Grants for General Operations
by Chataun Denis on 09/18/12
Getting a grant that pays for personnel and overhead is the holy grail, or the greatest gift a nonprofit could ever receive right? Is this not an idea you've had in your mind, or a silent wish you've kept deep in your soul? Generally speaking, the reality is, grants for operations and/or grants that cover a significant portion of an organization's overhead or non-program costs are rare.
Compared to foundation grants, government grants (federal, state, county, and city) are more likely to allow for overhead costs. And even with these grants, overhead allowances will be minimal. The strategy I use to overcome this hurdle is to package my request as a project or program. Presenting personnel expenses as one component of a larger project, or program, as a strategy, has worked consistently and has generated nearly $2.5 million in grant awards over the last five years.
For example, an after school program may offer tutoring, enrichment workshops, and field trips. Using my strategy, and applying for foundation funding, I may request $5,000 in project support specifically for the tutoring component. In addition to requesting funding for tutoring supplies, the majority of the request would be allocated to cover the costs of the tutors (whether employees or contractors). Do this five times with five different funders and although your entire tutor personnel costs may not be funded, as they say in the nonprofit world, every contribution counts.
Want to learn more strategies for developing a WINNING grant proposal? Register today for our next Grant Writing training where we will share these and other proven strategies that have won over $2.4 Million in grant awards.
