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FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
- But, we are a non-profit and
have no money! We were hoping you would care enough about our cause to
help us out. Is that something we can talk about?
- Will you guarantee that I
will receive a grant award?
- Is there really such a thing
as “free money” for new businesses and individuals?
- Can I pay your fee after I
receive a grant?
- Will you accept a percentage
of a grant award for payment and work on contingency?
- What are your rates and
billing practices? And, do you accept credit cards?
- Will you help individuals
apply for grant assistance?
- How long does it take to get
a grant award?
- What do I need to establish a
non-profit organization and how does this affect my chances of funding?
- What do grantmakers look for
when determining what programs to fund?
- Do you write term papers for
students?
- I live in another state. How do we work together from remote
locations?
- What services do you provide
for those who are not non-profit organizations?
- How do I choose a grant
writer? Why should I hire you?
- What is the largest grant award
that you have won? What was
involved in that process?
- What types of grant
applications do you prepare?
- Who are some of your former and
current clients?
- Can I see a copy of your
standard contract?
- What types of societal issues
or human services agencies do you have experience with?
- What is your favorite color?
- How do I contact you?
ANSWERS
QUESTION:
But, we are a non-profit and have no money! We were hoping you would care
enough about our cause to help us out. Is that something we can talk about?
Unless you are an AIDS
organization or a program that supports dying children, the answer, unfortunately,
is no.
There are so many worthwhile
programs out there. But, just like all
of us, I need to designate my donated time to causes that are especially dear
to me, and, at this time, I do not have any Pro Bono hours available.
Contrary to popular belief,
non-profits will have difficulty finding a Grant Writer who will offer services
free of charge or payment based on the success of a grant. It also bears mentioning that within the
grants world, if you cannot meet your basic start-up costs, which includes an
accountant, attorney, IRS filing fee, and Grant Writer, you are probably not
ready to move ahead with your plans.
Some grassroots fundraising—starting with your Board of Directors—is
absolutely in order because grantmakers do not want to be your first source of
support and the likelihood of a grant without any prior financial backing or
fundraising is low. While this news is
disheartening to many who want to do good work, it is the reality of today’s funding
scene.
Sorry!
QUESTION: Will you guarantee that I will receive a
grant award?
Does an attorney promise you will
win a case? Hardly ever. And, the same is true with grants. A Grant Writer can only present your case in
the clearest, most concise and compelling way.
Too many factors come into play in
the grant evaluation process that it is impossible for a Grant Writer to honestly
guarantee success. Further, your
successful application typically relies on the merits of your program, as
opposed to your Grant Writer. The only
guarantee that a Grant Writer can ethically make is that your proposal will fit
the general guidelines of the funder, will be submitted on time, and that it
will completely answers all questions in the required proposal format.
Considering the vast majority of
grant applications are rejected by funding sources because there simply isn’t
enough money available to fund the enormous number of requests, you can expect
to hear “no” more often than “yes.” If
your experience is otherwise, you are fortunate and in the minority. But a large foundation may receive 400-800
applications per year, and fund only 30.
Can a Grant Writer offer you a
guaranteed grant award? Never. And, I suggest you run from any Grant Writer
who will tell you otherwise.
QUESTION:
Is there really such a thing as “free money” for new businesses and
individuals?
You know the old adage, “If it
sounds too good to be true, it probably is?”
We would all like to believe that
there is an easy way to get what we need in life, but yet, somewhere deep down
inside, we know this is not the case.
THERE IS NO FREE MONEY!!!!!
If you do not believe me, tell me
why you need to pay for information through books and websites for grants from
governmental agencies. Why would the
government hide this from you when they post all their other funding
opportunities on the web? It is a scam,
my friend. With rare exceptions, there
are no grants for business start-ups, expansions, or individuals. My advice to you is simple. If you cannot find a governmental grant
opportunity for which you qualify through a free search, on-line or in the
public library, assume there is no such opportunity. Don’t waste your money.
If you are a business, you need a
loan. If you are an individual,
scholarships are available for education for those who qualify through academic
merit, special talents, or demonstrated need, and some grants are available for
extreme hardships, which are usually medically-based.
There is also a difference between
a grant and a government contract.
