"How Do I Get Grant Information Without Paying For It?"

The most simplest way to get grant program information is to do the research yourself.

As far as the government grant programs are concerned you have to understand that since government grants are funded by taxpayers, the government has to make information about their grant programs freely accessible to the public.

They have done that with both having a website devoted to the government grant programs that are out there and they also provide printed publications that you should be able to find at your local library. Even if you aren't able to find the information you can always ask the librarian about it.

Not all grant programs are provided by the government. There are other entities that have grant programs as well and they include non-profit organizations, clubs, associations and even some businesses.

In fact you may be able to find out about grant programs for free if you go to your local social service agency. You should know that these agencies have been established by the government to help people (and sometimes they even get grants theirselves!) and who would know better about government grant programs than them?

Many times I will get people who want me to provide them with information about grant programs and I guess they just don't realize how much work is involved when finding grant programs that one is eligible to apply for.

Everytime I get a new client (or when I get an old client looking for more information about new or other grant programs), they must first fill out a questionaire that I have set up on one of my pages. Filling this out lets me know a lot of information and helps me to pinpoint the kind of searching that I will have to do when looking for specific types of grant programs.

However finding these grant programs is really no secret at all. You just got to keep on searching until you find the information - sort of comparable to finding a needle in a haystack - the needle is there but you just have to find it.

Over 90% of the information that I have found about grant programs has been online. If you have access to a computer you should be able to find this kind of information as well.

After you have been doing this for a while (like I have) you will start to get the information about grant programs mailed to you which helps to make your research more easier.

But to put it simply - to get information about grant programs without having to pay for it the solution is to simply find the information yourself. It is available online and as far as the government grants are concerned information about them is also provide in printed form and you should be able to find them at your library.

"We Can't Pay You Now But........................"

Some very insightful words from another grantwriter on how one should (or should not) handle the business of being paid as a grant writer:

Rather than preach against contingent pay as unethical behavior, I prefer to share with contingent-pay seekers (and providers) some real-life consequences of such arrangements which mainly puts the livelihood of the grant writer at risk. I believe grant writers should never agree to contingency pay. It is simply not fair for hard working grant writers to receive little or no pay for their efforts due to many reasons beyond their control. I'll list several of those reasons which I have seen crop up time and time again, resulting in rejected proposals. In those instances, a grant writer's time and effort were wasted and she or he received no compensation for their good faith professional services:

• Say an organization wants someone to write a grant proposal for a project costing $118,000 and that the grant writer was to be paid a 5% commission if the grant is approved. It is almost always a requirement by funders that every dollar to be raised for and spent on projects be accounted for on a line-item basis. For many funders, the line item in the budget showing $5,900 for grant-acquisition services, would be reason enough to deny the grant. It would make no difference what the commission size or even if the contingency-pay were a flat fee. Grant-writing expenses are seen as part of an organizations operating budget. Few if any foundations, corporations, or governmental organizations are willing to make a grant when a portion of the money granted is to be used to pay a grantwriting fee. Remember, the grant is being requested for a specific project, not to offset operating expenses nor to disguise a professional fee. A non-profit or a grant writer that fails to take the possibility of such a caveat into consideration may be facing a rude awakening. Discerning and experienced program officers can readily see right through, and will reject, poorly delineated projects, "soft" and questionable budgets, and a host of other weaknesses which cannot be overcome by well-crafted grant proposals. An ineffective and failing "selling" job might be made during a presentation meeting by an organization's officials. You do not know in advance the foundations which are over committed to funding other organizations, have limited resources, thus they will not have funds available for you at the time, nor possibly for some time to come.
  
  
• What if the grant was to be paid out over a number of months---or even years? Would an organization be willing to pay the grant writer for the services rendered in full at the moment of grant approval? Should the grant writer be willing to accept a compensation payment schedule in sync with that of the grant award which could be spread out over several years?
  
  
• The grant writer should be ready to accept the fact that she or he will receive little pay for a major work, should a much lesser amount be granted than was originally requested. A grant writer could conduct the best possible research, make the most helpful recommendations, and even voice strong protests and caution when called for--- but project directors and executive directors will prevail should they insist that the grant request be written in spite of flaws and concerns. They will say to the grant writer: "We'll send it anyway, what have we got to lose?" They should ask the grant writer that question who stands to lose a great deal. Most grantors have greater vision than grant-proposal-submitting organizations. Grantors routinely look for assurance from the organizations that what they fund will be reasonably evaluated and measured in the longer term for effective and efficient use of their money, and that the organizations have future financial sustainability plans in place, or pending---especially that there are well developed long-range, strategic plans in place or being planned. A grant writer's best efforts expended in the writing of a given proposal simply cannot be extended or expected to meet such governance and policy-making requirements and expectations. Grant proposals, even the best of them, are all too often prepared and presented to potential grantors when the organizations have no, or few, other important sources of contributions to show, especially from their boards of trustees. Chances are slim to none for grant awards when there are no other visible and viable sources of support available to the organization. The hope for grants to be awarded to ensure payment for the grant writer's efforts is even more uncertain, and most unlikely, when proposals are stretched beyond practical and common sense limits, and they are presented to new, potentially uninterested, prospects---some even to distant, uncaring potential benefactors---as is often the case.

In the end, grant writers should be paid for their time and efforts by the hour or project, whether or not the grant is received. I question whether an organization unable to pay a fair fee for work done is likely to survive. Few non-profits forced to operate in ways not fully in accord with accepted professional standards flourish and grow.

I believe in the standards that have resulted from thousands of grant writing professionals working to help raise billions of dollars over decades of time. For me, not everything should be a matter of personal opinion; codes of ethics are established through collective wisdom because we do need absolutes by which to work and live. When I see all the wrong that can befall an organization or a grant writer in contingent-pay schemes, I cannot imagine for the life of me why either would want to go that route.

