Govt. Grants?

Question

Is anyone here knowledgeable of Govt. grants for non-profit orgs? We really need to fix-up our 50 year old building and office. We have been the frequent victim of theft and vandalisim, but never enough at one time to qualify for re-imbursment from insurance. So could our efforts to further improve our building qualify under community betterment as well?

Answer 1

there are all types of grants for non profits, it depends on what type of orginization it is geared towards. but maybe a good start would be with www.giftsinkind.org. nonprofits can register to receive a monthly catalogue of donated goods, including building materials.

Answer 2

What steps have you taken/will you take to ensure that your building will NOT be vandalized or that there will be no more theft in the future? Funders aren't going to want to providing this type of funding if you can't guarantee that the building improvements will last.

First, you need to be able to verbalize why your organization is essential to your community and those it serves, what the results have been per your organization's work in the community, and how building improvements would help you to serve more people, or to provide better service. You need to also be able to say how your organization's activities fill a gap not filled by the government in terms of needed service. It is absolutely crucial for you to be able to communicate all of this VERY well, and to have it already prepared before you ever start contacting potential donors.

Next, you need to have an estimate on exactly what improvements are needed, how much these improvements will costs, and the process you will use to hire someone or a company to do this work. Again, it is absolutely crucial that you have this information ready to communicate in a document before you ever start contacting potential donors.

Finally, your board of directors needs to state how much it is willing to donate, out of their own pockets, to this endeavor, and how much you expect to raise from other individuals.

Only after you have done all of the above are you ready to look for grants. And you can look at local government grants AND business/corporate donations. The nearest nonprofit development/support center to you can help (if you are in the USA). Last I checked, there was a listing of these at http://www.nonprofits.org (the nonprofit FAQs). These centers have libraries that provide details on various funders in your area, as well as classes in proposal writing.