Invest in Neighborhoods Inc. Invest in Neighborhoods Inc. Many nonprofit organizations make the mistake of soliciting the wrong funding source. One of the most important tasks at the outset of the grant-proposal writing is to research the funding sources. Most foundations, corporations, and government funding sources clearly state the types of proposals that they will fund. Government funding sources generally publish a Request for Proposals (RFP) which states the type of proposals being solicited and the precise format that each proposal must follow. Descriptions of funding guidelines for foundations are easily found in local libraries in such sources as The Foundation Directory and Taft Foundation Reporter. Sources of help in locating companies that have established giving programs are the National Data Book and the Corporate Giving Yellow Pages. Information regarding the actual giving policies of corporations can be found in Source Book Profiles, Taft Corporate Giving Directory, or Corporate Foundation Profiles. All of these sources can be found in local libraries. Often, a nonprofit agency will locate funding sources in its own backyard. A review of the major corporations located in the area may yield local funding sources, and a phone call may be all that is required to make the contact.
When seeking funds from a government agency, it is best to identify which agencies are concerned with the type of project that is being proposed. For example, if the project is a drug abuse prevention program, the following federal agencies would be potential funders:
Office of Substance Abuse Prevention: High-risk youth demonstration grants Pregnant and postpartum women and infants Substance Abuse Conference grants Community partnership demonstration grants Department of Education: Drug-free schools and communities Training and demonstration grants to institutions of higher learning Federal activities grants programs Funds for Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE): National College Student Organization network program Approaches to Accountability in Prevention programs U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Public housing drug elimination program Youth sports clubs to combat drugs Resident manager clubs Comprehensive improvement assistance program Public housing child care demonstration grants Community Development block grants U. S. Department of Health and Human Services: National Institute on Drug Abuse U. S. Department of Justice: National Institute of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
In a similar vein, state governments often fund grants for specific types of programs, such as drug abuse prevention. After a few telephone calls, the applicant organization should be able to locate several potential funders on the state level.
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