Frequently Asked Grant Writing Questions
Research Associates surveyed grants development personnel nationally about salaries in the grants field. We designed an Internet-based survey with questions addressing grants position, years of experience, location, workplace, number of funded grants, grants success rate, annual gross salary, and full-time versus part-time (with responses limited to the last twelve months). Surveys were returned by 255 grants professionals. Some highlights from our analysis follow.
Salary:Most annual gross salaries were reported between $35,000 and $44,999 (31%). We observed a correlation between experience and salary: grants professionals with more than twenty years of experience reported higher salaries between $45,000 and $59,999 (38%), while those with only one to three years of experience reported a lower salary in the $25,000 to $34,999 bracket (36%).
Position: More than half of respondents listed themselves as grant writers although many included statements that they were involved almost equally in other aspects of the grants process such as administration and evaluation (56%). Grant administrators are more likely to be located in the West and North since the majority of grants are located in these regions. Their average salary range is $45,000 to $59,999. The only Evaluator reporting lives in the North and reported a salary of $60,000 to $74,999.
Years of Experience: Most respondents reported that they had at least five to ten years experience. However, 20% reported one to three years of experience and another 18% replied ten to nineteen years. Only 7% of our sample reported 20 plus years of experience. This suggests that the field of grant writing has grown significantly in the last five years.
Employment Status: Most grants development personnel work full-time (82%). However, those who are part-time were usually either self-employed or independent consultants. Self-employed respondents reported earnings in the lowest income bracket, but this is balanced by their high pay status as part-time (71%). In essence, this gives part-time workers a higher than average per-hour wage (due to their lower number of hours).
Geographic Location: The largest group of respondents reside in the South (40%), with the West and Midwest each reporting 20%. This does bias our survey toward the South. Grants personnel in the South are paid less than the national average; 51% of southern respondents reported that their annual gross was in the $25,000 to $34,999 salary range, with most reporting that they were grant writers. We suspect that professionals living in more urban areas make higher salaries. Only one respondent reported an annual gross over $100,000, working for a private, for-profit in the West. While the lower salaries reported in the South may encourage grant writers to consider moving north or west, the lower cost of living in the South should also be considered.
Employment Environment: Nearly half of the respondents reported that they were employed in a private nonprofit or foundation (45%). (This makes sense: it is those private nonprofits that must seek grants to complete their mission.) Most of the 21% who answered "Other" were educators. Also of note, only 5% of our sample works for state government.
Estimated Success Rate: Nearly 40% of our respondents reported a high success rate (greater than 75%) with another third reporting more success than failure (the 51-75% range). It is important to keep in mind, however, that this rate is based on the number of grants written. We also acknowledge that our nonrandom survey is probably biased toward success-who would want to participate, reporting a high failure rate?
Number of Funded Grants: Among respondents who identified themselves as grant writers, the majority (two-thirds) reported receiving six to ten Federal grants, eleven to twenty local or state grants, and 51 or more foundation grants. This trend supports the observation that Federal grants tend to be larger and more complex, thus more time consuming and representing less of the work product of grant writers. On the other end of that spectrum are the smaller, simpler foundation proposals with higher numbers received.
Conclusion: With average salaries in a comfortable $35,000 to $60,000 range combined with the observed correlation between increased experience and higher salaries, the sky is the limit for grant writers! Added to this financial incentive are the enhancements of a flexible work environment and the opportunity to work independently. Grants development is an excellent choice for those seeking a challenging and rewarding career. Grant writing as a career field has definitely arrived!
School District Coalitions and Indirect Costs (back to top)
Question: How does the lead fiscal agent district in a multi-district grant distributing funds (since we are fully aware of the restrictions of drawing down a lump sum)? How does this affect the indirect costs the LEA receives?
Answer: In a school district coalition, the Lead District can apply for indirect costs in different ways: (1) Apply for all of the indirect costs for the entire grant and either keep all of the indirect costs or prorate the indirect costs and distribute the indirect costs to each district; (2) Each district will apply for indirect costs according to what each district actually receives and each district would have their indirect costs included in their line item budget. Thus, the Federal 424 forms would not include each district's indirect costs, only the Lead district's portion.
What you don't learn in class..... (back to top)
Question: Over the past 2 weeks I have been writing a proposal. The RFP we saw in June but thought was too ambitious, was brought to our attention in September because a local children's theater wanted to get funded to produce "traveling" 1 hour plays. We put together the text, budget, timetable, etc. The little theater provided letters of support. October 1 was the deadline and we mailed off the required documentation.