Contracts are many times open to for-profits as well, but it depends on
your industry.
QUESTION: Can I pay your fee after I receive a grant?
No.
Sadly, I have learned that many
times the good intentions and ideas of others do not equal a healthy or
consistent bank account. As a result,
my payment policy requires a retainer agreement.
For more established
organizations, a billing scenario is sometimes extended after building a
successful working history and longstanding partnership. Payment, however, is never contingent on
grant success. Although, when permitted in the proposal guidelines, we can
sometimes include grant writer and other consulting costs into proposals for
future work and projects.
QUESTION: Will you accept a percentage of a grant
award for payment and work on contingency?
There is a great misconception in the non-profit world, and
elsewhere, that percentages or contingency payments are the professional
standard. They are not.
Accepting a percentage of a grant
award, considered an unethical practice within the professional grant writing
community, is additionally a “no-no” with funding sources and will result in a
rejected proposal if, in fact, they even allow for consulting fees or indirect
costs to be included in the grant at all.
I do not, as a result, engage in such activities.
Likewise, I do not, nor do most
Grant Writers, accept contingency payments. Our profession would only help
groups with national presence that are more likely to be funded than a new
start-up or a program with more limited reach if this were the norm. We would focus on programs like the Susan
B. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Special
Olympics—not the smaller, community based organizations that have to work even
harder for visibility and financial support.
There is no guarantee of success
in the grants process. Terrific grant
proposals are rejected every day, despite appropriateness for submission or how
well a case was made for support.
Success is based largely on the track record and strengths of the
organization itself, competition during a grant cycle and volume of proposals
received, and the priorities of a given grantmaker that are many times not
disclosed outside of basic areas of interest.
This makes contingency payments, quite honestly, unfair to any Grant
Writer who has offered you time, talent, and expertise.
Though this may sound harsh,
requesting a contingency arrangement is essentially asking a Grant Writer to
take a significant risk on you—a risk that you, yourself, are not willing to
take by actually paying a consultant for their valuable work despite the
outcomes, and accepting your own accountability for the strengths or
shortcomings of your program. Your
program’s funding success is only 10-20% reliant on your Grant Writer’s talent.
QUESTION:
What are your rates and billing practices? And, do you accept credit cards?
My current rate is $75 per hour for
all services, billed against a retainer in 15-minute increments. Periodic account updates are furnished to the
client, based on level of activity at a given time. During high volume work, updates are supplied
weekly.
“Package
pricing” may be available for some non-profits after an evaluation of the
specific grant guidelines in contrast to existing organizational documents,
billed at $75 per hour. Package prices are not available to programs that
require substantial program development, although, ordinarily, accurate estimates
can be determined for general tasks and based on specific manuscript lengths.
I rarely extend a package price offer because the grants process is
chalk full of unexpected surprises, continually evolving, especially before
a program is fully developed.
On the other hand, organizations
may purchase a set “package” of prospect research time, based on their
individual needs and budgets. Most
organizations opt for the standard 10 hours of research in order to identify
opportunities for a 6-month to 1-year period.
Past customers have chosen as few
as 4 hours of research, based on their financial constraints, or up to 20 hours
of initial work with periodic research thereafter. Ten hours of research, on average, has yielded from 10-33
opportunities, depending on how fundable the organization’s project or program
proves to be.
Credit card payments are accepted
through PayPal and will include a 3% surcharge. Current rates are subject to change.
QUESTION:
Will you help individuals apply for grant assistance?
Assistance is offered to all persons applying for grants or
preparing proposals or other documents, however, prospect research is not
typically offered to individuals due to the fact that funding is so
limited. If an individual identifies a
funding opportunity for which they are truly qualified, I invite them to
contact me.
QUESTION: How long does it take to get a grant award?
Grant cycles vary depending on whom you are approaching for
funding. Some accept applications
year-round and without specific duedates while others have very firm
application deadlines. For some
funders, they may have only one grants review per year. So, the answer to that question is… it
depends.
A very general timeframe is not to expect to hear anything
for 3-6 months, and receipt of the actual money could be even longer. We are just talking about approval,
first. Then you need to muddle through
paperwork and the legalities involved in this process. Hearing that you won a grant award and
actually receiving a check are two different things.
