NOTICE!

For some reason I can add sidebars, but not new posts. Please check back later. I have been working on a variety of things including switching my blog soon from this one, which was set up with my now-defunct West Wisconsin Telcom account. I hope to have my new blog through Gmail up soon. I will provide a link and announcement when I've got everything straight. 7/2/11




Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Grant searches: start with networking


This poster campaign for a community event in my hometown was funded by government a WPA grant. See http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaposters/highlight5.html
There are a lot of grant sources in both the private and public sectors, and at all levels from federal to local. Finding them is the trick. One good way to find them is through your networks. Check for grant opportunities in your community, where community development grants may be available, and at professional associations in your industry. If a state agency has oversight in your field, ask your contact person about sources for grants. Local, state and federal agencies all have grants for projects, including those in the arts and humanities. Get on the phone and start calling people who are in the same industry or have the same interests as you do. If you have an advisory group or a board of directors, ask them for assistance in locating (and writing) grants. If you have never had a grant, you may want to start out small ($200 from a local humanities council for an author to speak at your writers group) instead of large ($500,000 to buy a building to house your writers' group). You can also go for small grants from a lot of agencies that will ultimately buy the building or cover the cost of the large project.

No comments: