Getting A Grant For Your Non-Profit Organization

With a slow economy such as in the current times, it is a challenge to find donors to fund your non-profit organization. Finding funds is undoubtedly one of the most difficult areas in running a non-profit organization. The truth is that many non-profits don't even try grant writing, especially if they have other sources of funding, for the simple reason that they don't know where to begin. You do need to keep in mind that it is not enough to organize quality programs for your community - or whoever it is you intend to serve - but you also need to research and write grants so as to keep yourself and your capital afloat. There are various online grant databases sites that provide Grant for Non-Profit Organizations like yours and to numerous other groups and individuals.

Getting in touch with a grant research and/or writer can show you some vistas that you never knew existed. Here is a list of some sources, apart from the grant database, that you could check out for yourself:

You could start by looking out for Community Foundations in your community. Since both your organization and the foundation have the same goal - to enhance the community - they will want to encourage you. They are good partners to have because they will have a good idea of what the needs of the community are.

Another source might be corporate companies that are situated in your community. These would be a resourceful source to partner with if they too are experiencing the same problems that you are fighting against.

Government agencies like those on the City, State and Federal levels can be an additional source of grant money, although in these cases there will be tough competition from other organizations in the same jurisdiction. One obstacle with government funding may be that State and Federal agencies might prefer to fund a successful venture rather than a start-up. If you don’t have any success stories to share, then the agency has nothing to base their judgment on and your request may be denied. So, first get a footing, then reach out for aid from government agencies. Many new grant funding opportunities for non profits have been announced recently, so be sure to perform a thorough search on the government’s website, like Grants.gov, when you think you may be likely to  receive funds from them.

That said, the easiest to access source of funding remains the grant database. There are several grant search engines available online that will help you in your quest for sources of funds for a fee or free. Older methods like researching in your libraries or similar databases are also a possibility, but there are a lot of hurdles to overcome in this process. Your library will need to have a membership to a reliable database. Or you will need to find someone who has access to such a database. It is a lot easier to log on to the website of a reputed grant database and start your search there. If you are looking for an efficient and effective Grants Database please check the website http://www.grantvine.net .