Finding grant opportunities, writing proposals while learning the ins and outs of the non-profit world, requires a lot of research and planning. Use some of these tools below to help you. Proposal Writing Federal Funding Research Resources Philanthropic Resources Foundations Native American Facts for Proposal Writing Reference these facts and reports in your proposals to help justify the ask. - Save the Children Report “America's Forgotten Children: Child Poverty in Rural America” - U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Data Tables on Racial Groups & Subgroups - “Native youth heaviest smokers in nation” summary of National Cancer Institute report from www.indianz.com - U.S. Census Bureau “American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Data Links” - BGCA Native American Fact Sheet Federal Funding www.grants.gov Sign up to get a Grant Opportunity notification email at Grants.gov, the electronic storefront for Federal grants. A guide about developing grant applications that was originally written by SAMHSA, an Agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, gives a helpful overview to the Federal grant process. Learn about it. America’s Promise has published a 162-page, easy-to-read guide for youth-serving nonprofits searching for federal funding opportunities. The Guide lists more than 100 federal programs in the departments of Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, and Labor, as well as in the Environmental Protection Agency and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Click here to download the Guide. Preparing to Take Advantage of New Programs in the Economic Stimulus Package: Considerations for Out-of-School Time Providers and Stakeholders by Shawn Stelow The Finance Project, February 2009 http://www.financeproject.org/publications/EconomicStimulus.pdf Research Resources Boys & Girls Clubs of America club extranet If you have not signed up for B&GCA's extranet yet, do so immediately! You will receive a biweekly email as well as access to up-to-date information on funding, grants and best practices. The fundraising section, FUNDRAI$INGbank, is full of useful information and even has a 24 hour "Ask an Expert" service. Grantstation GrantStation quickly and easily links nonprofits to all current sources of grant money, while also teaching these organizations how to secure available funding. Developed and tested by fundraising professionals, it is the only tool on the market that is based on in-depth and ongoing research. Sign up for a weekly email newsletter. School Data Direct Since its inception in 2001, as an independent, analytical resource for state and education leaders, Standard & Poor's (S&P) School Evaluation Services has evolved and become a valuable resource for parents. In 2005, S&P began providing parents and taxpayers with an objective analysis of school and school district data via www.schoolmatters.com, a publicly-accessible, interactive website. Due in large part to the popularity of the website, S&P has been able to engage parents across the country, all while continuing to serve as an objective source of information and analysis on our nation's public schools. Researchers, educators and policy makers can now find comprehensive state, district and school-level data on SchoolDataDirect.org. Rural Assistance Center A product of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Rural Initiative, the Rural Assistance Center (RAC) was established in December 2002 as a rural health and human services "information portal." RAC helps rural communities and other rural stakeholders access the full range of available programs, funding, and research that can enable them to provide quality health and human services to rural residents. Particularly helpful may be the State Resources tab. 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book National trends in child well-being have improved slightly since 2000, according to the 19th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book but these trends are not on par with the improvements that were seen at the end of the 1990s. The Data Book, released on June 12, 2008, is a national and state-by-state profile of the status of America's children. In addition to tracking 10 indicators of overall child well-being, this year's Data Book features an essay highlighting the urgent need to reform America's juvenile justice system. Philanthropic References American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel -– Membership organization of fundraising consultants Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement -Membership organization and support for non-profit researchers Chronicle of Higher Education Chronicle of Philanthropy – A news source of the nonprofit world for charity leaders, fund raisers, grant makers, and other people involved in the philanthropic enterprise. Council for Advancement and Support of Education Council on Foundations – Membership organization of grant making foundations and corporations Fundsnet Online Services – Comprehensive Web site dedicated to providing nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities information on financial resources GuideStar A national database of more than 850,000 IRS-recognized nonprofits Foundations in Indian Country Below is a list of grantmakers with histories of supporting Indian Country. To see an extended list of foundations that have an interest in Native American causes, click here. Sign up for their newsletters, review their RFPs monthly and get to know their mission. Avon Products Foundation Gates Foundation The Educational Foundation of America Ford Foundation First Nations Development Institute James Ford Bell Foundation RGK Foundation The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The Hearst Foundation WK Kellogg Foundation David & Lucile Packard Foundation CS Mott Foundation Seva Foundation Public Welfare Foundation Casey Family Foundation