Pennsylvania grant & resource directory - pa house

Grant Basics
1. Need and plan. Determine your need and formulate a plan for implementation.
2. Research and find opportunity. Search or browse websites as well as private foundations and catalogs for potential
grant opportunities that fit your need. This may require some creative thinking. Study the decision makers stands/
points of view. Gather facts and figures to support your need. Often grant solicitations will describe what they
do not want, but will not fully explain what they will accept.
3. Locate the grant contact person. Once you have identified potential funding sources, it is often recommended
that you communicate with the grant contact person to discuss the application process and how best to present
your grant request in a way that maximizes the chances of award selection.
4. There are eight basic components to creating a proposal: 1) summary; 2) introduction of the organization;
3) problem/needs assessment; 4) project objective; 5) project method or design; 6) project evaluation; 7) future
funding needs; and 8) project budget.
5. Review grant applications.
6. Check regularly. Check the websites weekly for new grant postings.
7. Write proposal. Learn how to write grant proposals, (see below for grant writing resources). Present decision
makers’ terms, best interests or focus. Keep records, follow-up as needed and thank everyone for their help.
How Your Representative Can Be of Further Assistance
• Partner or coordinate with local groups working toward the same goals
• Direct the applicant to grant writing aid sources
• Write letters of support
• Follow-up with grant sources to ascertain status of the grant
Grant Writing & Resources
• Pennsylvania webpage – www.state.pa.us
Visit the state’s webpage for further information regarding grant and assistance program funding. Each agency has
a subsection on grants, loans and other types of assistance. Or, go to search section of the webpage and type a
particular program or enter the word ‘grant.’
• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) – Developing and Writing Grant Proposals
www.aspe.hhs.gov/cfda/ia6.htm
• Foundation Center’s Proposal Writing Short Course – www.foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/
shortcourse/index.html
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PA Grant & Resource Directory
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