Where can I find grant opportunities?
There are over 91,000 U.S. foundations and corporate donors. The federal
government offers approximately $400 billion in annual awards. But one of the
greatest challenges for grant-seekers is researching potential funders and
identifying sources that are strongly in alignment with the type of program you
need funded and the amount you are seeking. Use the resources below to begin
this critical step in the grant-seeking process.
By Funder Type | By Subject
- Foundations
- Foundation Directory
Online — Comprehensive, searchable database of over 91,000
U.S. foundations and corporate donors. Subscription service (plans start
at $20/month, but you can access the database for free at selected
locations nationwide... including the Grant Resource Center).
- Silicon
Valley Funders — A searchable online database of private,
corporate, and community funders who fund and/or are based in Silicon
Valley. Because local funding is often the easiest funding to secure, it
pays to find out who’s giving in the local area: subject areas funded,
average grant amounts, contact information, and more.
- RFP Bulletin
— A weekly roundup of recently announced Requests for Proposals (RFPs)
from private, corporate, and government funding sources. An RFP is how
funders announce new grant opportunities.
- Guidestar.org — Database of tax information to research which
organizations they’re supporting, and in what amounts.
- Government
- Grants.gov — The
official site to find and apply for federal grants.
- The Grantsmanship Center
— Daily federal grants announcements (pulled from the Federal
Register). GrantDomain: a searchable database of government,
foundation and corporate funding sources (a subscription service;
$495/year).
- Nonprofit
Gateway — The U.S. government’s official portal to
resources for nonprofits, including information on grants, loans and
other assistance; fundraising and outreach; management and operations;
tax, registration, and licensing for nonprofits.
- U.S.
Department of Education — Releases a Grants Forecast each
November, which is updated through July.
- California Department of
Education — Grants, apportionments, and contracts available
through the state department of education. Join the Funding Mailing List
to be automatically notified of new funding opportunities.
- Visit your local government websites for information on local
grant opportunities. Remember that there are many agencies even at the
local level, and you may have to keep your eye on many different sites
to find the appropriate opportunities.
- Corporations / Other
- Foundation Directory
Online — Comprehensive, searchable database of over 91,000
U.S. foundations and corporate donors. Subscription service (plans start
at $20/month, but you can access the database for free at selected
locations nationwide... including the Grant Resource Center).
- Visit the websites of individual companies. Some have corporate
giving programs, others have foundations, and some have no formal
program at all. Information, if available, can typically be found in the
"About us" section of the website, under “Community.”
- Start local — it’s good business for companies to be good
neighbors. The business directory of your local Chamber
of Commerce may help you find local businesses.
- Don’t forget local organizations such as the Lions and Kiwanis
clubs, which often have discretionary funds if a member will sponsor you
to give a short pitch at a meeting.
Subject Type | By Funder Type
- Education
- GrantWrangler —
Makes it easy for teachers, librarians, and parents to find funding,
including grants and awards for arts, history, mathematics, science,
technology, and more.
- SchoolGrants
— A comprehensive source of information for the PK-12 education
community. It offers information on education grant opportunities, tips
on writing grants, and free samples of winning proposals. Sign up on
their educators’ listserv, or subscribe to their bi-weekly newsletter.
- GrantsAlert.com — Browse
their list of currently available education grants; includes a section
on classroom funding opportunities. Also includes a directory of grant
writing consultants.
- National Education
Association — Visit their “Grants and Awards” section to find
announcements of interest to educators
- Funding Update — A
free publication of the Grant Resource Center. Highlights current
funding opportunities of interest to educators.
- Technology
- eSchool
News Technology — Resources around successfully integrating
technology in the classroom. Lists grants and funding opportunities for
schools. Free newsletter subscription.
- Teacher Tap —
Portal to technology grant resources.
- Arts
- Arts Council Silicon
Valley — Supports arts in our community through a number of
different grant opportunities for organizations and individual artists.
They also offer direct programs that support organizations, artists, and
at-risk youth.
- City of San
José Office of Cultural Affairs — Offers several grant programs
to ensure a rich variety of cultural opportunities for
residents and visitors to the city.
Date last updated: July 23, 2008
|
 |
|
