Grants Research and Proposal Resources

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There are many online resources you can use to find funding leads for an organization. Among them:

• The NGO Café by the Global Development Research Center (GDRC)

  Offers an easy-to-read primer about Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), what it means to be one, how they operate, etc. The basic objectives of the Café are to assist NGOs in enhancing and improving their programmes and activities; to effect a better understanding of NGOs in general; and to enable NGOs to network at local, regional and international levels.

• Grant Proposal Self Assessment Tool (GrantSAT)
  An outstanding instrument for evaluating, and hence improving, the quality of proposals. It provides a number of assessment criteria for nine different aspects of a proposal, e.g., problem statement, budget, evaluation. Each criterion is rated on a scale from one to six, and using these ratings, each aspect of the proposal is given a percentage score indicating its relative strength or weakness. Guidelines are then provided on how to interpret and act upon the results of the proposal assessment. GrantSAT is useful for all grant writers, from the novice to the highly experienced.

• Foundations On-Line
  This is a directory by the Northern California (USA) Community Foundation of corporations and foundations with their grant information and application process online. These are U.S. based companies, but some may have international divisions, and may give to causes outside the U.S.

• CSC Non-Profit Resource Center Foundation Links and Corporate Links
  More than a thousand links to Foundation and Corporate Giving programs. These are U.S. based companies, but some may have international divisions, and may give to causes outside the U.S. Also includes a online guide to Searching for a Funding Source.

• The Foundation Center
  This comprehensive web site provides a great deal of information about international giving, including studies, reports and trends about international giving by U.S. Foundations.

• COS Funding Search Engine
  Community of Science, Inc. (COS) provides tools and services to enable scientists and researchers at more than 1,300 universities, corporations and government agencies worldwide to communicate, exchange information and find the people and technologies that are important to their work. The COS interface allows you to search for grants from a variety of resources. Next to the "Keywords" section, choose the "Browse" option and then type in the name of the country or continent where the agency you are assisting resides, or the word "international".

• European Foundation Centre
  Established in 1989 by seven of Europe's leading foundations, the EFC promotes and underpins the work of foundations and corporate funders active in and with Europe. As part of its mission to promote philanthropy in Europe, the EFC operates a number of projects and initiatives, including the Orpheus Programme, a searchable database of over 650 funder profiles; the Community Philanthropy Initiative; and the Corporate Citizenship Europe initiative.

• ArtsWire Money Tour
  This is a terrific tour of how to research grants online. It's U.S.-focused, but many of the resources and suggestions it offers apply to international settings as well.

• Resource Alliance (formerly known as The International Fund Raising Group)
  Seeks to enable people working in the voluntary sector throughout the world to mobilize and support local resources for their causes. They have conferences and fund raising workshops all over the world. They also sell The Worldwide Fundraiser's Handbook: A Guide to Fundraising for Southern NGOs and Voluntary Organizations by Michael Norton.

• Grantmakers Without Borders
  A collaboration of the International Working Group and the National Network of Grantmakers, Gw/oB works "to expand and enrich progressive international philanthropy" by providing free advice, alternative sources of information, and increased opportunities for communication among donors.

• World Initiatives for Grantmaker Support
  A project of the U.S.-based Council on Foundations, World Initiatives for Grantmaker Support is a network of more than 40 grantmaker support organizations devoted to strengthening philanthropy around the globe.

• Fundraising For (and With) Technology
  Includes general fundraising information, how to craft a technology funding proposals, example proposals, and profiles of potential givers (foundations and corporations).

• Technology Grant News
  The latest grant announcements by tech funders, government and trade associations for technology and non-technology related initiatives for nonprofits, social service providers, towns & cities and schools & universities. There are grants here by technology funders teaching the math and science of technology, steppingstones to technology for children with disabilities, digital divide, women, after-school programs, economic development, literacy, environment, conservation, partnership funding etc.

• Givewell
  Provides a profile of charities based in Australia, and information about donations.

• German sites relating to fund raising and fund research include:
  — Deutsches Spendeninstitut
  — Fundraising Infoseite
  — Nonprofit.de

• Community Workers' Handbooks
  Community empowerment, management and development resources to support volunteers of Seattle Community Network (SCN) in Washington state, USA. The web site includes the Handbook for Generating Wealth: principles and a method for fighting causes of poverty, including tips for starting and sustaining a micro-enterprise.
  

Look for additional International resources about fund raising and fund research for International organizations at UK Fundraising and CharityVillage.

You can find a list of books relating to NGO management, including fund raising, at BookAid.Org.

If you are in the U.S., your nearest nonprofit development center/support center can also help. These centers, which are nonprofit organizations themselves, often have a free library you can use to search for grant opportunities for an NGO you are assisting. You can compile this information in-person and then send it electronically to the agency for their review and consideration. To find the nonprofit center nearest you, contact your local United Way central office, or visit the Nonprofit FAQs by the soc.org.nonprofit newsgroup.

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