Grantseeking Resources

Ensure you have the skills necessary to find ideal prospects and write a winning grant proposal. Below is a list of tips and resources you can use. Whether you are a seasoned professional looking to brush up your skills or are new to fundraising these resources offer some great advice.

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Resources

• General Tips
• General Grantseeking - Free online resources.
• Proposal Writing - Free online resources.
• Prospect Research - Free online resources.
• Grantmaker Resources - Free online resources.
• Grantseeking Books

Tips for Grant-seekers

1. Never make generalizations about foundations or corporate funders. What is a successful proposal to one funder may not be with another.

2. Always review and follow the specific guidelines and procedures of a funder. These guidelines and procedures are intended to make life easier for the funder. It is very unlikely that charities and nonprofits that do not fit the guidelines will be funded. Likewise, as they may be reviewing thousands of inquiries and proposals, it is unlikely that those who do not follow established application procedures will be funded.

3. Always review the funder’s website if they have one. It likely contains the most thorough, accurate, and up to date guidelines, procedures and policies for the funder.

4. Most funders welcome questions about their guidelines and procedures as it cuts down on the number of inappropriate requests they receive. Before you spend time creating a proposal it is wise to make contact with any questions about the funder’s current preferences.

5. Always thank your funders.

General Grantseeking

Blog @ Imagine Canada: Insights on Grantseeking - Article discussing the grantseeking process, featuring excerpts from an interview with Kelly Meighen, President of the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation. Part one focuses on planning and research, while part two looks at proposal writing and stewardship.

Grantspace: Fundraising Planning - Online tutorial that gives an overview of the process of strategically thinking through the components of a fundraising plan. Although the content is American based, the advice is relevant to Canadian fundraising planning.

CharityVillage: Grant Seeking Articles - A great collection of articles on grant seeking, grant writing, and grant reporting.

Imagine Canada Nonprofit Library: Finding Funding: strategies & developing grants - This resource guide provides links to practical guides on approaching donors, donor relationship management, writing grants and reporting to funders.

Blog @ Imagine Canada: Debunking Foundation Myths - Article discussing 5 common foundations myths with Mark Blumberg, a charity lawyer based in Toronto, Canada.

Idea Encore: Grantwriting Basics for Beginners - Basic information for those who are totally new to the subject of applying for grant funding for their nonprofit agency.

The Who, How, What and Why of Corporate Community Investment - A new fact sheet on corporate giving in Canada along with helpful tips to secure funding.  

Blog @ Imagine Canada: Collaboration - Article discussing collaboration, featuring interviews with Joel Porter, Director of Development at Big Brothers and Sisters of Canada and Nichole Anderson, President and CEO for Business for the Arts.

Building Foundation Partnerships - A workbook to assist you in researching foundations and developing a funding proposal. Directory subscribers can find this 72 page manual by visiting their How-to manual in the Canadian Directory to Foundations & Corporations.

Proposal Writing

GrantSpace: Sample Documents - This free collection contains winning proposals, cover letters, letters of inquiry, winning proposal budgets, and more.

Civicus: Writing a Funding Proposal Toolkit - Deals with planning and researching a funding proposal before you write it; how to write the proposal; and the follow-up required once it is written and sent off.

Common Reasons Grant Proposals Get Rejected - Grantmakers reveal the most common reasons proposals get rejected in this Chronicle of Philanthropy article. 

Blog @ Imagine Canada: Making the Pitch: Writing an Effective Statement of Need - An article featured on the Imagine Canada Blog.

Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course - Describes in detail how to prepare of the various components of a funding proposal, and includes planning, research, and cultivation of potential foundation and corporate donors.

Cass CCE: The Art of Refusal - A new report sets out a new series of guidelines to help charities reduce the time spend on unsuccessful grant applications.

Blog @ Imagine Canada: The Silver Bullet - An interview about grant proposals featuring Richard Irish, Vice-President, Community Affairs & Area Marketing at Investors Group.

Prospect Research

Blog @ Imagine Canada: Building Your Prospect List: What Makes a “Good” Funder? - An article featured on the Imagine Canada Blog.

Canada Business: Government Grants, Loans and Financing - Free search tool listing over 400 government funding programs.

Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement – Canada (APRA): The Scoop – APRA’s online quarterly newsletter.

The Fundraising Authority: How Many Prospects do You Need? - An article discussing prospect ratios for major gifts.

Grantmaker Resources

Grantmaking Resources - Links and resources for grantmakers provided by Philanthropic Foundations of Canada.

Grantcraft - A project of the Foundation Center and the European Foundation Centre, Grantcraft is a valued resource for learning and sharing the craft of grantmaking in the U.S. and in other countries.

CRA Guidance: Using an Intermediary to Carry out a Charity's Activities within Canada - A helpful Guidance that can aid grantmakers and grantseekers understand the rules relating to direction and control.

Books

Webster's New World Grant Writing Handbook – Amazon Product Description: In an increasingly competitive nonprofit world, even top organizations struggle to extend their fundraising reach or simply maintain current funding levels. This thorough guide to crafting winning grant applications takes you through the entire process--from pinpointing the right funding opportunities, to writing persuasive proposals, to following up later.

Grant Writing For Canadians for Dummies by John Milne - Amazon Product Description: Fundraising & Grant Writing For Canadians For Dummies is the only Canadian book that helps organizations to launch successful fundraising campaigns and write winning grant proposals.”

The Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever Need: Top Grant Writers and Grant Givers Share Their Secrets - Amazon Product Description: Veteran grant writers Karsh and Fox not only rely on years of experience but also on interviews with dozens of foundations, associations, and government organizations to provide readers the best current thinking around a very tedious subject.

Demystifying Grant Seeking: What You Really Need to Do to Get Grants - Amazon Product Description: Larissa Golden Brown and John Martin Brown walk you through a grant-seeking system that works. The Browns' plan is for: the newcomer who must be led into the process; the experienced proposal writer who needs to keep track of all the office's activities; and anyone who wishes to streamline operations while improving quality and consistency. Members of Imagine Canada can borrow this book through our Lending Library program.

Grant Writing for Dummies by Beverly A. Browing – Amazon Product Description: Grant Writing For Dummies can help anyone who has seek and secure grant funds in order to keep an agency’s doors open for business or to fund a special project. Members of Imagine Canada can borrow this book through our Lending Library program.