The Volunteer Center of Erie County
                                                                         Grant Writing Assistance Program

Eligibility Requirements

The Grant Writing Assistance Program is available for non-profit organizations located in Erie County, Ohio.  Organizations offering services in Erie County but having offices located outside of Erie County are ineligible, unless the proposed grant seeking efforts are targeted to benefit Erie County.

Applicant agencies must be designated IRS 501 (C) 3 tax exempt organizations, or classified as a governmental unit or qualified church or other entity covered by a group exemption.

Services

Services of the Grant Writing Assistance Program include:
    Researching grants (One hour assistance on how to utilize our research materials- Foundation Directory Online Professional, Foundation      Grants to Individuals Online, and Philanthropy In/Sight.)
    Grant writing   
    Editing or proof reading a draft
    Finding collaborative partners
    Grant reporting (for funded grants)
   Consultation

Additionally, reference materials are available for use in the grant writing office (not for loan) at The Volunteer Center for agencies wishing to conduct their own research. Please contact The Volunteer Center (419) 627-0074 to arrange a time to use the reference materials. Use of reference materials is free of charge.

Fee For Services

The fee for the grant writing services is $25 per hour. The Frost-Parker and Dorn Foundations provide $18 per hour, and participating organizations are responsible for the remaining $7.00 per hour fee.  All fees are to be paid to The Volunteer Center for all services, regardless of the outcome of any grant applications.

Release

Grant writing assistance provided by The Volunteer Center adoes not guarantee funding or grant awards for applicant agencies.

To track the effectiveness of the Grant Writing Assistance Program, applicant organizations must agree to give permission to The Volunteer Center to release information for statistics and study.

Application

A check list and application form are available below. Just copy the form, fill out the information and fax
(419-627-5416) or email (execdir@thevolunteercenter.com) it to the Volunteer Center.

You will be contacted within two weeks of submitting your application. Services are available by appointment only. Please note, applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. Organizations applying for assistance for the writing of a grant proposal must provide documentation to the grant writer in a timely fashion.

Documentation includes, but may not be limited to:
    A completed Grant Writing Assistance Program Application
    IRS letter of tax exemption
    Mission statement
    List of current board members
    Most recent 990 and annual operating budget

Grants Funding:  Reality Check

  FACT:        All grant seekers believe in their organizations, and many believe their organizations are unique.
                    All grant seekers sincerely wish to help people in need and to improve their communities.
                    All grant seekers need money.  

 WISHFUL THINKING:            All grant requests will be funded
                                               Grants will pay my salary.
                                               Grants for large amounts of money will be given to start up organizations.
                                               Grants will be awarded year after year.
                                               Grants will fully fund my organization’s budget.

 Rate your organization on the following questions which are typically asked by funders as they review grant proposals and make decisions about whether or not to approve a grant request.   If your answers are mostly “no” or “not sure” you may want to consider whether your organization is ready to apply for a grant.   

INQUIRING FUNDERS WANT TO KNOW….

YES

NO

NOT SURE

COMMENTS

 

Does the organization have a 501c3 letter of determination?

 

 

 

 

Does the organization have a board of directors that represents a good cross section of the community? 

 

 

 

 

Does that board have expertise/experience to guide the organization?

 

 

 

 

Is the staff experienced/qualified to do the proposed program and operate the organization?

 

 

 

 

Are there enough staff/volunteers associated with the organization to implement the programs?   

 

 

 

 

Has the organization been in operation for at least a year?

 

 

 

 

Does the organization have a good reputation/good standing in the community?

 

 

 

 

Does the organization have a well-prepared, realistic budget?

 

 

 

 

Does the organization have a diversified base of financial support?

 

 

 

 

Does the organization have financial statements, audit, recent 990 or other documentation to indicate that it has solid fiscal management?

 

 

 

 

Does the budget indicate the organization is stable and operating in the black?

 

 

 

 

Does the grant request meet the funders’ priorities and restrictions?

 

 

 

 

Has other support for this project been obtained? 

 

 

 

 

If the grant is denied, will the project go forward? 

 

 

 

 

After the grant money is spent, are additional dollars needed to continue the project and if so, does the organization have sources of funding or a feasible plan to raise those funds?

 

 

 

 

Is this a unique program or service?

 

 

 

 

Does this project help fulfill the organization’s mission?

 

 

 

 

Does the organization have other funding or a funding plan to pay for overhead, such as salaries, transportation, rent, etc?

 

 

 

 

What percentage of the organization’s budget does the grant represent and does this seem reasonable?

 

 

 

 

Is the grant request in keeping with amounts of other grants generally awarded by the funder? 

 

 

 

 

Will this program benefit many people in the community, or if this is a specific needs project, will this project benefit people who may not be served by other programs?

 

 

 

 

  

Application for Grant Writing Assistance

 Name of Organization  ________________________________________________________

 Billing Address  ______________________________________________________________

 Telephone  _______________________  email  ____________________________________

 Contact Name  _____________________________ Title _____________________________

Tax Exempt # ________________________ (Only 501(C)3 organizations may apply for grants.)

 Describe in one or two sentences the project or need for funds. __________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

How will this project benefit the community?  ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Approximate budget for project ___________ Approximate amount needed from grant ______

 Does your organization have a development staff person?  ______ Yes   _______ No

Please check the type of assistance requested:

______ Consultation

______ Training for grants research

______ Grant writing

______ Editing or proof reading a draft

______ Grant reporting (for funded grants)

 

The undersigned agrees to the following: 

1.         The fee for grant writing services is $25 per hour. The applicant agency will pay an hourly rate of $7.00 for grant writer services. The Frost Parker and Dorn  Foundations will provide the balance.  Applicant agency will receive an estimate of the number of hours required to complete the grant services in advance.

2.         Applicants must meet eligibility requirements and will be contacted within two weeks of application.  Assistance is not guaranteed for every request.

3.         The applicant agency understands that grant writing assistance is not a guarantee of grant awards. Fees are to be paid to the Volunteer Center regardless of the outcome of the grant application. 

4.         The undersigned hereby releases The Volunteer Center, and the Sandusky/ Erie County Community Foundation of any claim or demand of grant monies. 

5.         In order to track the grant writing services, the undersigned gives The Volunteer Center permission to release this information for statistics and study. 

 Name____________________________________Date_______________________________

 Please submit this application to: Gabriele Beck, Executive Director, The Volunteer Center of Erie County, 174 E. Market St. Sandusky, OH 44870.  Questions? 419-627-0074 or execdir@thevolunteercenter.com.

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Volunteer Center office use only:  

Date received _________   Application # _________   Response date  _______
 
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