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Getting Started with the Grant Process
There are three main steps that you will have to follow if you are hoping for successful grant seeking. First, you
must be able to properly identify potential grant makers who would be interested in supporting your business
project. You should use the many different websites to there to hunt down the perfect grant for you. If you need
additional reference materials, you may wish to consult other publications in the Grants information database or
contact the nearest Foundation Center Library near you for help, which will contain reference books on private
foundations in your region as well as basic information on government and corporate grants. Of course you can also
call the Foundation Center at 1-800-424-9836 for the location of the collection closest to you.
Second of all, after you have found and located your list of potential prospects, you should contact all of the key
people who can help you plan your proposal before you start writing it in the first place. What this really means
is that you must do your homework if you are going to be successful. A sure way to fail in grant seeking is to
write a proposal without talking to the right people who can maximize your potential for success.
Now, after you have qualified your prospects and planned an effective approach, you must produce a carefully
written, very well thought out proposal. Some grant proposals are rejected because they contain bad ideas; however
the most common reason why grant proposals are rejected because they contain good ideas that are very badly
written. There are basically two types of grant proposals which are: long proposals that you write to government
agencies, and shorter letter proposals that are generally given to private sponsors. Know who you are talking to
and what they expect.
Make a special effort to check out the website of the place that you plan to apply to just to be sure that all of
the facts that you have about the process is concise and correct. Your business plan and your proposal is the key
point in getting the right funding for your business. You will also do well to build a great marketing strategy,
and financial forecast estimate. The more information that you provide the more prepared they will think you are
and the higher your chances are for success.
Some of the businesses that are eligible for a grant are: non-profits, self help business groups, anything to do
with the arts like publishers or galleries, magazines etc. and businesses that are hoping to be the sole provider
in a specific locale. You can also get business start up money if you are able to give an outstanding proposal.
Sometimes the government grants will be given to people with a great proposal even if they are not necessarily
regulated under the arts or beneficial to the community at large. If this is what you are working with, then you
are as good as in.
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