Non-profit Grants: What Is It All About
Just like any other business venture, non-profit organizations can be difficult to form into the well-oiled machine you envision. There a million forms to fill out, plans to be drawn up and ten thousand calls to be made, so one headache you don't need is figuring out how to pay for it all. Given that most non-profit businesses are established to lend aid to those in need, the government will often offer some financial assistance.
The federal government has many programs and grants available, however they are not the only avenue you should try when searching for financial backing. The state and community government offices quite often have their own sets of programs designed to help people create organizations that will benefit those who live in the area.
Knowing the kind of assistance that is available is probably the best place to start when looking for funding. There are websites such as www.nonprofitexpert.com/federal_grants.htm where lists are published for most of the grants and assistance programs that are offered by the federal government. In the catalog listing for the grants, you will find the contact information of the offices who administer that grant, so once you have found one that fits your needs, you will be able to contact that office directly.
They will be able to provide answers to all your questions, advise you on what requirements they have to qualify for the grant and give directions about how to begin the application process. Where available, they may even point you to a workshop that can boost your chances of being chosen to receive the funds from the grant. Since these people specialize in a grant so close to what your organization will do, they may also be able to help with other aspects of your start-up. Given their expertise, these people may also be able to help with other concerns such as training your volunteers.
There is a great deal of help to be found for those who wish to start a non-profit organization, there are even non-profits that have been established to help others create non-profits, so finding the help you need should not be too difficult. It is not uncommon to find that there are people everywhere who are eager to assist in such noble efforts, lending their time, money and energy to a shared cause, so keep your eyes open. People love to help people; it's one of the best things about them.
The federal government has many programs and grants available, however they are not the only avenue you should try when searching for financial backing. The state and community government offices quite often have their own sets of programs designed to help people create organizations that will benefit those who live in the area.
Knowing the kind of assistance that is available is probably the best place to start when looking for funding. There are websites such as www.nonprofitexpert.com/federal_grants.htm where lists are published for most of the grants and assistance programs that are offered by the federal government. In the catalog listing for the grants, you will find the contact information of the offices who administer that grant, so once you have found one that fits your needs, you will be able to contact that office directly.
They will be able to provide answers to all your questions, advise you on what requirements they have to qualify for the grant and give directions about how to begin the application process. Where available, they may even point you to a workshop that can boost your chances of being chosen to receive the funds from the grant. Since these people specialize in a grant so close to what your organization will do, they may also be able to help with other aspects of your start-up. Given their expertise, these people may also be able to help with other concerns such as training your volunteers.
There is a great deal of help to be found for those who wish to start a non-profit organization, there are even non-profits that have been established to help others create non-profits, so finding the help you need should not be too difficult. It is not uncommon to find that there are people everywhere who are eager to assist in such noble efforts, lending their time, money and energy to a shared cause, so keep your eyes open. People love to help people; it's one of the best things about them.
Source...