I’m A Clubwoman

Grant Writing for Club Women – Part One

by christy on 03/18/09 at 12:33 pm

Has your club undertaken a project that requires more capital than a few bake sales can raise? If so, looking for grant opportunities may be just the thing for your club.

One of the most important funding sources for our playground project has been a grant that our club applied for and received. Thankfully our club includes several elementary school teachers who have experience applying for grants. But if you’ve never done it yourself, don’t fear! – My next two posts will be dedicated to helping you find and apply for grants.

Most grants come from one of the following  three sources:

• Corporate foundations
  Think of any major corporation in your community, Lowes, McDonalds, Nike, Office Depot. Each of these corporations has a philanthropic foundation attached. Each of these foundations focus on different types of charity work in their community. They are a great resource for grant seekers and often their applications can be filled out online.

  Tip: Meet with your local store representative to let them know you intend to apply for their company’s corporate grant. Most corporate applications request this step and it is a great way to get the local store manager on board with your project. Your store manager may even have more tips for you.
   

• Federal, state, and local governments
  To find out about state and local grant opportunities, contact your districts representative. They might know of funding sources available and may be able to help you get support for your projects. To learn about federal grant money, visit www.grants.gov. Once you are on their site, click on “Find Grant Opportunities” on the far left on your screen. You will then be able to search for grant resources by categories like cultural affairs, community development, health, and natural resources.
   
• Private/family foundations
  Learning about these grant resources often takes a bit more digging. Begin by googling the topic you are seeking funds for with the keywords: grant, family foundation, private foundation. Many times these funding resources are available within your own community, but due to the modesty of the family making the grants, you may never know of their availability.

  Tip: When looking for money to complete your project, look to the community just down the road. Have they completed a similar project? Ask them how they did it.

Tell us about a grant that your club applied for and received. How did you find out about the grant? We would love to read your tips in the comment section below!