From My Email Bag...................................

Dear Rose,

I read on your blog that there are entrepreneurial grants available for for-profit businesses such as a recording studio/company. I am in the process of starting a recording company.

Can you give me the website or sites where I would go to gather information or apply to these grants.

Also, you stated that there are two programs which offer grants to help people fulfill their dream. Can you give me the websites or contact information for these grant programs.

I would greatly appreciate this info.

Your blog is a very helpful resource in the complicated and intimidating web of information to find a grant for start up expenses. I thank you immensly.

L~

I get this kind of email all the time. Unfortunately I have to remind the people who send me this kind of email that since they are not a client of mine that they will have to find this kind of grant information themselves.

If you take a good look at my contact and payment information page you will see at the very top of the page that if you send me any email asking for grant information and you are not a client then your information will be returned back to you - unanswered. You will also see that there are a list of questions that have to be answered before I can even begin my research into finding any grant programs that you may be eligible to apply for.

The person that sent me this email above only stated that they wanted to start a recording studio. I have no idea if they are a minority (there are some grant programs out there that are specifically for those who are minorities that want to start their own business). I also don't have any idea as to what kind of recording studio they want have as a business. This is very important information that has to be included when you are looking for grant programs that you may be eligible to apply for. The email doesn't even say where this recording studio will be located? There are grant programs out there for those that want to start their own business that are specific to specific areas only and of course I have no idea whether or not this person is eligible to apply for them because I don't know the location of where their recording studio is going to be. Another important piece of information that has to be had is how much in grant money are they looking to get? What will they need that grant money for? Those organizations and other entities that award grants like to know what their money is going towards. There are a few grant programs out there that allow you to spend your grant money any way you want but I don't even know if this person would qualify for these kind of grant programs because I just don't have enough information about what they are seeking a grant (or a number of grants) for.

Yes, you are very right when you say that finding information about grant programs that one may be eligible for is very complicated and that is why I do it for clients only!

Once you start looking for this kind of grant program information yourself you will see that it is hard and complicated work and hopefully it will give you a new respect for those of us that do it for a living!

A Reminder

When submitting your payment and information for grant research please be advised that there is a provision for you to add any additional information that you feel may be necessary. You must also answer the following questions that appear on my Payment Information Page.

Who are you seeking a grant for? Individual, Non-Profit, For-Profit or Other? (If other, please specify):




For what purpose are you seeking a grant? To start a business? Seeking a grant in a/my field of interest?



What area (city and state) will this grant be for?




Are you specifically seeking government grants or any grant that may pertain to you? Are you looking for other forms of funding including Investors?


What grants have you already applied for and if applicable what were the reason(s) that you were denied the grant award?



Please provide an email address:



Do you know how to unzip files?




Your contact information:




Your Payment Information:



The sooner that you provide all the information, the sooner the grant research will begin. While it will take a minimum of 30 days to provide the information to you, the sooner that you provide all the information the sooner the 30 day period will end.

"Never Pay For Grant Information"

"Never pay money for grant information" - ok what does that say to the many professional grantwriters and researchers out there?

"Free money - garbage" - Did you know that there is actually a term "free money" used to describe all the "unclaimed" money that is out there! This unclaimed money (and property) comes from people who have forgotten about bank accounts, safety deposit boxes, etc and if these persons are no longer alive then there are their heirs who are out there that don't even know about this money?

You are really going to have to educate yourself more about grants, grant programs and the grant process in general

As far as "free money" being garbage then just tell that to those that already have gotten grant money - legitimate grant money that they DO NOT have to pay back!

"Which Companies Can I Trust?"

If you have your doubts about a particular company do a check with the Better Business Burea - that way you will see if there are any complaints against that company.

But here is something else that you should consider. Where do you think these companies got their information? They did the work to find the information - that is why they charge a fee because they have already done the work to find the information.

If you're worried about having to pay a fee or don't have the money to pay the fee then you can find the information yourself - just like all those companies do. Over 95% of all the grant information that I have found has been online but I do the work to find it - which is exactly what you will have to do if you want to find the information.

Have you talked to anyone at your local social services agency? Since they are a part of the government who would best know about the government programs than them?

Now other grant programs that are offered by non-governmental agencies require more work but the bulk of information about their grant programs are online as well.

"Will I Work For Free?"

I get this question asked a lot. Here is a very good answer (credited to another grantwriter) who sums it up best!

Will You Work for Free?

Like most freelance grantwriters, I am frequently asked if I will write a grant proposal on a contingency, commission or percentage basis. In plain language, these people are asking me to spend many hours, days, or weeks working on a proposal for which I will get paid only if the grant is awarded. How would you like to go to work each day, put in your full eight (or whatever) hours, and have your boss tell you that you might get a paycheck in two or three months, but only if five conditions are met -- and you only have control over one of those conditions? I suspect that most people would find another job FAST! Who wants to work for free?


That is the case with grants. The grantwriter has control of one thing -- writing a good grant proposal. And this is assuming that the grantwriter receives all the information that he/she needs to prepare a good proposal. The grantwriter has no control over the many other factors that are considered by funding organizations in determining whether or not a particular grant will be awarded.

In addition, many people and organizations think that once they receive a grant, they will be able to use part of the grant money to pay the grantwriter. But this is exceedingly rare. The government won't let you do it, and neither will most non-government funders. So where are these organizations going to get the money to pay the grantwriter who has already done the work? If they didn't have the money to pay the grantwriter then, where will they get it after the grant is awarded? It's almost certain that it won't be from the grant.