Now we've been asked to provide a copy of the proposal to the thespian prior to it being reviewed / awarded. He has threatened that if he doesn't have a copy of the proposal by Monday, October 14th he intends to contact Washington and withdraw his involvement.
Our position is that this is intellectual property and until the grant is awarded, we choose to wait on distribution.
What's the position of Research Associates? Do you have some words of wisdom to share? Are we being too protective, or is our prudence advisable?
Answer: We do not have enough details about your agreement, relationship, and/or contract with the thespian to really make a determination. However, we do offer some suggestions in a scenario below. Keep in mind that this is not a legal opinion, just our recommendation.
Suppose that you are a volunteer grant writer and you agree to write a grant for an agency for free (or perhaps receive a reward if the grant is funded). The agency or one of the partners wants a copy of the grant, but you are concerned that they may use the material inappropriately. You perceive that the grant is your property. Grants become public property once they are funded by the Federal or state government.
First, it is very important that you sign a written agreement outlining the details of the arrangement up front. Since experience is the best teacher, you have probably learned this the hard way by now, right?
Second, you can copyright the information if you developed it and you should own the rights to the document or product.
Third, you probably have a right to refuse sharing the information. (OK, this is the legal question you asked.)
Our recommendation is an attempt to protect both the viability of the grant and the rights of the writer because if the angry thespian contacts the funding source, it will raise a lot of questions and your grant is probably going into the "File 13" bin and will not be considered for funding. You lose--and the other party loses.
Therefore, we recommend that you try to meet the other party half way. Allow them to read the proposal, but have the copyright mark on the product, clearly marking it as yours. This may satisfy their questions while also protecting your intellectual property. You could even copyright the product and send it to them with your copyright mark on every page of the proposal to clearly make your point.
Unfortunately, the bottom line is that without a contract spelling out your rights, you are between a rock and a hard place! Good luck.
Grant writing Ethics (back to top)
Question: A nonprofit agency recently requested my help in raising money for operating funds. I understand that some people consider it unethical to accept a commission payment for fundraising or grant writing but they are unable to pay me otherwise. This is a slow time of year for me and I am more than willing to help them, I just do not want to work for free! What is the customary percentage for a commission based fee, and is this really unethical? I see it as a risk-free opportunity for the nonprofit to generate some revenue. As long as I am the one dedicating my time and energy and taking the risk, how can it be unethical? What about grant writers who write a grant and are also budgeted as the evaluators from the grant funds? Is that ethical?
Answer: Several professional fundraising associations have a policy against charging for fund raising based upon a percentage of the funds received. Some grant writers feel it is likewise unethical to charge a percentage fee for grant writing actually a different field from fundraising. Other grant writers (and some fundraisers) believe that being rewarded for success is very appropriate. These two conflicting schools of thought provide an ongoing topic of discussion, both in our grant writing classes and on many Internet grant development message boards. Peoples' beliefs are based upon a combination of what they have heard or read as well as their perceptions which are based on their internal value system. We believe this issue will never be fully resolved and that you must make your own decision regarding which position is right for you. Let's explore the issues involved.
Business Philosophy - Many grant writers and their customers have no problem with a grant writer charging a percentage of the grant if it is successful. As a business leader once informed his board, "giving the grant writer a percentage of the funds received just makes good business sense!" From a psychological perspective, the bottom line is that people work harder and produce higher quality results if they receive recognition and reward for their work. Under this scenario, grant writers work long and hard (like obsessive, compulsive, neurotic perfectionists) because they will be rewarded if their work is successful. Without this reward, the success, drive, and motivation of many grant writers diminishes significantly. Therefore, many professionals feel that everyone wins in a percentage arrangement because: (1) the funding source establishes another high- quality program that has been developed; (2) the customer receives monies for operating expenses and for funding programs to help the less fortunate; and (3) the grant writer is funded to stay in business, potentially generating millions of dollars for other agencies and communities that need skilled assistance. In many instances, however, it is a violation of funding source regulations to pay grant writing fees from the grant award. Therefore, few grant writers seek a percentage of the funds received unless the funding source approves this arrangement. For example, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has approved a percentage of Federal funds for payment to grant writers in some HUD programs. In a recent national meeting, a program officer from a different Federal agency stated that Federal funds can be used to pay a grant writer to develop grants that will sustain or continue a program. This dramatic reversal in the Federal paradigm is fairly recent. With President Bush's Compassion Capital Fund, Federal monies will pay for grant writing and evaluation assistance for faith- based and other nonprofit organizations.
