All Posts By

Dawn Westerberg

Jan 12
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Grant Management: Where to Find Opportunities

By | Grant Management | No Comments

iStock_000017057771XSmallOne of the biggest aspects involved in grant management involves knowing where to look for them. Grants can actually be found a number of ways, and here are some of the most common places to search for them.

Government Grants

A host of information about grants can be found at Grants.gov. This website contains a database of more than 1,000 different grants that are administered by 26 different federal agencies. You can search for grants by agency or type in order to find one that is suitable for your nonprofit organization.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance sometimes lists grant programs as well. You can browse through a list of grants, or enter a specific keyword into the search bar in order to locate grants that are appropriate for you.

Knowing how critical grants are to funding various projects, The Nonprofit Times launched a section on its website dedicated to grants and makes it easy for you to find the grant you are looking for by segmenting the grants by type (e.g. Arts, Human Services, Animal Advocacy, etc.)

Grant announcements are sometimes placed on local and state government websites as well. By checking these pages often, you can be aware of grant opportunities as soon as they become available.

Private Grants

One of the best websites to use for finding private grants is The Foundation Center. You can subscribe to a newsletter entitled Arts Funding Watch to keep up with the latest grant announcements, and the site makes it easy to search their database for specific grants as well. In doing so, you can narrow down your search to foundations in your geographic area. That way, you can contact them directly if it appears they regularly donate to causes similar to yours.

Grant Station is another website that provides information on private grants. In addition, there are also tutorials and informational webinars designed to help those who are unfamiliar with the grant seeking process to gain the information they need.

Locating grants can take some time and effort, but it is nonetheless an essential part of operating a non-profit organization. In time, you’ll become more proficient at searching, and will also build a network of contacts you can call on for assistance from time to time.

Dec 31
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Nonprofit Accounting is Not a Luxury, It’s a Necessity

By | MIP Fund Accounting, Nonprofit | No Comments

iStock_000019130036XSmallIf you’ve ever run a nonprofit, or contributed to one, you know that many of these organizations rely on the contributions of the public. There are countless drives, fundraisers and initiatives created in order to bring more money in to keep the nonprofit afloat, allowing it to continuously provide services to the public. In order to keep tabs of these contributions, Nonprofit Accounting is not only a luxury, it is an absolute necessity.

The nonprofits that are taken seriously are the ones that keep proper books. By taking advantage of sophisticated accounting software, it becomes easier to maintain nonprofit accreditation, give contributors an accurate account of their donation and move forward with initiatives, knowing fully what money you have to work with. You can receive these accounting practices through the use of companies and software that cater to people who run these nonprofits.

Whether you run a community action program or a research organization, provide service to the homeless and the hungry or healthcare clinic, accounting should be at the forefront of your priorities. Leverage technology and sound accounting practices and  you’ll be able to keep track of every dime that comes in and out of your organization, which, in turn, will allow you the opportunity to fulfill your mission and serve your constituents.

In order to maintain the trust to the public, nonprofits must be run with organization and proper bookkeeping, so leaving these tasks to professionals can go a long way in that regard. Anyone interested in these services should take responsibility.

 

Dec 30
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Ten Do’s and Don’ts of Grant Management

By | Grant Management | No Comments

Nr. 10When it comes to grant management, there is a lot to get right, and perhaps just as much to get wrong. Here are some do’s and don’ts to follow in order to ensure your grant management plan remains focused and effective.

Do

  • Perform your research ahead of time in order to ensure you know what the reporting requirements are as well as some basic information about the agency providing the grant.
  • Write your grant proposal carefully, paying special attention to the executive summary portion, as it is often the first part of the document that is read. Take care when crafting your problem statement, but don’t make it sound so negative that the person reading your proposal assumes there is no hope whatsoever.
  • Pay special attention to grant guidelines in order to ensure you comply with all of them. Failing to follow instructions to the letter can result in your grant being denied.
  • Choose your targets carefully, and do not invest a great deal of time submitting proposals that are unlikely to be considered by the funder.

Don’t

  • Submit proposals late or fail to provide the requested documentation within the specified timeframe.
  • Fail to keep everyone who needs to be involved in the process up to date with reporting requirements.
  • Forget to find out what requirements you will be asked to fulfill if awarded a particular grant, as your work isn’t necessarily done once you receive the money.
  • Be negligent at keeping up with deadlines. In fact, you should keep track of them on a calendar or by using grant management software whenever possible.
  • Wait until the last minute to gather the necessary information, as writing a grant proposal can be rather time consuming.
  • Fail to follow up with the funding agency to ensure all necessary paperwork has been received or to check on the approval process.

By following these dos and don’ts for grant management, you will be going a long way toward helping ensure the success of your non-profit organization. Staying organized and paying attention to detail will help your grant management process operate more smoothly, no matter what type of organization you are heading.