Also, a smaller grant from a foundation that accepts
applications with greater frequency throughout the fiscal year will be a better
bet for a quick turnaround than a governmental grant. In general, the soonest you should hear of a funding
determination is between 1-2 months of submission. With state and federal
applications, in particular, expect to wait 6-12 months for funding.
Corporate contributions or sponsorships (not grants) are
perhaps your most viable option if you need money more quickly.
QUESTION: What do I need to establish a non-profit
organization and how does this affect my chances of funding?
First, you need to apply for your 501(c) 3 IRS tax-exempt
status before you will qualify for most, if any, grant funding. But, let us back up a moment…
Here is a list of what needs to occur:
- While
a “business plan,” in the traditional sense of the word, is not necessary
for setting up a non-profit, it is not a bad idea to put down all your
programmatic, fiscal, and operational components on paper. My personal belief it that your program
does not exist—or at very least, is not a program but just an idea—until
you hash out all the minute details.
- Formulate
your Board of Directors, keeping in mind your need for a diverse group of
people in both backgrounds and talents.
At a minimum, you will need 3 people for this, although most
non-profits have Boards consisting of 12 members and up. Additionally, you need to plan a formal
first meeting to hold elections for the leadership roles of President,
Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, OR, as some organizations prefer,
Chairman/person, Vice-Chairman/person, Treasurer, and Secretary—and
receive approval of your By-laws and Articles of Incorporation (see
below).
- Create
your By-laws and Articles of Incorporation. There are books and resources on the web that can help you
do this, but you can also turn to an attorney to handle these documents in
addition to filing them in your state.
- Apply
for your federal EIN (Employee Identification Number). Information can be found on http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=97860,00.html.
This can be done over the phone or online.
- Once
you are officially a corporation (based on steps 3 &4), it is time to
prepare your form 1023 IRS 501(c) 3 application for Recognition of
Exemption. A 28-page document,
this paperwork contains questions that YOU can complete largely on your
own. Other sections, however, may
require you to consult with an attorney or accountant who specializes in
non-profits. PLEASE hear
that. I have seen new
organizations choose to stick with their for-profit consultants to
experience disastrous and costly outcomes. There is a difference between the for-profit and non-profit
world. Choose your consultants
wisely.
At very least, if you prepare the
application yourself, I recommend you have an attorney or accountant look over
your document before you submit. Oh,
and … a heads up—The application fee is currently $500. You should also
know that there is a backlog with IRS 501(c) 3 approvals. At present, most organizations are waiting a
minimum of 9-10 months before they receive final approval. And, you cannot submit grants until you
receive your letter of determination.
- File
your Charitable Registration application with your state’s Office of the
Secretary of State. More
information, which can vary by state, should be easily accessed on your
state’s governmental website. Some
states may direct their applications to a different office of than the
Secretary of State.
- While
you wait there is work to be done!!! LOTS of work. Keep in mind that establishing any
program does not happen overnight and when you are ready to apply for
grants—which you cannot do until you receive your tax exempt letter—much
of what will be needed can be prepared during this agonizing period of
wait.
- Prepare
or gather the following materials:
(A few of these are already done because they are included in your
Articles of Incorporation or By-laws)
- Mission
Statement
- Program
Description
- Purpose
of Program
- Measurable
Goals & Objectives
- List
of all the tasks/activities involved to create and implement services
- Organizational
Chart
- Job
Descriptions
- Resumes
of key staff
- Policies
& Procedures (both personnel and program)
- Expected
Outcomes
- Detailed
organizational budget
- Research
or statistics that demonstrate a need for your program
- Research
funding opportunities
- After
you receive your IRS 501(c) 3 approval, get cracking on grants, corporate
contributions and sponsorships, and personal donations!
Enjoy the ride!!
QUESTION: What do grantmakers look for when
determining what programs to fund?
Grantmakers identify general areas
of program interest in their grant guidelines, and they list restrictions to
their giving as well. Reading these
guidelines is the first step to determining if you truly are eligible for
funding support. If you do not meet
these interest areas, do not apply. The
guidelines are stringent and submitting an inappropriate proposal is a waste of
your time and money—AND it reflects badly on your organization. You will NOT
convince them to stray from their designated priorities.