Flat Fee Approach - The Association of Fund Raising Executives (AFRE) has a clear policy against accepting any part of funds raised and have developed a position paper on this topic which can be reviewed at their web site www.afpnet.org. AFRE believes "that individuals serving a charity for compensation must accept the principle that charitable purpose, not self gain, is paramount. If this principle is violated and percentage based compensation is accepted: (1) the charitable mission can become secondary to self gain; (2) donor trust can be unalterably damaged; and (3) there is an incentive for self dealing to prevail over donors' best interest. In addition, percentage based compensation however administered can produce reward without merit. This approach is plain and simple. The grant writer or fundraiser is paid a stated fee, up front, and does not participate in, nor receive payment during, any post award activities. The grant writers or fundraisers simply disappear after the grant is written or the funds are raised. These grant writers are satisfied with being involved only in the preliminary efforts of developing the grant proposal.
Combination Approach - Under this theory, grant writers should be paid both: (1) a flat fee for their time investment in developing and writing a grant proposal and (2) the additional incentive of being included in award funding. This belief comes from observing "disasters" in many other grant programs during the 18 years that we have assisted in the proposal writing, administration, and evaluation of 150 large grant programs. Most often, these "disasters" occurred when the grant writer developed a project often with unrealistic objectives or budgets and then turned it over to an administrator who could not meet these unrealistic program dynamics. When the grant writer's only mission is to earn a fee, there is little incentive to develop a successful program that serves the targeted population. Thus, many firmly believe that funded grants that involve the original grant writers throughout the life of the grant program experience higher levels of success in the implementation stage. Most important and critical to this philosophy is that the grant writer should provide ongoing services to the grant program in order to justify and/or earn the incentive funding. It is this component that many grant writers view this combination approach both "good business sense" and ethical. In an assessment of fees, consider the grant writing fee separately from the evaluation fee. Grant writers usually charge from $15 - $100 per hour to write a grant proposal. For program evaluation, most government agencies state that 10 - 15 % of the grant total is acceptable. We have actually seen evaluation fees as high as 25% as recommended by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), a Federal agency. Appropriate grant writing fees are based upon your record of success, your qualifications and experience, the quality of your work, and the supply and demand for your services.
Conclusion: All three approaches to this issue have merit. As in any profession, grant writing and fundraising can be abused by a few disreputable practitioners. It is unfortunate that government, private nonprofit, and for-profit organizations cannot work hand-in-hand to produce high quality products and services that will benefit both the agency and the consumers they serve.
Grant Writer Salary Range (back to top)
Question: I am the Grant writer for a police dept in a newly created position, and I am up for a salary review. I can find no good DOL stats for my position, with 30+ yrs experience in the nonprofit sector. Any guidance? Do municipality grant writers typically ask for a percentage-related bonus/new grants?
Answer: Grant writers as consultants make $15-$100 per hour. Grant salaries vary across the country according to what you do and the geographical location. Consultants range from a low of $25,000 to a high of $150,000+. City-county-state government grant writers typically make about $35,000-$50,000. If you would like to talk to some school district grant writers, call Greenville, Florence 1, Berkeley, and Anderson 2 in South Carolina. They make around $45,000 and can provide you with a job description. You can find their telephone numbers on the SC Department of Education web site. Also, there was an excellent article on a City Grant Writer in the South Carolina's The State Newspaper in their West Columbia Neighbor's section on 2/8/01, which can probably be viewed on their web site.
Question: I know most grant writers are paid up front and then usually receive a percentage of the grant if it is funded. If a novice grant writer is an employee for the agency that he or she is writing for and the Executive Director wants to pay a flat salary rather than a percentage of each grant funded, what would be an appropriate annual salary?
Answer: It is difficult to gauge what a grant writer makes "across the board." For example, a grant writer from a struggling, private nonprofit will make far less than at a prosperous, private nonprofit as compared to conservative local and state government. Grant writers generally make between $25,000-$60,000 at most agencies and it depends upon their experience and success. I just worked with a grant writer from a prosperous non-profit who makes $85,000 plus a generous fringe package and a complimentary new car. She is very successful and brings in the cash! All grant writers should have some type of incentive, since it breeds success which in turn helps the agency. It is a win-win situation. Unfortunately, many agency executives do not buy into the smart business theory that people who work hard and generate dollars for an agency should be rewarded!
