When seeking grants, you’re looking for funds to meet a specific need. That need can help you decide what steps to take.
Grant Shopping Basics
There’s a lot to keep in mind as you evaluate potential grantors: the amount of funding they have available, the maximum and minimum award amounts, the grant deadline, whether they require a letter of intent from you, reporting and evaluation requirements, and partnership requirements.
When and Who
As you evaluate the potential grants available to you, naturally you’ll want to stay ahead of funding deadlines to keep your options open. Evaluate each potential funding source by how much your project will cost, and which grants can address it.
Where The Grants Are
Once you’ve identified the type of grant you need, it’s time to search for it. Places to look include:
- Your state Department of Education website
- U.S. Department of Education: ed.gov
- Federal Government grant competitions: grants.gov/
- Foundations: https://candid.org/?fcref=lr
- To set up Google Alerts: https://www.google.com/alerts
Another great place to start your search is with School Specialty’s online Grant Finder Tool, where you can search from hundreds of grants in one convenient place.
