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Federal, local and state government funding
is often available for nonprofit initiatives. Government funding
comes in the form of grants, loans, subsidies, fellowships,
scholarships, traineeships, technical information, advisory
services, and sales or donations of federal property. It may
be unclear what level of government funding is coming from,
since federal funds are often administered through state and
local government units.
Information about specific government grant programs is often
confusing, out-of-date or contradictory. We recommend establishing
a relationship with your local state or federal representative
or elected official and spending your time building person-to-person
relationships once you've identified several likely sources
that best match your needs as opposed to sorting through the
written documents. The Donors Forum's public
policy pages can help you find out who represents you and
help you to learn more about building relationships with public
officials. And before you apply for a specific agency grant,
confirm the information with the agency.
- Federal funders generally prefer projects that serve as prototypes
of models that other organizations can replicate
.
- Local government funders almost always require strong evidence
of community support for a project.
- Keep careful records about how you spend a government grant,
since an audit is always a possibility.
- Make sure you have the staff capacity and infrastructure in
place to manage the grant and handle the reporting requirements.
- Many government awards require a local match -- raised from
foundation, corporation or individual sources.
The Donors Forum Library offers limited information
on public funding. Check in the government funding section, in specific
program areas and in the grantmaker files under District of Columbia
and the agency name. Some books and websites are listed below.
You can find more information in libraries that have collections
of government documents, such as the Harold
Washington Library Center.
The Illinois
Federal Clearinghouse is a web site for state and local agencies,
nonprofits and private companies. It provides information about
federal funding opportunities, federal grants flowing into Illinois
and contacts for key agencies.
The city of Chicago and various county agencies
disburse grants. There is no catalog of grants available. If you
live in Chicago, call your alderman for help in locating appropriate
agencies within Chicago.
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Have you
[ ] explored the differences between
the various kinds of funders?
[ ] begun thinking about what kinds
of donors and which specific donors might be most likely
to fund your organization or program?
If you've completed all of these, you're ready to move
on to the next step in your fundraising journey, Researching
Potential Donors |
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