Springfield-based The Grantwell LLC employs 15 freelance writers. What types of organizations does The Grantwell work with? Most of our expertise is in social service and nonprofit grant writing. When I moved to Springfield in 2006, I was looking for a job that would be related, in a way, to social analysis. At the time, there really wasn’t anything open or available. I was already writing grants for one nonprofit group on a freelance basis. I thought if I could get one client, maybe I could get two. The company was formalized in 2007, and it’s just grown and snowballed since that point. We work with more than 400 entities, most of them nonprofits, such as community organizations, schools and churches, as well as some businesses and some cities. We have helped secure more than $100 million in grant-related funds worldwide.
What is the process an organization goes through when applying for a grant? We try to help entities in a variety of ways. First, we assist in the process of searching for grant opportunities. Most people don’t have any idea where to start when it comes to finding grants or determining what grant opportunities may be a good fit for their organization. Given that we subscribe to various databases, we can provide the client with a list of grant opportunities that may be considered a good fit with their entity’s needs and programs. We also help in constructing and writing grant proposals. Lastly, we provide grant-related support, including various in-person and online training options.
With thousands of grants open, what opportunities are available for nonprofits and businesses? There are different grants for businesses and nonprofits. For nonprofits, because of their tax status, they can apply for needs such as general operating support, research, evaluation, program development and curriculum. It really runs the gamut of possibilities. That’s one reason why conducting a good grant search is so important.
For businesses, the process is a bit different. The opportunities that are available are mostly through government contract programs such as small-business innovation research and contract opportunities through the Department of Labor. The grant opportunities that exist for for-profit businesses are few. Of the limited amount that exist, most like to give toward capacity building type projects, such as marketing assistance to be able to promote a product or business.
Given the slow economy, are grants becoming more competitive? What can organizations do to stand out from the pack? Yes, very much so. Both foundations and the federal government are dealing with limited funds with which to give away. More people than ever before are also seeking grant or alternative sources of funding given difficult economic times. These two things combined have made the process more competitive and grants harder to obtain. Obviously, making sure the nonprofit entity or business is following the guidelines and directions in the grant application process is really important. A lot of foundations have utilized things like formatting procedures to screen applications, so if an application doesn’t conform to the guidelines presented by the foundation, the proposal won’t even get read. Ensuring that an entity is also applying to those grantor groups that most closely align with their organization’s mission, purpose and programs can also increase an organization’s chances for success.
What advice do you have for local businesses and nonprofits? Grants are only one piece of the revenue pie. It’s good to have a diverse revenue strategy. Grants are wonderful and they can certainly be used to contribute to an existing service budget, fulfill a need or complete a project, but they also can be unpredictable. They may be available one year and gone the next. Another tip for business owners is to utilize the Small Business Administration office as much as possible. The SBA office keeps a running list of all the grant, loan and incentive programs available to businesses.[[In-content Ad]]
