FAQs or Ask Our Trainers

There are many types of grantmakers–federal, state, county, and municipal governments; corporations; private foundations; public charities; trusts; religious institutions, etc. Each grant maker has its own specific interests and requirements.

To receive a grant, funders generally require that applicants submit some type of application or grant proposal. The complexity and demands of proposals vary greatly.

To apply for a grant, you’ll need to research funders that seem like a good fit for your organization and then follow their directions exactly to submit a request for a grant. To be successful, you’ll need to submit the right request to an appropriate funder.

It’s possible to apply for and receive a grant without any formal training. However, if you’ve tried and failed to secure grant funding, training will help you avoid common mistakes and incorporate best practices into your work so you’ll significantly improve your chances for success.

Step one for getting a grant: You need to identify appropriate funders for your work. Sending a generic grant request to every funder who shows up on a Google search is NOT a winning strategy. This is called a “shotgun” approach and usually gets little to no response. To succeed, you need to reach those grantmakers whose interests align with yours. We show you how to find those funders. It’s not rocket science, but there are quite a number of “dos” and “don’ts” so it’s easier and much quicker to have someone show you than to figure it out yourself.

Step two: Write a clear, logical proposal that meets the funder’s guidelines and clearly explains exactly what you’re concerned about, the results you want to achieve, why it’s important to address the issue, and the approach you’ll use to produce positive change. You’ll also need to explain other things like your credentials for the job, the budget, how you’ll evaluate the outcomes, etc. Daunting? It can be. That’s why we help with the process to make it something you can understand and get a grip on.

Since 1972 The Grantsmanship Center has provided the model (used all over the world) for how to write effective grant proposals. You want to do things to improve the world and we’re here to help you do it! For specifics and some free advice check out Getting the Grant 101. Sign up for our mailing list to keep in touch.

The short answer is no. Templates and samples can be helpful as a reference, but effective grant proposals are tailored documents that address a specific issue, with a specific approach, written for a specific grantmaker. If you’d like a bit more detail on the topic read our article Sample Grant Proposals and Grant Proposal Writing Templates.

The go-to site for learning about federal funding opportunities is Grants.gov. You can use the “Search Grants” function on this site in lots of different ways, including filtering by applicant eligibility.

As a reference, it can be helpful to look at past federal grant proposals that won funding.

• Check federal agency websites. For example, the Department of Education, Department of Labor, and Department of Housing and Urban Development provide numerous examples of winning proposals.
• Ask the program officer of the grant program you’re assessing to provide you with a copy of a funded proposal.
• Ask your congressperson to get a copy for you. Be specific about the program title and ask for the top-rated proposal from the last competition.
• Ask someone you know who won a grant award in the same program in the past couple of years.
• Submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for a winning proposal. Eight federal agencies participate in FOIA online, and most federal agency websites include instructions on the specific process they require for a FOIA request. You’ll find extensive information at foia.gov, as well as links to the FOIA pages of each federal agency.

The Grantsmanship Center also offers Competing for Federal Grants-Online, a 5-day training that will show you the ropes.

• A quick Google search will turn up a wealth of information about the value and benefits of participation in the arts. In addition to Americans for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, organizations ranging from Princeton University to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies have stepped up to provide data and research.
• Some years ago, the Urban Institute and the Center for What Works collaborated on the “Outcomes Indicators Project.” In addition to 13 other topic areas, that project developed a set of “candidate outcomes” for the performing arts. Take a look for some helpful ideas on benefits you can consider when proposing program outcomes.
• The economic benefits of the arts have also been researched and documented. Information provided by the New England Foundation for the Arts is just one example of data on the “creative economy.”
• With a few modifications, The Grantsmanship Center’s proposal writing model works well for arts-related grant requests. The Center’s textbook, Grantsmanship: Program Planning & Proposal Writing, lays out the model step-by-step, and includes a section on how to adapt the model for various types of proposals, including the arts. We also offer a brief publication on adaptations to the model that are required for various types of proposals. Check out our publications.

Yes, we agree, five days is a real commitment. It means time away from work and maybe even travel. Here’s the good news: this is active learning that produces results. You return to work invigorated and with a stack of useful tools plus loads of great new ideas.

An ongoing, independent evaluation proves that the 5-day Grantsmanship Training Program produces results. Among other positive findings: graduates averaged a 47.5% increase in knowledge and skills; and a six-month follow-up study of 135 graduates (assessed as representative of all graduates) showed they had won grants totaling over $21 million. 100% said the training helped them win; 80% attributed success substantially to the training.

If the Grantsmanship Training Program doesn’t fit your schedule, check out our two-day Essential Grant Skills-Online training. It covers all the content of the 5-day training but uses fewer exercises. Keep an eye on our Training Schedule. When you join our mailing list you’ll be among the first to know about newly scheduled classes.

Does your organization have a larger group of people to train? Or can it coordinate with another local organization and fill a class? If so, sponsoring training is a great idea! As a sponsor, you can select the site and timeframe, and even get some customized content.

We recommend that you register for class as early as you can to be sure you get a seat, but your seat is only reserved when we receive your payment. Get in touch if you have special situations and we’ll do our best to help. Don’t miss out because of red tape. If your organization needs a purchase order or other documentation to submit payment, please contact us at: registrar@tgci.com or 800-421-9512.