Finding Funders Using the Foundation Directory Online presentation by Ann Gladwin - NEW

1. GRANTSEEKING
SELECTED WEB RESOURCES
Make ResourceConnect www.new.org/resourceconnect
your first stop for all your information needs.
Finding sources of funding
Grants.gov www.grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for
competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov is
THE single access point for over 900 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant-
making agencies. Submit applications online!
The Foundation Directory Online http://fconline.fdncenter.org/ is the definitive database
of foundations and corporate giving programs. It is available at the Foundation Center’s
cooperating collection libraries and at the Nonprofit Resource Center at NEW. Call the
Resource Center at 734-998-0160 ext. 218 to make an appointment to use this
subscription database that can give you a targeted list of grantmakers likely to support
your mission. You can take a tutorial on the use of the Foundation Directory Online,
too.
The Foundation Center http://www.fdncenter.org is a comprehensive source for
information on foundations. Subscribe to free email newsletters Philanthropy News
Digest and RFP Bulletin, and/or search back issues online. Enter the name of any
foundation in “Foundation Finder” http://lnp.fdncenter.org/finder.html to get access to
990 tax information forms (section XV lists all grants made in that fiscal year).
Jon Harrison, a Michigan State University Librarian, maintains an up-to-date website
http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/index.htm on grants and how to find them. This
is a great place to start, with further links. Get background on eligibility and find donors
by topic.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy http://www.philanthropy.com. Guide to Grants available
with a subscription. Corporate grantmakers section. Their Nonprofit Handbook is a
valuable reference guide (available online to subscribers only).
ResourceConnect®, a program of NEW October 2008
1100 N. Main St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Ph. 734-998-0160 ext. 218
s/rc/fundraising/grantwriting/webographygrantseeker10-08

2. Help with proposal writing
NEW’s ResourceConnect pages http://www.new.org/resourceconnect/ . Look under
Resource Database, then “fundingraising” to find service providers, websites and book
titles.
Council of Michigan Foundations. http://www.cmif.org See “grantseekers” in left
column. Download “Information for Seeking Corporate and Foundation Grants,“ which
includes the common grant application form.
The Foundation Center http://www.fdncenter.org can help you find funders and gain
knowledge. Check out their Proposal Writing Short Course
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/shortcourse/index.html.
Free Management Library http://www.managementhelp.org/ covers many topics
including “Nonprofit Fundraising and Grantwriting.”
Grantwriters.com http://www.grantwriters.com A site with free information, bookstore,
training, services. Offers an online course on grantwriting, an “interactive educational
journey” for $300.
Guidestar http://www.guidestar.org “The Donor's Guide to the Nonprofit Universe.” A
searchable database of more than 850,000 nonprofit organizations in the United States,
including foundations. Complete IRS 990 forms available to download. Be sure your
organization has a profile here. Register for free to reach more information.
Central Michigan University’s “Proposal Writer’s Handbook”
http://www.orsp.cmich.edu/handbooks.htm may be downloaded free. Includes “Grant
Proposal Self-Assessment Tool.”
The Grantsmanship Center http://www.tgci.com sells sample proposals; CD by subject
$99; customized CDs for $29 for first proposal, $20 for each additional. All 600
proposal abstracts may be browsed.
Nonprofits and Data: Using Data to Support Grant Applications and Other Funding
Opportunities by the Johnson Center. Available via MNA's website. (pdf)
http://www.mnaonline.org/conf2007/pdf/NonprofitsandData.pdf
Find more resources on grantseeking and all aspects of nonprofit management at
ResourceConnect http://www.new.org/resourceconnect
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