Grant writing Fees (back to top)
Question:I work within a small charter school and have written grants previously. I wrote a grant for a school daycare program for $15,000 and as part of my payment that I expected, I had written in $4,000 for the development of the new daycare program. This program WAS supposed to be my new position. No fees for the actual grant writing were included in the grant. I did title myself as the one person implementing this program and had payment to be made in increments as each stage was completed. Now, the administrator wants to implement the program herself, only allowing me to run it AFTER it is established. How can I bill for the work already completed? I'm not happy. One third of the work for the new program, curriculum, design, equipment and planning had to be complete and submitted with the grant. I am the sole person who completed that. I feel I should be paid 1/3 of the $4000 allotted for the program, not an hourly rate. Please respond with suggestions or guidance. Help!
Answer: Your situation is common among the grant writing profession. First, it is always important that you create a written record or contract on what you agreed to do in return for writing the grant. We used to have verbal agreements and we learned the hard way, like you, that once funding comes, key decision makers make other plans. Unless you have something in writing, you have two choices: (1) Arrange a meeting with your administrator preferably at a low stress time (Tuesday-Friday) and in a nice but professional way, tell that person how you feel. It's always better to confront the situation rather than internalize it; or (2) Mark it up as a learning experience and eat crow! Unfortunately, many administrators do not understand nor can appreciate how hard we grant writers have to work.
Question: I am preparing to request a raise and need some help finding one more salary survey. I work for a large nonprofit in Texas. I have been advised that it is critical to present at least three salary surveys to support a request for a raise. The salaries I am looking for are for these positions: Grant writer, Grants Administrator, Prospect Researcher, and Grant Manager.
I found several salary surveys that I can NOT view online, due to the COST. I have found other 'surveys' that are actually summaries of public information provided on 990's which are are often a couple of years old and include only the top five salaries--as required by IRS. I have contacted every organization in my area that provide services for nonprofit and would likely do such surveys, with no success. I have sent numerous e-mails, like this one, to various prospect research and grant writing e-mail groups and have only come up with two surveys so far. The two salary surveys I have in hand that are useful, free and include the positions I am looking for are provided online by: Abbott, Langer & Associates Career Journal from the Wall Street Journal.
I need just one more FREE survey that covers these three positions. I would love to have one Texas survey but will take anything I can get at this point. Can anyone help?
Answer: You can go to www.salary.com and get the average salary provided in your area of the nation. Enter the position and your zip code to calculate the average salary offered in your area. There is also an advanced search option so if the exact position is not listed, you can still get information on it. Also, Research Associates is conducting a grant writer salary survey from this web site and will be posting the results before the end of the year.
Administrative Fees—In-Kind Services (back to top)
Question: Should you use in-kind service (grant manager hours, Executive Director hours) as match from your organization if you are the grant recipient and also receiving administrative fees?
Answer: Your request may entail some additional details but we can give a general response. You cannot ask for indirect costs and use those same in-kind expenses as match. Sometimes, there are in-kind local contributions that are outside of your indirect costs that can be used. You would have to look at your indirect cost formula. On administrative fees, if you just asked for 10% say from a foundation for administrative fees and did not specifically define what administrative fees consisted of, you could use additional in-kind as match if the funding agency required matching funds. What we do on non-required matching funds is list them and state in our form "Local match not required under this program but listed for information only." This way, you will not be audited on your local in-kind. All funding sources like to see some type of in-kind and fund portions of programs versus all.
Submitting Multiple Proposals to the Same Foundation (back to top)
Question: I am working for two nonprofits funded largely by the same family foundation. The mission of each is very different (one a refuge, the other a youth education program). Will it hurt our chances of success to submit proposals by both nonprofits to the same foundation? I'm not sure how they will respond to seeing the same family's name on both proposals.
Answer: I would submit the proposals at different times of the year. You may also want to talk with the foundation's project officer (not on a Monday) when the RFP is not on the street and seek their advice. It also depends on whether the grant proposals are identical.
Writing a Letter of Inquiry (back to top)
Question: I am writing a letter of inquiry to a private foundation. The guidelines for the letter say it is only to be one-to two-pages long and should include answers to specific themes. If they determine that the activity we propose falls within the interests of the foundation, we will be sent an application package to complete and return. The Foundation's distribution committee meets quarterly and the deadline for the proposals (not the letter of inquiry) are: 1) September meeting - July 15, 2001 and for the December meeting - October 15, 2001. When is the best time to submit this letter and still have enough time to put together a proposal? I am more familiar with writing a full proposal rather than a short letter of inquiry. Should I write a letter of inquiry like I would an executive summary?
