A new very easy grant is available nationwide. Do you remember Jenny Jones the talk show host. No, I don't really either. She however is giving away a million dollars this year in grants up to $25,000 for small projects that can be done with no more than $25,000 and done in this year. What is amazing is that a person can nominate a project and take 10 minutes to fill out the form and send it in online. So, what is your project?
Go to: www.jennysheroes.com
Showing posts with label grantwriting and $. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grantwriting and $. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Kali Moore Memorial Garden
Some of you may remember Creston's own Kali Moore, the daughter of a faithful and beloved Christian Denise Moore in our town. Denise is one that always has a good word and never a bad word for anyone or any situation. She is one of a kind, a real Barnabas. Kali, who was also faithful, was killed in a tragic accident last summer along with two of her friends. The fourth person survived but was injured.
Being a grant writer, I know of this program our local Des Moines news TV station has due each April 1, called the KCCI Project Mainstreet Grant. It is very competitive, but they like small projects that can be completed in a summer. They come out and interview the community before and after the project and put it on TV. Well, we applied via the church of Christ as a sponsor, and we were one of five projects selected for $3,000 for a perennial memorial garden. A summer that is going to be very busy as it is will now be even busier, as we design and build this thing to honor these youths and others that die so tragically. It will be a great project for the church to go out and do something in the public eye that makes a real lasting difference.
Thanks be to Denise and to my wife Angie for their help and for those that did support letters.
Being a grant writer, I know of this program our local Des Moines news TV station has due each April 1, called the KCCI Project Mainstreet Grant. It is very competitive, but they like small projects that can be completed in a summer. They come out and interview the community before and after the project and put it on TV. Well, we applied via the church of Christ as a sponsor, and we were one of five projects selected for $3,000 for a perennial memorial garden. A summer that is going to be very busy as it is will now be even busier, as we design and build this thing to honor these youths and others that die so tragically. It will be a great project for the church to go out and do something in the public eye that makes a real lasting difference.
Thanks be to Denise and to my wife Angie for their help and for those that did support letters.
The Iowana Hotel
In downtown Creston, Iowa, on a hilltop,there is a six-story building,
by far the tallest in the city, that was once a high-end hotel. The
building has been vacant and abandoned for 25-years, is owned by a guy
in Hong Kong. Up till now he wasn't willing to sell it. I have been
trying for years to find a way to either save or demolish this
building.
However, I met a man...get your head out of the gutter...at a
conference in Des Moines last year. He was presenting to us about the
state and federal Historic Tax Credit programs. I pulled him aside to
talk to him about our building. He gave me a card. However, it was
months, until around Feb. 1, 2008 that I contacted him. I was
interested and sent an architect to tour it and go over things.
Their website is www.metroplains.com. They do historic renovations
mostly in small to mid-sized cities all over the upper Midwest.
He came down and did a tour with me and about 6 other city fathers and
mothers and we went inside. I found graffiti, 2 dead cats, dozens of
dead birds, one living thing that scurried away before we could
identify it, and tons of dung. I'd hate to go in there during the heat
of the summer instead of late March when we went. Needless to say,
the company is interested. If they can acquire it for $1 plus title
transfer costs and get the right grants, they intend to remodel this
building into a 25-unit apartment building with 1st floor office
space.
It will be an amazing project. Hope for the best, and I'll post more
as we go.
by far the tallest in the city, that was once a high-end hotel. The
building has been vacant and abandoned for 25-years, is owned by a guy
in Hong Kong. Up till now he wasn't willing to sell it. I have been
trying for years to find a way to either save or demolish this
building.
However, I met a man...get your head out of the gutter...at a
conference in Des Moines last year. He was presenting to us about the
state and federal Historic Tax Credit programs. I pulled him aside to
talk to him about our building. He gave me a card. However, it was
months, until around Feb. 1, 2008 that I contacted him. I was
interested and sent an architect to tour it and go over things.
