Arts councils and organizations are essential to enriching the culture and diversity within a community. Whether it is an art show, a music festival or something as simple as a day program for children, it has lasting effects that can only make the community a better place. With the economy in its current state, funding for the arts is not seen as a priority, so state arts organizations must step up to raise money or work even harder to receive funding or to make grants for their communities.

Companies selling into the public sector are increasingly offering their customers help with identifying and pursuing grant opportunities in support of the community’s efforts to initiate projects that, not coincidentally, make use of the company’s products or services. Indeed, the US federal government alone provides over $400 billion each year in grants, much of which goes to support purchases of products and services by public sector organizations in their communities. State governments and private foundations also deliver a significant amount of their support through grants.

The Department of Education's Race to the Top program, initiated during the Recovery Act as a state competition, espouses four core educational reform areas: implementing student data systems, adopting college- and career-readiness standards and assessments, building teams of effective teachers and principals, and reforming struggling schools. These four priorities have been at the heart of the program's three state-level competitions. In 2011, an additional reform area centered around early learning and development programs was introduced through the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge, jointly administered by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services.  With the release of the Race to the Top: District Competition (RTT-D), the program enters a new realm of possibilities.

On July 2, the Department of Education announced that of the 654 Investing in Innovation (i3) Development pre-applications received, they have selected 124 to submit full applications.  While this is welcome news to those 124 applicants, what about the 530 applicants that were denied?  What steps can they take to be among the elite that are invited back to submit full applications for next year’s competition?  The short answer is there is much that can be done between now and early next year.   Specifically I recommend the following strategies...

In many ways, engaging foundations for funding is a similar process regardless of whether they give on a local, regional or national level.  There will be a formal application process or more likely, there will be an initial letter of inquiry that is required.  However, even the most successful organizations when it comes to local and regional funding struggle to breakthrough with nationally-focused foundations.  The truth is that you should have more traction with foundations in your own backyard, but there is no reason you shouldn't be able to leverage some of these institutions that give on a national basis as well.

In light of the recently-released Innovative Approaches to Literacy Program and the importance it places on literacy for children from birth through 12^th grade, now is a good time for reading-focused organizations such as libraries to explore Federal funding opportunities that may be available to them. Libraries can work to maintain the spotlight placed on preschool and K-12 literacy by implementing programs that follow suit. There are several grants that libraries can apply for that can help to advance a variety of programs. The Institute of Museum and Library Services has programs such as the Laura Bush 21^st Century Librarian Program, Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums and Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums Grants. The National Endowment of the Arts has a program called Challenge Grants.

It's every grant manager's worst nightmare: your supervisor asks you to submit a proposal to a grant program with a deadline just days (or hours) away. While most writers prefer to have the lengthiest runway possible to prepare a full proposal, that doesn't always happen. Whether you weren't aware of the program until late in the game, or didn't know an application was needed until weeks after the solicitation opened, sometimes last-minute proposals make their way to your plate. Use the tips below to avoid a meltdown and keep things on track.

By Chris LaPage

June 2012

The link between grant programs and the legislative and executive branches of government is relatively clear.  Many grant programs are written directly into federal legislation that is passed by members of Congress and signed by the President.  Even if specific grant programs are not created through the legislation, funds may be provided to an executive branch agency with explicit authorization to address a particular purpose area, often times resulting in the creation of grant programs.   Thus, when the TEA Party made strides in 2010 elections and Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, everyone wondered what the impact over the next decade on grant programs funded through the Affordable Care Act (also known as ACA or Health Care Reform Legislation).

The decision to submit a grant application frequently stems from a combination of an organization's needs, broader goals, and the opening of a suitable grant program.  However, once pen hits paper, these broader ideas must be fully examined and expressed in terms of specific goals that can be carried out and evaluated for success.  One critical element of almost any grant program that can sometimes prove to be a sticking point is the identification of the proposed project's targeted population—in other words, who will benefit from the grant project.  Your target population will likely be initially determined by your organization's current patients, students, community members, or other groups currently served, and by the parameters set out in the grant guidance. However, it is important to dig deeper and iron out specific details related to the target recipients of the project's services. By treating this facet of the application as an opportunity to demonstrate your project's readiness and anticipated effectiveness, you can strengthen your proposal's competitiveness and gain a favorable review from the granting agency.  While developing specific details about your project's implementation can be difficult in the beginning stages of conception, it is well worth the extra effort.

With the funding landscape diminished across all sectors, it is refreshing to see a new program open up, especially a program focusing on Indian Education at the state level. The Department of Education introduced, on May 29, a pilot program called State-Tribal Education Partnership (STEP). Tribal education agencies (TEAs) will be able to apply for $1.9 million in competitive grants.