4. We have no funds to hire consultants, but we want to improve our grants program, what can we do?

You can win grants. You already have a good start: you know your programs intimately. We have drafted some steps you can take that should help you plan, research, organize, and generally strengthen your grants readiness. We also recommend highly the Proposal Writing Short Course offered by the Foundation Center. This tutorial covers all the basics.

There are many books and websites available to you, as well. Our first suggestion for any organization who wants to improve their odds at winning grants is to read Grassroots Grants, by Andy Robinson. Our principal, Heather Denkmire, is self-taught and she began with Robinson’s book. In it, he addresses the important fact that applying for grant funding is not about begging for money. It’s about identifying the possibility for a true partnership.

Finally, we do accept Time Dollars through Hour Exchange Portland for our services.