FUNDED Articles - Political Landscape

THE 3 C’S TO THRIVING IN A PANDEMIC ECONOMY

devteam@grantsoffice.com (Grants Office, LLC) — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 05:00:00 GMT

We know that 2020 was hard on nonprofit organizations, schools, and municipalities, and 2021 will continue to be difficult for much of the year…all the more reason to consider grant funding as a critical and timely source of revenue. In this article I will share with you many years of experience at Grants4Good and give you three ways to THRIVE (not just survive), in 2021.

HOW TO CONVINCE THE FUNDER IN 20 SECONDS OR LESS

devteam@grantsoffice.com (Grants Office, LLC) — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

There is always more to learn about how to research and find the best grant opportunities and funders for your organization. But what happens when it’s time to talk to that potential funder? What do you say? How do you get their attention and fuel their curiosity? How can you talk about your nonprofit without overwhelming them with details?

Grantseeking in the time of COVID: TRADITIONAL VS. STIMULUS FUNDED EMERGENCY GRANTS

devteam@grantsoffice.com (Grants Office, LLC) — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 05:00:00 GMT

With the passage of the CARES Act and other COVID-19 response funding packages there has been a surge in stimulus-sourced grant opportunities, the likes of which have not been seen since 2008-2009 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Out of the nearly $2 trillion CARES Act package came a number of direct allocations or entitlements, as well as competitive grant opportunities totaling approximately $234 billion and acting as a means for local and state governments, healthcare and education providers, and other organizations to prepare for- respond to- and maintain continued operations during the global coronavirus pandemic. Of this amount, the US Department of Education alone was granted $30.75 billion in funding to support continued K-12 and higher education efforts.

Generalizing Generalizations: Cut the Crap and Stick to Fact

devteam@grantsoffice.com (Grants Office, LLC) — Tue, 19 May 2020 05:00:00 GMT

While not a new notion, the desire to avoid hasty generalizations within one’s grant proposal is ever present. We are all guilty of it. Facing character or page limits, we often try to distill complex ideas down to as few of words as possible while still making our message clear. We make broad-based statements such as, “surveillance cameras can help our police department reduce crime”, “video conferencing equipment will empower our hospital fight the opioid epidemic”, or “1:1 classroom technology is necessary for successful education in this digital age”. However, there is a huge problem with these kinds of statements. They are weak arguments that do not tell the funder anything of actual substance.

Grantseeking Inside Qualified Opportunity Zones

devteam@grantsoffice.com (Grants Office, LLC) — Tue, 19 May 2020 05:00:00 GMT

The 2020 grant landscape contains dozens of education, workforce development, and public safety programs offering priority consideration for projects deployed inside a Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ). This classification originates with the US Department of Treasury and - at its core - has absolutely nothing to do with grants. Zones are selected by individual State Governors as a way to bring private financial investment into distressed communities. So you might find yourself wondering, “why does language about QOZ tax breaks and capital gains continue to pop up in our grants world?”

Stimulus 2020: Health Care Sector Highlights

devteam@grantsoffice.com (Grants Office, LLC) — Tue, 19 May 2020 05:00:00 GMT

The federal government has passed four phases of stimulus packages to address the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. The four laws appropriate over $2.7 trillion in federal funds, with the CARES Act doing most of the heavy lifting at $2.2 million. The stimulus programs are pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into existing grant programs and new funding streams to compensate for the incredible financial losses providers are experiencing with the cancellation of non-elective procedures and lower patient volume as people steer clear of health facilities during the pandemic. The following is a brief summary of the grants and funding currently available and coming down the pipeline for health care entities.

Grants Education Corner: Why Do Some States Have More Competitive Opportunities Than Others?

devteam@grantsoffice.com (Grants Office, LLC) — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Back by popular demand – another answer to a recent Grantscast question! This Grantscast was focused on the funding landscape for K-12 education in the year ahead. One attendee asked:
When it comes to competitive grant funding for districts to apply for, why do some states have more opportunities than others?

Health & Human Services: 2020 Budget Primer

devteam@grantsoffice.com (Grants Office, LLC) — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 05:00:00 GMT

The 2020 budget includes almost $185 billion in domestic discretionary spending. Over half of these discretionary dollars ($94.9 billion) have been appropriated to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), making it the largest federal grantmaker. This represents a $4.4 billion increase over 2019 funding levels for HHS and a staggering $16.8 billion more than requested in the President’s Budget. The following is a brief primer on the appropriations included in the 2020 HHS budget and its impact on grant programming.

2020 Budget Q&A: Go Ahead and Take Grants for Granted

devteam@grantsoffice.com (Grants Office, LLC) — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:00:00 GMT

The 2020 federal fiscal year started on October 1 and once again we are operating under a continuing resolution instead of a budget. Fortunately, federal agencies (as well as experienced grant professionals) can look to the recent past to navigate the situation. Take a deep breath and relax because the grants landscape is much more predictable than it seems, even in the absence of a federal budget. The following Q&A is intended to help grant-seekers “read the tea leaves” when it comes to grant programming in 2020.

Avoiding Grant Scammers

devteam@grantsoffice.com (Grants Office, LLC) — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:00:00 GMT

Sadly, many unwitting citizens as well as organizations are not as fortunate and end up losing their hard-earned funds as a result. It’s for this reason, that we want to dedicate a few pages out of this issue to offer a few simple reminders and tips related to grants and grant scammers.