Answer: The letter of inquiry should consist of an executive summary of your grant. Include a brief letter that tells in two paragraphs: (1) the purpose and goal of the request; (2) a little bit about your organization; (3) the problem the proposal addresses; and (4) the amount of money you need. The purpose of the letter is to "attract attention and provide a quick and concise overview of the grant proposal." Attached to your letter should be a 1-2 page concept paper that goes into more detail: (1) Summary; (2) Need or Problem Statement: (3) Program Activities; and detailed (4) Budget. If the foundation Board meets July 15, ideally your paper should have been sent in by June 15 to provide staff with time to review your concept. You might be able to get it in for their review if you sent it in immediately.
Building Grants and Evaluation Services (back to top)
Question: Since my training with Research Associates, I have been asked to write two construction grants for nonprofits. I will be requesting a small up front fee since I am a novice, and I expect to receive a percentage of the grant if funded. Do construction/building grants need evaluation services and would you charge the same percent? What would state and Federal guidelines allow? I feel the administrator may also need a higher salary due to the complexities involved with building. What are the state and Federal guidelines on this as well?
Answer: Construction grants do not typically require an Evaluator nor Project Administrator, though a Project Consultant would be appropriate. We have only written one construction grant and we are not familiar with a percentage for this item, but it would probably be built into the construction costs. If you are seeking a percentage of the grant, then incorporate that into the overall building costs.
Historic Preservation Grants (back to top)
Question: Our Main Street Organization is interested in purchasing and restoring an old train depot in our town that was built in 1900. Any suggestions on where to look for grants to accomplish this?
Answer: The renovation, construction, or building of a new or historic facility does not command great attention from most funding sources. Foundations and corporations typically prefer to fund programs and services versus investing a great deal of money in a building. First, we have published a directory of building, housing, and renovation. Start there. The 100 funding sources are based upon a search of about 60,000 foundations. Second, contact your state or city historical society. Most states have partial grants to plan and renovate buildings such as yours. Third, turn the building into some type of unique program or service that provides education such as teaching children about the value and history of railroads. Fourth, write to corporations and tell them specifically how their investment will provide them with positive public exposure or how they could benefit from funding to your organization. If you have not attended our grants training, that will guide in in the direction you need to go.
Communicating With Foundations (back to top)
Question: During the week-long certification class, much was mentioned about developing relationships with foundations. This makes good business sense and I have been trying to talk with key contact people at many different foundations and/or get appointments prior to submitting applications (or even after, for that matter). I am hitting brick walls. Every foundation I have contacted thus far tells me that they do not meet with individuals unless they are considering funding them. If meeting with foundations is key to being considered by them, how does one get past this little stumbling block?
Answer: The way foundations work is often based according to their structure. Some foundations only give out grants to pre-selected individuals and organizations. Thus, you have to know someone to approach this type of foundation. Other foundations do not like to give advice while their grant application is "on the street." They are often suspicious of individuals calling and inquiring into possible funding and screen calls. Since so many people want money, the receptionist is often trained to screen calls and this person serves as a barrier. Never start off with the Executive Director but rather a mid-level person in the organization. One of the keys to penetrating a foundation is to get past the person who answers the phone and try to obtain the name of the mid-level funding officer so you can ask for them by name. When calling, always ask to meet briefly with them and state that you represent "a coalition of agencies" and would like to seek their advice on several problems and programs you are considering. Build a partnership with several agencies. We represent ourselves as evaluators or university staff members, which is less threatening. Another way is to get a power broker to make a call in your behalf to get an appointment for you. Most rich and powerful people often know other rich and powerful people. Look for someone who knows someone to gain entry into the foundation. Most foundations will at least talk to you about your project, so don't give up!
Value of Volunteer Hours (back to top)
Question: Our school board Finance Director has asked for documentation verifying the dollar amount we established for our volunteers that will be working in our new Community Technology Center. We reduced your suggested amount of $15.20 down to $14.30/hr. Is there a national average, and is there a way to substantiate it?
Answer: An organization known as Independent Sector publishes the market value of a volunteer hour, including fringe benefits. Go to www.independentsector.org. The going rate is $20.25 (2008) per hour, although you should examine what the volunteer is doing. If they are providing a specific and specialized service, then the rate is calculated based upon what the value is determined locally. If a lawyer provides legal services pro bono then you can claim the national going rate for services. However, if a lawyer is volunteering for a river cleanup...the rate is minimum wage.
501(c)3 Nonprofit Status (back to top)
Question: What is a 501(c)3 agency? Why are the requirements? How do you obtain this "certification"? As you can tell, I am new to this grant writing business. I am representing a government agency.
