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The
Grantsmanship Institute offers a variety of
services for Prospect & Data Research.
Data Research:
We provide a wide array of data and statistics in many different formats.
Our vast experience in harvesting data from the Web and various databases can
save you time and money. We use a variety of approaches to efficiently
obtain information from sources that will compellingly support your projects.
We are unique in that we work one on one with you to provide customized data
which is highly specific and comprehensive for supporting your project and
agency.
In an era of information
overload, the effectiveness of online research depends on the the ability to
manage and present research findings in a structured and manageable form.
Why is data needed in grant writing?
Data is needed to support your
problem or needs statement. Your problem statement is the most important
part of your grant proposal. It is the foundation from which the rest of
your proposal is written. Without a strong problem statement backed up by
statistics the rest of your proposal will quickly fall apart.
In your problem statement you
will first want to site statistics on the national level, then you will focus on
the state statistics and finally on the local or target audience. Thus,
showing a compelling need for the project in which you are writing for funding.
Data and
Statistics Allow Us To:
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Document the status of the issues
at hand.
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Identify disparities by almost
anything, for example: race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, region, and
other population or environmental characteristics.
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Describe our experiences.
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Monitor trends.
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Identify problems.
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Support research.
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Provide information for making
changes in public policies and programs.
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Evaluate the impact of the
policies & programs.
What is hard data?
- Data collected and compiled by
federal agencies.
- Data collected and compiled by state
agencies.
- Data collected and compiled by local
agencies.
- Statistics that describe your community and
your clientele.
- Description of each of your current & prior
programs, with data on the number of participants and the nature of the
service you offer.
- Follow-up data on current and prior clients.
- Copies of any formal or informal evaluations
of you agency or its programs.
- A list of all current & prior institutional
donors (corporations, foundations, government agencies).
- A list of agencies that make referrals to you
organization and data on the extent of these referrals.
What is soft data?
- Correspondence and verbal feedback from
clients former clients, graduates, etc. - as well as their families.
- Correspondence and verbal feedback from
current & prior donors or grant makers.
- Correspondence and verbal feedback from
referral sources.
- Copies of newspaper or magazine stories about
your agency, or stories in which it has been mentioned favorably.
- Awards and commendations received by the
agency, staff and/or board members.
- Data on visits paid to your agency by
representative of another agency.
- Information requests you have received from
other professionals in your field.
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Prospect Research:
What is prospect research?
Prospect research is the art and
science of matching yourself, your program and your agency to a funder. It
is a critical step in the grant writing process. Your funder is like a
friend, you should both have similar, missions visions, goals and objectives.
Without this critical match you will surely not get funded. Spend time
here!! Pick wisely just like you pick your friends!!
We have written two pages for
you that will help you through the prospect research maze.
Federal Grant Writing 101
- Here you will find all the links and information to launch you into the search
for a federal grant.
You will find access to:
- Federal Registry
- Catalog of Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives
- Federal E-Grants Initiative
You will find information on:
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Funding Terms
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Steps in the Grant Award Process.
- How to Read
a Program Announcement
Foundation Grant
Writing 101 - Here you will learn about the different types of
foundations and where to find the money. There are over 70,000 foundations
in the USA giving money to worthy causes.
The
Foundation Directory list all the foundations for a charge, it is a wealth of
information and a tremendous time saver the service is well worth the cost.
Match
yourself carefully to the foundation by looking at their:
- Purpose and Activities
- Fields of Interest
- Geographic Focus
- Types of Support
- Limitations
- Most Recent Giving
When you
find a foundation that matches 100%, approach them exactly as indicated under
Application Information. Remember they have limited staff and have
procedures in place of a reason.
Community Foundations:
Community
Foundations are foundations that are interested in the health, wealth and
wellbeing of a community. They are geographic in scope. The
above link will take you to our Community Foundation page that will list all the
community foundations by state.
State and
Local Government Giving:
There is
money flowing into your state and local community that you may not be aware of.
Check your State Government Web Home Page and some of your local agencies for
funding.
Things to remember:
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