When it comes to grant opportunities, there are two buckets of funding: public and private. Public includes all governmental funding, specifically federal, state, and local governments. Private funding comes from foundations and corporations.
According to recent data, the federal government awards over $600 billion annually in grants and cooperative agreements, which work similarly to grants, though the funding agency will play a larger role in the work being completed. Public funding far exceeds the dollars made available through private grants, but they are highly competitive. Thousands of organizations apply for a limited pool of funds, and only a fraction receive grant awards.
Finding Federal Grant Opportunities
Search Platforms
In a nutshell, there are essentially four key grant search platforms to find available federal grant opportunities. All are free and have search engines that vary based on each system.
- Grants.gov – Central portal for federal grants
Consider this the “front door” to federal funding. It’s a searchable database used to find open (and closed) grant solicitations from more than two dozen federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Department of Justice (DOJ).
This search engine allows you to search for grant opportunities by keyword, agency, eligibility, funding category, or specific opportunity number. It’s often the first stop for individuals on the hunt for federal funding options. You can save and track opportunities of interest. Grants.gov also provides tutorials and other support resources to its users.
- Agency Websites – Program details and application resources
If you can’t find what you’re looking for in grants.gov or want more details, consider visiting the agency’s website. They aren’t all created equal, but most include information that can help you understand their funding priorities, types of projects previously funded, and what makes an application competitive. Some funders have their own application portals, and you’ll find access to these on their websites.
It’s worth poking around to see if the agency has its own email newsletters or alert systems. If so, sign up.
- Federal Register – Official grant announcements
This is the daily journal of the U.S. government. All formal announcements are published here. Can’t find something in grants.gov? Visit the Federal Register to see if it’s there. Contents are searchable by agency, topic, or keyword.
- USAspending.gov – Track federal awards to other entities
This is a reverse search option. Instead of looking for the next round of funding, you can see what grants were recently awarded and see the grantees. This helps your agency understand what programs are actively funding work in your field.
In addition, you can see the typical award amounts and project scopes. It’s a spot to find potential partners or collaborators who have a successful federal award track record. Finally, you can avoid duplicating efforts by seeing what was recently funded in your region or sector.
Registering Your Organization
To be eligible for federal funding, you must first register your organization through a four-step process. This process can take 24 hours or 3 months – it really depends on the information you have on hand and any hang ups within each system. We recommend starting and completing the process long before you find that perfect grant fit.
- Create registration in SAM.gov – registration is for your organization as a whole, not you as the individual grant writer.
- Obtain your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) – we recommend you get one number for your entire organization, though some larger agencies prefer separate numbers for each department/division. This four-step process must be completed for each UEI obtained.
- Grants.gov registration – link this registration with SAM.gov.
- Keep your registrations current with annual renewals and ensure information is accurate.
Interpreting Federal Grant Solicitations
The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is the set of instructions for federal grants. It may also be referred to as a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Request for Proposal (RFP), or some other acronym. Be sure to read the entire document.
It will tell you eligibility requirements, such as who can apply, if partnerships are mandatory, what match amount (cost share) of the project your agency is required to pay, and required documentation and certifications. It’s best to assess the funding program’s alignment with your agency’s mission and strategic goals. The FOA will list all requirements – if you cannot meet them all, then this opportunity is not a good fit.
It’s best to use an alignment and readiness rubric as you’re reviewing the FOA. Score the opportunities you’ve found against your agency’s mission, capacity to implement your program with the grant funding, and any risk factors.
Pitfalls to avoid as you’re considering which grant opportunities to pursue include:
- Missing deadlines or required documents
- Overlooking eligibility or fine print
- Chasing funding that doesn’t fit
- Poor internal communication with your grants team and leadership at your agency
Tracking and Managing Grant Opportunities
If you are new to the world of grants, or new to an organization, don’t be surprised if you spend a significant amount of time searching for good fit grant opportunities. Before you can draft and submit a grant proposal, you need to find the right grants.
As you are searching for opportunities, consider the following steps:
- Set up a tracking system for all good fit opportunities – use anything from an electronic database/project management system or grant management software to an excel spreadsheet.
- Monitor deadlines and keep the information current.
- Coordinate with your grant team – make sure everyone understands the role they play in getting the grant application drafted, finalized, and submitted.
Grant seeking should be a routine part of your work, not a scramble for funding. It’s best to schedule regular grant research time, maintain an active pipeline of opportunities, and plan ahead for any renewals or reapplications. Be sure to foster cross-team collaboration within your organization by involving your program staff early in the process, engaging finance and administration team members, keeping leadership in the loop, and encouraging a “grant team” mindset. To create the grant team, invest in staff development and knowledge sharing by offering training and resources, creating a knowledge repository, mentoring new staff, and encouraging learning together as you develop each new grant application. Finally, continuously improve your process by soliciting feedback, analyzing outcomes, updating your tools, and staying current with grant trends.
Written by Amanda Day, GPC
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