Funding Your Dreams- Part 1

I have asked many people what is one thing that is holding them back from reaching their career dreams. The most common answer that I received is the lack of money or resources. Believe it or not, if you do your homework, you would become overwhelmed by all the resources that is available. You have to be in it to win it! There are loans and grants available if you know how to get them. I will like to share some resources that would get you started along the way. I received a lot of information when I took a grant writing class earlier this year. There are many free workshops at the Foundation Center and in your community. Check it out.

Web Resources Evaluation
It is best to be proactive and have a sense of urgency in the process of securing grants (Bauer, 2007). The following report lists the critical review of ten web resources available that one can utilize as they begin the research process to obtain grants.

1. Foundation Center Listings at Libraries - http://fdncenter.org/collections/index.html
Purpose of this site is to provide information, tools and resources to individual and nonprofit grant seekers. The website allows first time visitors to participate in a full tour of the website that explains in details the services and feature offered. It is best used as an all in one stop shopping gold mine of information for everything that is connected or related to the grants process. The website is well organized and the html content and graphic is first class. Some of the best features included that is not fond on most websites, is the event page. Visitors have the opportunity to attend several events in major cities all across the country or through webinars. Two of the most successful and popular events include the “Meet the Grant makers” and the “Dialog with Donors”, designed to give grant seekers the opportunity to learn first hand about the grantors of the grants they are seeking.

2. Funding Opportunities, US Dept. of Education- http://www.ed.gov/funding.html
This website is hosted by the United States Department of Education, which provides information to promote and support academic excellence in Americans.
This website is best used when you are a student, parent, teacher or administrator. The best features are the resources available to educators and the grants that are available to further research and educational programs.

3. Michigan State Univ. Site - http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/grants.htm
Purpose of this site is to provide grants and related resources. This website is best used when a person need a straightforward listing of resources that they can utilize. The best features is its list of 42 links that are clearly label in various categories and the specific information that can be found on resources for the state of Michigan.

4. TOPS Grants Awards - http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/top/publicationmedia/newsltr/t_news1.htm
Purpose of this site is to provide information on the fundraising field as well available funds through the database. This website is best used as an inspiration to find out what other organizations are doing. It provides a link to the TOP 200 grantees across the United States. The website provides updates on grantee’s projects as well as a detail report. I found this to be useful because I was intrigued about reading project GILEAD: Leveraging technology to deliver faith-based services in Ohio. It would be great to see a similar program done in the New York City area.

5. A Brief Grant Writing Manual http://www.grant-writing.com/
Purpose of this site is to provide links to sponsored related services from various parties. This website is best used when individual organizations intend to connect with specialized free and for profit sources that cater to the grant funding industry. The best feature of this website is it is easy to navigate layout that is very organize.



6. Fundsnet http://www.fundsnetservices.com/
Purpose of this site is to provide free resources and information for grant writing resources. This website is best used as a source to locate RFP and fundraising program. The beat feature is the wealth of free information available in which an individual can sign up for a free fundraising information kit.

7. Graduate Fellowship Notebook - http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN
Purpose of this site is to provide a database of available fellowships. This website is best used when an individual is a college student and fall in to the specific area of research and study. The best feature is the keyword searches that allow someone to search by deadline, field, or award.

8. Illinois Researcher Information Service Database (IRIS) - http://www.library.uiuc.edu/iris/
Purpose of the IRIS database is to provide free (to a specific community) and fee based subscription usage of the resources. This database is best utilized when an individual is a member of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign community since the services would be free of charge. There is also a two -week free trial period that one can use if you have a representative contact them by email. The best feature of the site includes the IRIS Alert Service, which is an email notification of new grant opportunities.



9. Community of Science (COS) - http://www.cos.com/
Purpose of this site is to provide global information on scientific research in various areas of studies. The information provided can be beneficial and best used to include in a grant proposal. The best feature of this site is the database that includes almost 400,000 funding opportunities. It also provides an extensive database in which collaboration can take place.

10. Federal Assistance Programs Retrieval System (FAPRS) - http://www.gsa.gov/fdac
Purpose of this site is to serve as a database and resource that provide federal programs to almost every major organizing entity. The website refers to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance as a source for desired programs. This website is best used when an individual knows what they are looking for. The catalog is extensive and consists of 2205 pages in a black and white PDF format. The best feature is the easy downloadable and printable PDF catalog.

This is just a brief listing of ten available resources found on the internet. There are more resources out there in various forms. As mentioned earlier in this report, it is up to the individual or organization to be proactive in seeking funding.



Reference
Bauer, D. G. (2007). The “How To” grants manual (6th ed.). West Port, CT: American council on Education & Oryx


Aspire. Create. Develop.
Shemeka