RESOURCE SERIES October 8, 2010

Federal Grant Management

Tips for Federal Funding and Proposal Writing

This tip sheet begins a four-part series on federal grants management, beginning with proposal
writing. The following information was adapted from Department of Health and Human Services
and the Grantsmanship Center publications; and IRC staff.

Federal Funds
Federal funds are highly competitive, but can be an important source of funding for ECBOs and
other refugee-serving organizations to expand programs and carry out innovative activities.

The most common federal sources of funding for refugee-serving organizations are the
following. Click on the link for their website.
• Department of Health and Human Services/ Administration for Children and Families/Office
of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
o Ethnic Community Self-Help; Unaccompanied Children’s Services; Anti-trafficking in
Persons; Refugee Healthy Marriage; Refugee Agriculture
Promotion; Survivors of Torture; Microenterprise; Preferred You have the right to:
Communities; Supplemental Services; Technical
Assistance; and others. • Request feedback on
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) your proposal if your
o citizenship; immigration, ESL proposal has been
• Department of Agriculture (USDA) denied. Find the
o community farming; green markets; cooperatives; nutrition; contact person in the
rural community development. call for proposals.
• Department of Justice (DOJ)
o violence against women The agency will
o community crime provide you with the
• Department of Education review committee’s
• Department of the Treasury for tax programming evaluation or a brief
summary. You can
The US Department of State funds Reception and Placement learn much from this
programs. Other departments may offer applicable funding information to improve
opportunities as well. for future proposals.

How do I find out about federal grant opportunities?

Federal funding is determined through competitive processes, called Calls for Proposals
(CFPs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Standing Announcements, and other mechanisms.
There are a number of ways to find out about opportunities. You may ask your State Refugee
Coordinator or other refugee organizations to share information about relevant funding
agencies, opportunities and grant cycles. You may also visit the websites of relevant agencies,
or meet with agency representatives to learn about opportunities.

One important method is to sign up for announcement and alerts from various websites:
 • Grants.gov: this is the official source to find and apply for federal grants. You can
search opportunities and sign up to receive funding announcements by agency,
programmatic area, etc. You have the right to:
• Grant station: this site has a free e-newsletter & low-cost
subscriptions to get more information on funding • View winning federal
opportunities. proposals
• Fundsnetservices.com: you may browse and search this
site for both government and foundation/corporation They are public
opportunities and links, as well as RFPs information and can be
requested under the
Freedom of Information
What can I do in advance of a call ( funding announcement)?
Act by filing an online
• Begin planning as early as possible. form (click for the link).
• Find out which organizations have received funding before,
and learn what you can about their programs (you can even
However, it can take
obtain the proposals – see box).
weeks to receive the
• View the RFP from the previous cycle. information, and you will
• Register for grants.gov and ensure you have a DUNS number have to pay for the
to enable you to receive federal funds. photocopies. You may
• Meet with the funder – introduce your organization and find also try the following:
out about upcoming priorities. But be prepared: research the
funder ahead of time, and know how your program relates.
• Check the agency’s
website, or request it
What do I do when the call comes out?
from the agency
• Read the call closely; ensure you meet the eligibility criteria. directly.
• Assess whether the call fits your mission and strategy • If you know which
• Assess your odds of winning (how many awards will be agencies received
given? What’s your previous experience?) the grant, contact
• Find out who else is applying. Do partnerships make sense? them and ask them
• Participate in funder meetings regarding the call. to share the
• Ask the program officer if they will review a concept paper. proposal.
• Develop a proposal development calendar. • Ask your
congressperson.
What advice should I follow while preparing the proposal? They can obtain ‘the
• Closely follow the request for proposals and the priorities top-rated proposal’
stated there. Don’t propose anything that does not match for you. Give them
what the funder has described, and ensure you include the details of the
everything the funder has noted is required (in the application competition.
and the program).
• Review all criteria before you write and respond to it. These tips are only valid
• Involve your target group in the design process. for federal proposals, not
• Clearly demonstrate what the need is, what the gap is, and private funding sources.
why your organization is best placed to meet it. WHY HERE,
WHY NOW, WHY YOU.
• Demonstrate community support and collaborations.
• Don’t make assumptions about what the reviewer does and does not know; they can
only consider info in the proposal. Write so a stranger will understand your request!
Did you receive this as a forward? Receive weekly tip sheets, announcements, and information on
relevant funding, training, & other resources by joining our listserv. This resource was produced by the
International Rescue Committee through Cooperative Agreement #90RB0033, with the Office of
Refugee Resettlement. You may distribute with the citation: Reprinted with permission of the IRC.
 • Begin working on the application well before the deadline.
• Submit the proposal before the deadline.
• Follow all instructions regarding format and organization of the materials in the
application.
• Be brief, concise, and clear.
• If you’re unable to provide any required information, be honest about the reasons.
• Be organized and logical.
• Make sure your budget is realistic.
• Include relevant attachments, including support letters, sample curricula, etc.
• All applications to be submitted electronically should be printed out, proofread, and
checked to make sure everything required is included and that information is consistent
between various parts —before the mouse click.
• Send everything at the same time—don’t send supplemental information later.

Have someone review and proofread your application before you submit!

How do I get training on proposal writing?

There are many training agencies that offer proposal writing workshops, usually at cost.
Enquire with your local non-profit association about consultants near you. Colleges and
universities also offer classes, and there are many resource books available.

One national company organizes regional and personalized trainings on grantsmanship for
non-profit and government agencies: The Grantsmanship Center. You can sign up for their
mailing list and find out about their training opportunities at http://www.tgci.com/. They
also send out informative tip sheets.

However, some of the best ways to learn proposal writing are to review successful
proposals, and to have an experienced grant writer review and edit your work. You will
quickly learn what works and why, and how to improve your writing and the strength of your
argument. Ask your colleagues within or outside your organization for support!

Did you receive this as a forward? Receive weekly tip sheets, announcements, and information on
relevant funding, training, & other resources by joining our listserv. This resource was produced by the
International Rescue Committee through Cooperative Agreement #90RB0033, with the Office of
Refugee Resettlement. You may distribute with the citation: Reprinted with permission of the IRC.