Useful Tips and Tools

Avoid the “shotgun” approach to grant writing. No matter how much you love that first proposal you wrote, resist the urge to make a bunch of copies and mail them off to as many funding sources as you can. That practice will not only peg you as a novice fundraiser, it will make a bad first impression for your organization.

Every funder has their own specific guidelines, questions, and ways of gathering information, so cookie-cutter proposals are easy to spot. Always take the time to provide answers and supporting materials in the exact order and manner requested by the entity from which you are seeking support, and organize your submission according to the instructions given. Professionalism and diligence of detail can never hurt a proposal, and might make yours stand out from the pack.

If your organization is going after federal dollars, be sure you are registered with grants.gov at least one month prior to the deadline of the RFP in which you are interested. Most federal grants now require organizations to submit applications electronically, and you must be officially registered in the online system in order to do so. Close contact with the grant officer in charge of the RFP is also important, to ensure you have the latest information available regarding deadlines, budgetary requirements and other issues.

Useful Tools
DUNS Number Questions and Answers
http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/dlt/pdf_files/duns_qa.pdf

Grantmakers in Health – Views from the Field
http://www.gih.org/info-url2678/info-url_list.htm?attrib_id=3321

Latest on Health-related Giving from Philanthropy News Digest
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/cat_health.jhtml

Nonprofit Guides to Grant Writing
http://www.npguides.org/

Rural Health Toolkit – Funding Resources
http://www.russell2112.com/Rural/Funding.htm

USDA Rural Information Center’s Guide to Funding Resources
http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/fundguide.html