Guide to the Federal Grants Process

Your Project

Every federal grant goes to fund a project that the government feels is in the interest of the public, whether it is a homeless shelter, hydroelectric dam or new helicopter for the Marines. Your first job is to have a project that the government wants to fund. Many people look for what the government wants to fund and then try to create projects that meet the requirements. This works well if you already have a lot of expertise in a field in which the government offers grants. You need to know what kind of project you not only want to create, but you also should have or should be able to organize the resources and expertise to pull it off. Fishing for random grants is likely to be a disappointing process.

The gateway to federal grant funding is http://grants.gov. This website offers all the information you will need to complete an application for a federal grant. Sign up for their grant announcements, and they will send you requests for proposals (RFPs) in areas in which you have an interest and expertise. Read the RFPs they send you to determine which grants to apply for.

Follow the grant application instructions found in the downloadable RFP on the government website listed in the grant announcement. Read the RFP all the way through so you'll know what's in it, then assemble your grant writing team and break the tasks up among groups. Federal grants are not something you want to do alone. Be sure you provide all the documents called for in the RFP, and submit them on time and in the exact manner called for in the documentation. Stay in touch with the grant coordinator at the agency offering the grant. You very likely will need to raise matching funds from outside sources. Most federal grants require it.

Every RFP lists a date on which the award will be announced, but it may be moved. Watch the federal website for updates. If you win the grant, you will need to continue to provide documentation, reporting and financial mechanisms for receiving the money. Many federal grants only give you money as you use it, and it must be spent within 3 days of the day you draw it down. There are lots of details that can trip you up, so make sure you have someone working with your project who is good with details. If you don't get the grant, try again next year. The majority of new federal grant applicants have to apply two or three times to win one. Read successful grants, get the reviewer's comments from your failed application and rework the proposal next time around. Perseverance is essential.