Grants sometimes make up the backbone of nonprofit funding, especially for newer organizations that don't yet have their own sources of support. The Internet has created new grant opportunities that make a nonprofit organization's development department a little less stressed than it was in days gone by. That's not to say the researching and writing grants is simple, by any stretch of the imagination, but online resources have certainly taken some of the legwork out of the process. The Internet has especially simplified the research step of the grant search. Not only are there online databases of funders, but many foundations have their own web sites. Likewise, many companies have special pages on their sites to highlight their corporate giving or community outreach programs. Each of these resources generally includes:
- The funder's name and contact information
- Their areas of interest
- Guidelines for applying
- Projects they have funded in the past
In addition to lists and databases of funders, many sites also offer tutorials on how to write and submit grant proposals, too. A few other useful online grant resources include:
- The Council on Foundation's Community Foundation Locator
- The Development Director's Corporate Giving Database
- The Grantsmanship Center
- Proposal Writer's Grants by Subject Area Page
Good luck!
