Today’s BlogTalkRadio show topic is “What to Look for in an RFP.” We’ll be talking about the things you should look for in an RFP when making the decision about whether or not to apply for a grant, and what detail items you need to look for to be sure you don’t miss anything in your application.
Remember, if you miss the live broadcast today at 3:00 p.m. PST, you can listen to the archived version by following the same link below.
I probably spend more time than I should scouring the Internet for resources and useful information. There are many blogs and websites out there that don’t provide much useful information or, if they do, you have to pay to get it. Every now and then I come across some great resources that are useful and free. I’ll be sharing them from time to time, so keep checking back.
The first blog I want to share with you is 79 Grant Writing Resources. The blog gives some excellent grant writing and grant seeking tips, as well as links to resources on a variety grant related topics. You’ll also find some good warnings about little known tricks and errors to avoid.
Check it out. You will definitely learn something you didn’t know before.
I probably spend more time than I should scouring the Internet for resources and useful information. There are many blogs and websites out there that don’t provide much useful information or, if they do, you have to pay to get it. Every now and then I come across some great resources that are useful and free. I’ll be sharing them from time to time, so keep checking back.
The first blog I want to share with you is 79 Grant Writing Resources. The blog gives some excellent grant writing and grant seeking tips, as well as links to resources on a variety grant related topics. You’ll also find some good warnings about little known tricks and errors to avoid.
Check it out. You will definitely learn something you didn’t know before.
If you missed Friday’s radio show about Getting Started with Mini-Grants, listen to the archived version now. You can access it by clicking on the BlogTalkRadio button on the right hand side of this page. In addition to giving some tips on how to get started and be successful with mini-grants, we also highlighted some excellent sources of mini-grants that you can download and apply for today.
If you missed Friday’s radio show about Getting Started with Mini-Grants, listen to the archived version now. You can access it by clicking on the BlogTalkRadio button on the right hand side of this page. In addition to giving some tips on how to get started and be successful with mini-grants, we also highlighted some excellent sources of mini-grants that you can download and apply for today.
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?
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?
If you missed our BlogTalkRadio show last week on Evidence-Based Violence Prevention Strategies, be sure to listen to the archived version as soon as you can. Marjorie Rist, Probation Program manager responsible for Juvenile Probation, from the Yolo County Probation Department, was our special guest.
She used the hour to share her experience with some excellent evidence-based violence prevention programs for youth, and she provided some excellent resources to help you find some good evidence-based programs.
To listen to the archived version of that radio show, click on the link on the right side of this page, or go to our BlogTalkRadio profile page.
To get links to some of the excellent resources Marjorie talked about during the show, go to the Grant Goddess website, click on the “Forum” tab at the top of the page, and then look for the thread on Violence Prevention Strategies.
If you missed our BlogTalkRadio show last week on Evidence-Based Violence Prevention Strategies, be sure to listen to the archived version as soon as you can. Marjorie Rist, Probation Program manager responsible for Juvenile Probation, from the Yolo County Probation Department, was our special guest.
She used the hour to share her experience with some excellent evidence-based violence prevention programs for youth, and she provided some excellent resources to help you find some good evidence-based programs.
To listen to the archived version of that radio show, click on the link on the right side of this page, or go to our BlogTalkRadio profile page.
To get links to some of the excellent resources Marjorie talked about during the show, go to the Grant Goddess website, click on the “Forum” tab at the top of the page, and then look for the thread on Violence Prevention Strategies.
Several years, I visited a new church. It was an inviting place to be – the people were nice, the chairs were comfortable. Then the minister began to talk. He spent 30 minutes or so chastising the congregation because there weren’t more people there. I remember thinking, “Does he realize that he’s upset with the wrong crowd?” Needless to say, I never returned to that church.
This weekend, I had a similar experience at a Youth Substance Abuse Summit I attended. I was invited to attend, as were there other 80 – 100 people who were there representing 6 or 7 different communities. We were there to explore ways we could collaborate to decrease youth substance abuse.
We heard some good speakers who shared some excellent information. Then we were sent off to work in community groups to come up with action plans for addressing the issue that we would continue to implement long after the summit activities ended.
In my community group, we had some good discussions. We went back and forth on several issues, and we struggled with finding a good starting point. Many of group left early (it was a Saturday, after all!). Our facilitator was a bit inexperienced, but she did her best to keep us moving forward. I admire her efforts because keeping us on track was probably a little like herding kittens. As we approached the end of the day, we had a plan to meet again and a priority list of issues we would address. Not bad.
Then, with 30 minutes left to go, a new facilitator came in the room and starting chastising us for all that we had not accomplished on that day. He said some rather inappropriate and untrue things about our community. He spoke to the group harshly and cruelly. In the end, all of the good will and excitement that had been built up over the past 24 hours was gone.
As you can imagine, I was angry. I was a bit upset about some of the things he said about our community that were not true (clearly, he has not been involved with the work in our community in recent years and months), but I was most upset about the way he treated those dedicated and hardworking people who were volunteering their time on a Saturday to do something good for their community.
The people he was most upset with were all the people who were not in room, but he took it out on the dedicated folks who were hanging in and working to the end of the day.
We expressed our frustration about what had happened with the organizers of the summit, but in the end, we have decided to let it go. We know that we are planning to move forward with the work in our community. We know we have done good work thus far. We know the really hard work lays ahead.
Here’s the lesson I pulled from this experience —Organizations are working collaboratively with other organizations more than ever. Not only is a collaborative approach the best way to leverage the most existing resources within a community, but most state and federal grants (and many private grants) now require inter-agency collaboration as a condition of funding.
How are we treating our collaborative parnters?
Are we showing them the respect they deserve for giving of their time and energy to help the effort?
Are we showing respect for their dedication to their community?
If not, it’s time for an attitude adjustment. Remember, working with groups of people and agency representatives is not easy. Tasks that seem like they should be simple can take much longer than we expect. The discussions we have with our partners as we negotiate details and ideas are extremely important in paving the way for future progress.
Now, I could choose not to go back to that church were I was chastised years ago, but I cannot (I will not) choose to walk away from my own community. Collaborative partners simply must find a way to work together. We must get passed the petty hurts and offenses and keep moving forward – together. The stakes for our children are too high to let someone who is ill-informed and rude throw us off track.
The gift I got this weekend was a reminder about the importance of treating my fellow community members with respect.