If you fit the basic interest
areas, it is worthwhile to further explore the opportunity, which includes
researching the funder’s giving history. The challenge remains that most
guidelines are somewhat vague. For
instance, saying that they fund “education” might encourage us to submit a
proposal when “education” is so broad, the funder must, of course, have
priorities within that category, such as inner-city youth.
In general, grantmakers look for
several things when determining the select few that will receive funding
support. Personal bias most certainly
DOES come into play, which is why grant applications, again, can never be “a
sure bet.”
But, funders typically prefer to
support:
- Established organizations with strong track
records and respectability
- New and innovative programs that clearly address
an unmet community need
- Programs and projects that impact on large
numbers of individuals
- Organizations whose leadership has sufficient
credentials for those roles
- Broad-based funding support beyond this
particular grant request
- Well thought-out plans for program
implementation
- Measurable goals, objectives, and outcomes, as
well as an Evaluation Plan/Program to determine success of the project
- Programs that are inventive and not currently
offered by other programs
- Programs whose initiatives are potentially
duplicative outside of a local area, perhaps nationally
- Programs that take place in a particular
geographic region or city
- Organizations with a diverse and active Board of
Directors (who personally contribute financially and otherwise to the
agency)
- Programs they personally invite to apply for
funding
- Programs that can demonstrate financial
responsibility and have all fiscal documents, including audits from prior
years
- Portions of your budget not listed in their
guideline restrictions
- Proposals that exactly follow the grantmaker’s
specified guidelines
- Programs where they personally know one or more
of your Board Members
- Causes that are near and dear to their hearts
QUESTION: Do you write term papers for students?
Absolutely not. In
fact, I recently saw a posting on Craigslist.org that was from a college student
who wanted someone to write a paper for his or her ETHICS class! Kids, do your homework …and learn.
The only exception to this rule is providing editing
assistance to ESL students and those with learning differences, which I
wholeheartedly embrace and welcome.
Grad students who need a fresh eye and minor editing on their thesis
papers are also encouraged to contact me.
QUESTION: I live in another state. How do we work together from remote
locations?
Given the wonders of technology,
working remotely is never problematic.
Through phone, email, fax, and Instant Messenger, communication can be
quite efficient. In fact, the majority
of my customers operate on the west coast, where I am physically located
outside of Baltimore City.
QUESTION:
What services do you provide for those who are not non-profit organizations?
Although my forte is in the complex service delivery needs
of the non-profit sector, I offer assistance to those who fall outside of my
well-carved niche. Primarily, services
to individuals and businesses center on the preparation or editing of
documents, letters, or marketing tools. I also offer ghostwriting of speeches,
books, and screenplays.
QUESTION: How do I choose a grant writer? Why should I hire you?
When choosing any consultant, it
is important to find one with expertise in your particular areas of need. It is fair to say that the non-profit world
is a different animal, with terminology and approaches that are generally
consistent within the wide scope of human services providers but the polar
opposite, in many ways, of the general business community’s operational
standards.
For this reason, finding a Grant
Writer with extensive experience in non-profit administration, and a sound
understanding of psychology and Social Work, is to your advantage. Only with this background can a writer truly
demonstrate the crucial need for your program’s offerings while effectively
conveying the multi-faceted social challenges facing us as a society
today.
Additionally, not every Grant
Writer has program development expertise.
Since successful grant writing relies heavily on the painstaking details
of programmatic considerations, an inexperienced proposal writer will be hard
pressed to identify gaps in your presentation—from a service provision
standpoint. This hurts you. Meanwhile,
if you do not yet know HOW you will implement a program, a Grant Writer without
prior non-profit administrative service will most likely not be your best
choice to help you define your plan.
My experience is of equal value to
both established organizations who are launching new projects and the newcomer
to the human services scene.
Personalized attention, dedication to your cause, reliability,
and…honest evaluation and feedback on your strengths and challenges …are
critical to your success. With me, I
offer nothing less.
