deadline of about 3 days before the actual grant deadline so you can be sure you resolve any submittal issues with plenty of time to spare.
  • Most importantly, don’t let this unprecedented windfall of special grant opportunities pass you by! Don’t just search grants.gov my agency for opportunities. Look at all of the available FY 09 Recovery Act grants. You will probably find one or more that is a perfect fit for your community in an unexpected category.
Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Grant Opportunities in Tough Economic Times – Separating Myth from Reality

It’s hard to escape messages about the troubled state of the economy these days. On television, the radio, even in casual conversations on the street, it seems like everyone is talking about difficult economic conditions and the dismal prospects for the next few years. I have had several conversations about grant writing with folks in the last few days, and the theme I hear is the same – “There probably won’t be any good grants out this year because of the economy.” Well, that is not necessarily so.

Let’s separate some myth from reality:

Myth – A downturn in the economy always means fewer grant opportunities. This is just not so. There are many factors that affect the availability of grant opportunities.

Myth – There will not be any grant applications out this year. Not so. I already have the scoop on several RFPs that are in the editing process and on their way out. Keep your eyes open.

Myth – The change in presidential administration will mean fewer grant opportunities. Again, this is not necessarily so. In fact, Democratic administrations historically have favored discretionary grant opportunities as a way of distributing funds, particularly for programs for disadvantaged youth. Republican administrations prefer direct grants to states, but they have never eliminated discretionary grant competitions completely (case in point, haven’t there been a bunch of federal grants available in the last eight years?).

Reality – We are going through an economic rough patch and this will have some effect of federal and state budgets. Indeed, it has already had some effect on grant funding. It is unclear, though, exactly what the full impact will be.

Reality – With a change in presidential administration, there are many uncertainties in the grant world. So, we have to watch and wait a bit. What’s new?

Reality – Most economic downturns don’t last more than a year or two.

Reality – When economic times are hard, grant opportunities have historically been one way that government officials have chosen to distribute limited funds.

So, let’s all stay calm. Be patient. There will be grant opportunities available this year – and next year, too. We just need to be prepared for change and ready to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Do your grant planning as you would in any other year, and watch for the right opportunities for your organization to become available.

Are you ready?

Grant Opportunities in Tough Economic Times – Separating Myth from Reality

It’s hard to escape messages about the troubled state of the economy these days. On television, the radio, even in casual conversations on the street, it seems like everyone is talking about difficult economic conditions and the dismal prospects for the next few years. I have had several conversations about grant writing with folks in the last few days, and the theme I hear is the same – “There probably won’t be any good grants out this year because of the economy.” Well, that is not necessarily so.

Let’s separate some myth from reality:

Myth – A downturn in the economy always means fewer grant opportunities. This is just not so. There are many factors that affect the availability of grant opportunities.

Myth – There will not be any grant applications out this year. Not so. I already have the scoop on several RFPs that are in the editing process and on their way out. Keep your eyes open.

Myth – The change in presidential administration will mean fewer grant opportunities. Again, this is not necessarily so. In fact, Democratic administrations historically have favored discretionary grant opportunities as a way of distributing funds, particularly for programs for disadvantaged youth. Republican administrations prefer direct grants to states, but they have never eliminated discretionary grant competitions completely (case in point, haven’t there been a bunch of federal grants available in the last eight years?).

Reality – We are going through an economic rough patch and this will have some effect of federal and state budgets. Indeed, it has already had some effect on grant funding. It is unclear, though, exactly what the full impact will be.

Reality – With a change in presidential administration, there are many uncertainties in the grant world. So, we have to watch and wait a bit. What’s new?

Reality – Most economic downturns don’t last more than a year or two.

Reality – When economic times are hard, grant opportunities have historically been one way that government officials have chosen to distribute limited funds.

So, let’s all stay calm. Be patient. There will be grant opportunities available this year – and next year, too. We just need to be prepared for change and ready to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Do your grant planning as you would in any other year, and watch for the right opportunities for your organization to become available.

Are you ready?

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com