Ohio Recycling Grants

I had the good fortune to meet with Larry Cooper and Steve Saunier today, who manage Ohio's Division of Recycling & Litter Prevention within the Department of Natural Resources today about their 5 ongoing grant programs. They've been in the business of managing funding programs for quite some time and have a wealth of experience about what works on public college and university campuses when it comes to recycling. And what's even more exciting is that they're interested in funding recycling projects on both urban and rural campuses of varying sizes throughout the state.

I'm working with a local community college on a submission to the College and University Waste Reduction program to fund equipment for a cradle-to-grave recycling program, meaning that the stuff students recycle gets turned into a useful and marketable product on campus. It could be a powerful example for the campus community of where recyclables could end up...a process few people actually know about. The maximum request is $50,000 and there is a 50% cash match requirement for a total project cost of $75,000. That's a great deal for any public college/university struggling with recycling problems.

Larry and Steve let us know that this may be the final year for the college/university competition to be exclusive to public schools. Next year there could be A LOT more competition, and I'm sure their applications will at least double with private schools being added to the mix. Check out their RFPs on the link above. This is Ohio doing great things with its limited funds!

I Can't Afford A Grant Writer!

If your organization does not have the funds to pay a grant consultant, you can still successfully compete for grant funds. Here are 3 ways for small/lean organizations to approach grants:

1) Develop an in-house grant team
If tackling grants is truly a priority for your organization, consider forming a grants team to plan, research, draft, and submit grants. This can include interested volunteers! At least one member should be an info-digger…someone willing to scour the Internet for foundation contacts, similar funded projects, and do other searches on behalf of group. As one of its first projects, the group should draft one-page project summaries of the top 1-3 grant project ideas. These can serve as great foundation pieces for conversations with potential funders as well as form the basis for letter proposals.

2) Devote a portion of next year’s budget to grants
Even if the portion of your budget can’t pay for a consultant, you may already have a budding grants champion in your organization. Could their interest be sparked with a few books, like Idiot’s Guide to Grant Writing? How about a one-day grant-writing workshop in the nearest metropolitan area? Whatever funds you can dedicate can be used to grow a grants culture in your office.

3) Get someone else to foot the bill
Ask your favorite community organization (e.g. local chamber of commerce, county economic development office, college, parent fiscal agent) to invite a grant consultant as a guest speaker. Sure, you probably won’t have one-on-one time to devote to your interests, but this is a great way to network with other grants-minded folks in your area while keeping abreast of funding trends and issues. And if you know the event organizers, be sure to mention you’re available if they’re taking the speaker to lunch or dinner after the event.

Book Review

Guide to Government Grants Writing: Tools for Success

Billed as a "basic reference tool" on the book's back cover, Ms. Grayson provides a very concise overview of federal and state funding programs. Its short length is surprising given the author's perceptive coverage of some important points that could have been expanded. I found key questions in Chapter 4 that I've used to ground over-ambitious newbies to federal funding: (1) why should you be trusted with public dollars, and (2) what has your organization accomplished lately that demonstrates it can manage projects? Read this if you need an easily digestible overview of government grant programs.

Information Overload

When you're trying to keep on top of your email inbox, blogs, news, and other information streams, does it make sense to add grant sites to your list of bookmarks when you're not sure when and if you'll ever find the time to think about putting together a funding proposal?

Web-based information about grants is plentiful. Grants.gov is a treasure-chest of federal opportunities. A few simple Google searches can land you information on finding grants, writing grants, and finding grant writers. As with launching into any project, taking the time to reflect and plan may calm the initial urge to spend countless hours in front of a computer "researching" how to get a grant.

Think about the following questions before launching your search:

1. Do I have time to devote to planning a successful proposal?
   
   
2. Are there people I can connect with to help plan, write, or implement the proposal?
   
   
3. Am I familiar with the funders that might support my project interests?

Proposal development takes time and having a network of colleagues willing to toss ideas around, read drafts, and critique your plans is essential. Finding funders can be difficult, but one tactic is to take notice who is funding people with similar goals. Do these funders have similar competitions each year? How about planning to submit a proposal for the next round of competition? Being able to answer "YES" to the three questions above will help kickoff a successful proposal...and remember, GrantMonkey is a resource available for you!