Yes, choosing your Grant Writer
and Program Development Specialist is a very individualized decision. There needs to be a “fit” in your interests,
goals, and personality styles. So, I
would encourage you to begin by calling a number of consultants and identify
which one feels best to you.
Communication is key, and you need to secure the services of someone you
can implicitly trust, someone who without question has your best interests at
heart, and that someone who has the specific skills necessary to further your
vision.
QUESTION: What is the largest grant award that you
have won? What was involved in that
process?
I wrote a proposal, then
negotiated and won a 2.8 million dollar, 3-year contract with the State of
Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene/Developmental Disabilities
Administration to start-up and operate the human services agency I founded in
1992, Creative Options, Inc.
Clearly my greatest programmatic
challenge and triumph to date, Creative Options was, and continues to be, an
organization that provides community-based residential alternatives to state
institutional living for persons deemed “difficult to place” due to longtime
histories of failure to live in the community without repeated returns to state
facilities. Part of a class action suit requiring state deinstitutionalization
for members of the identified “Knotts Class,” my program supported individuals
plagued with distinct and persistent barriers to successful community
integration, complicated by dual or multiple diagnoses of developmental
disabilities, mental health disorders, and severe and sometimes dangerous
behavioral challenges.
As founder and Executive Director/CEO of this program, I led
this organization through the program development process and presentations
required for state grant competition.
This comprehensive and complex effort involved crafting the following:
1.
Personnel Policies & Procedures
2.
Staff Training Manual and Materials
3.
Program Policies & Procedures
4.
Organizational Goals & Objectives
5.
Individual client’s identified Strengths & Needs, and
Assessment Results
6.
Comprehensive Individual Support Plans for each proposed
consumer
7.
Emergency Protocols
8.
Organizational Chart
9.
A diverse Board of Directors
10.
Job Descriptions and Performance Evaluation Tools
11.
Recruitment Plan
12.
Detailed and ongoing Quality Assurance Program
13.
Demonstrated knowledge of the problem and cutting-edge
solutions for service
14.
Extensive timeline plan for program implementation
15.
All forms, and documentation instructional guides for usage,
for daily operations
16.
Comprehensive program budget
This process also included presenting the entire plan to
each proposed client’s team, which was comprised of the consumer him or
herself, and all interested and invested human service professionals,
advocates, friends, and family members.
Creative Options devised highly customized approaches that were geared
to the specific needs, desires, and preferences of each person to be supported
through this program—a service model that was considered “state-of-the-art” at
the time.
Although I have since left Creative Options, Inc., the
organization lives on and I am proud to have been part of the progressive
change that took place in the disabilities field, where today, more and more
states are following suit and support persons with disabilities in a
consumer-driven fashion, determined by client choice and respect for that
individual’s personal values and dreams.
QUESTION: What types of grant applications do you
prepare?
I am experienced in the complex
preparation of federal, state, city, and local municipality grants, however,
the vast majority of my work centers on foundation and corporate
applications. This is mostly because
governmental funding is so specific in eligibility requirements that many
community-based programs, especially newer programs, do not qualify.
QUESTION: Who are some of your former and current
clients?
Active Accounts
Aaron Meyer Foundation (Wisconsin)
Boys Project/University of Alaska Fairbanks (Alaska)
Center for Accord (Texas)
LoneWolf Enterprises (I do substantial weekly subcontracting on
national organization projects)
New Life Resources (California)
PNL Transport, LLC
Former or Inactive Accounts
Black Pride Society (Detroit)
Bright Steps Forward/Therapies 4 Kids (Florida)
Daughter for the Day, Inc. (Maryland)
Dr. Carter G. Woodson Elementary Middle School (Baltimore
City)
Equality Maryland (Maryland)
Foundation for Voice Restoration (California)
Mourning Light Burial Assistance Fund (Mississippi)
Norbel School (Maryland)
San Diego Hospitality Institute (California)
Success Closet, Inc. (Baltimore)
The Dominic Center (New York)
The Multicultural Children’s Museum and Development Center
(Chicago)
Transformations Health Education Project (Florida)
Urban Educational Alliance (Baltimore)
QUESTION: Can I see a copy of your standard contract?
Sure. Click here.
QUESTION: What types of societal issues or human
services agencies do you have experience with?