Their website is www.metroplains.com. They do historic renovations
mostly in small to mid-sized cities all over the upper Midwest.
He came down and did a tour with me and about 6 other city fathers and
mothers and we went inside. I found graffiti, 2 dead cats, dozens of
dead birds, one living thing that scurried away before we could
identify it, and tons of dung. I'd hate to go in there during the heat
of the summer instead of late March when we went. Needless to say,
the company is interested. If they can acquire it for $1 plus title
transfer costs and get the right grants, they intend to remodel this
building into a 25-unit apartment building with 1st floor office
space.
It will be an amazing project. Hope for the best, and I'll post more
as we go.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Grants 101
As a professional grantwriter, I am much like a meteorologist (weatherman). I can be wrong half the time and still keep my job. Writing grants is hard work, especially if you are not a particularly gifted writer. However, it can be learned BY ANYONE. No degree is required. A lot of patience is...and some clever thinking. Here are some hints when considering a grant:
1. Gather good information upfront about your project or program. Information should include cost estimates; details about your purpose, goals, and past acheivements; who you serve and will serve.
2. Gather information about your organization. Examples include a budget of the organization, organizational documents, mission statement, list of the organizations leadership, and brief history.
3. Provide information about results you expect and how it will improve things for the organization and those you serve. Include details about need.
4. Have another person without significant knowledge of the project review it for clarity (does it make sense) and grammar.
5. Review your grant, especially the narrative, for completeness.
6. If you have a grantwriter do much of it, review it anyway. Do not assume they know your organization or project.
7. Learn the "buzzwords" of the organization. If their rules say, "fund projects in the areas of arts and culture", and you ask for housing funds, you ain't gettin' any. Research websites, call others that have written grants, view past grant lists, and call reps of the company, foundation, or agency.
8. Don't wait for the last minute, especially if you must mail it a long ways or do it online, because you must assume you will have computer problems. Trust me.
9. Don't pay big money for lists of foundations and grant sources. They can be helpful but spending big money is often not necessary.
10. Note the "matching" requirement or other rules about how the money must be used. One thing I run into at my job is the people that think they can get grants for everything (entire project cost). I tell them, "If you are not willing to put some of your own money into a project or program, why should you expect them to do so?" Plan ahead of time what amount of funds you can put into the effort before you apply for other funds.
If you want more grant info, make a comment, so I know you are interested, and I'll keep adding more tips, links, etc.
1. Gather good information upfront about your project or program. Information should include cost estimates; details about your purpose, goals, and past acheivements; who you serve and will serve.
2. Gather information about your organization. Examples include a budget of the organization, organizational documents, mission statement, list of the organizations leadership, and brief history.
3. Provide information about results you expect and how it will improve things for the organization and those you serve. Include details about need.
4. Have another person without significant knowledge of the project review it for clarity (does it make sense) and grammar.
5. Review your grant, especially the narrative, for completeness.
6. If you have a grantwriter do much of it, review it anyway. Do not assume they know your organization or project.
7. Learn the "buzzwords" of the organization. If their rules say, "fund projects in the areas of arts and culture", and you ask for housing funds, you ain't gettin' any. Research websites, call others that have written grants, view past grant lists, and call reps of the company, foundation, or agency.
8. Don't wait for the last minute, especially if you must mail it a long ways or do it online, because you must assume you will have computer problems. Trust me.
9. Don't pay big money for lists of foundations and grant sources. They can be helpful but spending big money is often not necessary.
10. Note the "matching" requirement or other rules about how the money must be used. One thing I run into at my job is the people that think they can get grants for everything (entire project cost). I tell them, "If you are not willing to put some of your own money into a project or program, why should you expect them to do so?" Plan ahead of time what amount of funds you can put into the effort before you apply for other funds.
If you want more grant info, make a comment, so I know you are interested, and I'll keep adding more tips, links, etc.
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