As a non-profit Fish Out Of Water constantly looks for alternative sources of funding to support the work we do in the community. Funding is essential to our work, so knowing where to look is important. A few sites and resources we found helpful are listed below:
Grants.gov
This site provides access to all posted and forecasted grants offered to by various federal agencies. The postings provide information about each grant, eligibility and requirements you must address when writing your narrative. In order to filter the results, utilize the search feature to customize your results:
- First click on the “Search Grants” tab at the top
- On the left list Keywords related to your organization and mission (i.e, youth, crime, community)
- Indicate the Opportunity Status choose posted for active grants and forecasted to plan for future awards
- Funding Type choose All
- Eligibility, choose based on your organizational type (i.e., nonprofit with 501c3, nonprofit without 501c3, local government, small business, unrestricted…)
- Categories choose All to explore
- Agency choose All to explore
The search will return grants that match your criteria. Each posting provides information about the grant to include deadlines, award amounts, and submission requirements. Reviewing the posting will assist you in determining if the grant is a good match. The posting also details the work you and your grant writing team must complete.
Foundation Directory Online
Foundation Directory Online provided by Candid at www.guidestar.org is an excellent resource to identify Foundations that will provide funding. In order, to search the database you must purchase a membership. A basic membership for smaller organizations is $49 a month or $499 annually. Candid also provides great training and resources at no charge.
Click Here to access the directory.
**It is also a good idea to create a profile for your non-profit with Candid so that foundations are able to locate you. Fish Out Of Water is registered and has a platinum seal of transparency. To create your profile Click Here.
Additional Sources
Additional sources to find grants include your public library or bookstore look for titles on Fundraising and Grant Writing.