Internet Resources Every Grant Writer Should Know About

Whether you are a dedicated grant writer or grant writing is just one facet of your job, there are a few resources out there that will make your job easier and fundraising more effective. These range from sources about foundations and grant opportunities to personal growth organizations. Knowing where and how to ask for help is an important tool in anyone's arsenal, particularly individuals working for nonprofit organizations.

Foundation Center: The Foundation Center web site (www.foundationcenter.org) has a breadth of information ranging from the Foundation Finder and foundation 990s to Research Studies about philanthropy trends to a library of suggested reading available to order or download directly from the site. Individuals can sign up to receive the weekly newsletter Philanthropy News Digest in their in-boxes, and a list of other resources as well. The web site's search function has specialized retrieval tools for foundation information and should be a first stop for any grantwriter looking for information about an unknown foundation.

Charity Channel: The Charity Channel web site (www.charitychannel.com) has a range of valuable information for just about every aspect of fundraising. The forum discussion lists connect individuals from non-profit organizations to flesh out questions about research, evaluation, and goal setting, among others. The searchable forum is invaluable as just about any question a grantwriter can imagine is probably already out there. Charity Channel charges $2-$3/month to pay for upkeep and is well worth the investment. The site is not password protected but instead is on the honor system for membership.

Guidestar: The purpose of Guidestar (www.guidestar.org) is to "connect people with nonprofit information." Guidestar has three tiers, basic, select, and premium, of which the searchable fields are available at no cost to greater cost. The benefit of Guidestar is that grantseekers can view foundation 990s and information about its mission and giving history in one location.

Local donor organizations: Every state and many communities have a community foundation that likely has a web site with resources. For example, the Community Foundation for Southeastern Connecticut (www.cfsect.org) has a links of interest page, as well as listing of all its funded organizations. Similarly, The Donor's Forum of Chicago (www.npo.net) includes a searchable database by foundation for giving information and a host of services for members. These types of information are invaluable to grantwriters both for resource guidance and as insight into what the foundation sees as important. To find a donor organization in your area, try searching Google for "community foundation [insert your location]" or "[insert your location] fundraising."

Professional associations: Joining a specific association like the American Association for Grant Professionals (www.grantprofessionals.org) opens the range of experience and information available to grantwriters. Though other professional associations are helpful, such as the more established Association for Fundraising Professionals (www.afpnet.org), AAGP is the only professional association dedicated solely to grantseeking and not other aspects of development and fundraising. The association web sites will have information, and grantwriters gain the benefit of personal networking.

The Internet has a wealth of resources for grant writers. The resources above should be bookmarked on every professional's web browser for easy access and a first place to look for information.