FOUNDATIONS/GRANTS

CONTENTS:
Internet Aid for the New Grant Writer

• Project for the Future of Equal Justice
• InnoNet
• Grantstech
• Grant Proposal.Com
• Granthelp

INTERNET AID FOR THE NEW GRANT WRITER

As a new member of the Internet Prospector team, I have the good fortune of starting with a clean slate and from a different perspective. Before learning the ropes as a prospect researcher and proposal developer, I was a major gifts officer. My experience on the front line has made me sensitive to the need to apply all of the information I gather and analyze to the bottom line goal of bringing in the bucks. The following Web sites are very helpful for cutting through the rhetoric and getting directly to the point -- asking for money in writing.

PROJECT FOR THE FUTURE OF EQUAL JUSTICE

In January 2001 (updated July 14, 2001), Donald A. Griesmann, a consultant from Ventnor, New Jersey, prepared a very helpful summary of the best Web sites for grants, grant writing, management and human resources. Mr. Griesmann's article, "Nonprofits: The Dot Coms, Dot Orgs, and Other Dots" can be downloaded as a more printer- friendly .pdf document. I've listed a few of the sites reviewed by Mr. Griesmann that I have found very helpful in my own never-ending pursuit of strategies for juggling grant writing with donor research.

http://www.equaljustice.org/techno/griesmann.htm

INNONET

Innonet provides an online work station for nonprofit executives and grant writers to create a strategic plan and program map. The station is a free and interactive site that walks you through setting program goals, objectives, activities, outputs and outcomes. Innonet provides a free evaluation of one strategic program plan map and an evaluation plan that you create. An evaluation plan, with evaluation questions, indicators of success and strategies for collecting quantitative and qualitative data, can be created online. Eleven common grant application forms can be used when downloading the plan created at the work station.

http://www.innonet.org/

GRANTSTECH

Grantstech is a guide "to winning grants" that provides useful tools and links to funding sources. The most valuable section may be the "cheat sheet" to measure the viability of an application. There are several lists, such as the 12 tips to strengthen your proposal and the 10 common mistakes and how to avoid them. At Grantstech find other keys to successful grant management and the basis for evaluation of proposals.

http://www.grantstech.com

GRANT PROPOSAL.COM

Grant Proposal.Com offers step-by-step assistance in preparing a grant proposal to a private funding source. The site provides suggestions about the letter of inquiry covering strategy, introductory paragraph, mission, history and accomplishments, need, vision, other funding and costs, timetables, leadership and closing. There are site chapters on preparing full proposals, doing research, and advice from funders and tips.

http://www.grantproposal.com

GRANTHELP

GrantHelp provides a free "Grant Writing School" that is worth attending for the newbie grant writer. The seven lessons range from types of proposals and sources of grant money to resource investigation, grant writing and what to do after the application has been submitted.

http://granthelp.clarityconnect.com/school.htm

Cathy Hampton