Table of Contents

• What does it mean to be "incorporated?"
• Why is being incorporated important for councils?
• How do I have my council incorporated?
• How do we obtain 501(c)(3) designation (tax-exempt status)?
• What guidelines should I follow to be sure my council operates efficiently?
• What type of information should be included in my council's bylaws?
• Sample bylaws

• I have just been elected president -- now what?
• What can I do to become a more effective leader?
• What are common responsibilities and duties of council officers?
• What records should council maintain? Who keeps them? Where? For how long?
• How do I run a meeting?
• How can I reduce the possibility of conflict during my meetings?
• Can I be an effective leader? What are my strengths? Weaknesses? (A worksheet)

• How many and what types of businesses are located in my neighborhood?
• How many and what types of schools, religious institutions, and social services agencies are here?
• What types of services or charitable activities do they provide to area residents?
• What do the residents of my neighborhood look like?
• What do they want and need?
• Who among them are potential council members and/or volunteers?
• How do we organize groups in my neighborhood?
• What are some points we should know before going door-to-door?
• What are Block watch groups? How are they formed?

This section includes a community-produced directory of important neighborhood contacts and resources, as well as a brochure and booklet listing key information about county and state departments and county-wide elected representatives. Also included is a segment devoted to special programs sponsored by the City of Cincinnati.

• What is the Grants Resource Center?
• How do I get started writing a grant proposal?
• How do I determine who to ask for funds?
• What are some do's and don'ts of grant writing?
• What is an RFP? How do I use it to prepare my proposal?
• What are my responsibilities if I get funded?
• Who can apply for an Invest Merit Grant?

Leadership Manual

Grant Proposal Writing

LOCATING THE SOURCE FOR FUNDING

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.

---»UNDERSTANDING THE RFP