Answer: A private nonprofit is a state corporation that is usually incorporated through a simple form through your Secretary of State's office. When your agency becomes a state private nonprofit corporation, you can then apply for a 501(c)3 private nonprofit through the IRS. Once certified through the IRS, any donations to your charitable organization is tax deductible. Most foundations prefer to give to 501(c)3 IRS certified private nonprofits. It is simply a nonprofit legal entity that most charitable organizations operate under. We recommend that universities, schools, and government agencies create a separate private nonprofit to apply for grants that their usually legal structure will not allow.
Who Can Obtain a 501(c)3 (back to top)
Question: In one of the seminars I attended, Mike suggested that a governmental entity such as a sheriff's department, could get 501,(c),(3) status so they could apply for foundation grants. How is that possible when they don't fall into any of the 501,(c),(3) categories, (ie. charitable, educational etc.)? I would really like access to these grants but I'm scratching my head.
Answer: Any organization or group can apply for a private nonprofit, 501(c)3 status provided their charter or mission focuses on the nonprofit's objective. Let me explain. Let's say that a county government agency wants to organize a 501(c)3 so they are eligible to apply for foundation grants. Most foundations require that an organization be a certified 501(c)3 to receive a grant. The county government may assemble a group of community agencies whose purpose is to use the 501(c)3 to apply for and possibly share funds from foundations to address community problems. They might name the 501(c)3 the York County Community Partnership and its mission may be to prevent and reduce homelessness, provide affordable health care to those in poverty, create jobs for the unemployed, reduce crime, etc. I would go after very broad human issues as the mission so the private nonprofit could be used to pursue a wide variety of grants. The county government could be the fiscal agent (something that would be well received by foundations) and could receive funds from the 501(c)3, but what you will have created is a separate and legal entity. Many school districts have foundations just like this.
Another option is to apply for a 509(a)1 status which falls under the 501(c)3 umbrella. Being a 509(a)1 designates your organization as a tax-free public charity that receives most of its support form a governmental unit or from the general public. Becoming a 509(a)1 provides public recognition of your tax-exempt status, advance assurance to donors of deductibility of contributions, exemption from certain state and Federal taxes, and nonprofit mailing privileges. Organizations that typically qualify are churches, educational institutions, hospitals, and governmental units. To see if you qualify, simply fill out the IRS form 1023, visit www.irs.gov, or call the tax-exempt help line at 877-829-4933.
Question: How do you handle late fees (or do you?) for clients who owe? What do you consider late and how much do you charge? I have a signed contract with a client with payment terms "net 15 days." It is now 30 days and they are not responding. Suggestions?
Answer: We do not charge late fees. It is typical for most clients to pay 30-45 days. Most financial systems run every 30 days and pay on the 1st or 15th. While a contract may be signed by a decision maker, the bookkeeper is not aware of the contractual agreement and usually ignores when we put on the invoice "Net 15 Days." The secret to being paid is to be nice and develop a relationship with the bookkeeper. Sometimes we call and say, "We sent an invoice on this date and were just following up to determine if you received it." Many times, our main contact did not send it to the finance department for processing, it was lost in the regular mail, or lost during the interagency mail. Communication and patience are the keys to being paid. Good luck!
Networking as Lead Agency (back to top)
Question: Would you explain the process of networking or collaborating as a lead agency in the grant proposal?
Answer: The lead agency should be an organization that is eligible to apply for the grant and is the most appropriate one to do so. The lead agency will be the fiscal agent and the one legally responsible for the grant.
Let's say that Habitat for Humanity wants to provide housing, the Mental Heath Department wants to provide counseling services, and the health department wants to provide health services to high risk families. All three agencies need and want money through a grant.
Under this scenario, Habitat for Humanity will be the fiscal agent and would apply for a $170,000 grant. They are a private nonprofit and have a good reputation, along with experience in implementing grants. They draw the money down and take some of the money ($75,000) for the provision of housing assistance and bookkeeping to the high risk families.
Habitat for Humanity has a subcontract with the Mental Health Department to provide mental health counseling for $50,000. They would also have a subcontract with the health department to provide health screening and treatment services for $45,000. There should be written agreements between the three agencies and both organizations would receive a total of $95,000 in grant funds.
Everyone wins in this situation--the coalition because everyone gets some monies, and the partnership because the funding source will view their coalition as positive with some preference in the reviewer assessment. The consumer wins because they receive multiple services.