If you haven't already visited the site, the Foundation Center is probably the most
basic, dependable, and useful tool you'll find in your search for funding. However,
grant winning is much more than locating sources of funds. The winning comes after very thorough program planning, research, and strategic efforts to identify strong funding partners. The following collection of links may help you achieve your grant winning goals:

books

Click here to view our list of recommended books.

research tools

Foundation Center - Gives you limited access, through a search engine, to information about grantmakers who are online. For a monthly or annual fee, you can access a more advanced search engine.

Foundations.org - List of grantmakers from around the world with featured sites and articles. Maintained by the Northern California Community Foundation, Inc.

GuideStar is produced by Philanthropic Research, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1994. A national database of U.S. charitable organizations, GuideStar gathers and distributes data on more than 850,000 IRS-recognized nonprofits.

Maine resources

Maine Philanthropy Center "The Maine Philanthropy Center (MPC) is a statewide association of grantmakers working together to promote philanthropy and to increase its impact in Maine. We invite you to learn more about the Maine Philanthropy Center’s membership benefits, programs and events, as well as resources for grantmakers and nonprofits."

Maine Association of Nonprofits "MANP is a membership organization offering professional skill development programs, affordable healthcare and benefits plans, discounts on related programs and services and advocacy resources, and is part of a national network of state associations."

Pasted GraphicShoestring Creative Group - Shoestring Creative Group is a full-service graphic design, marketing and public relations firm committed to providing creative, affordable solutions specifically catered to meet the unique needs and challenges of nonprofit, state and government organizations.

federal grants

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance - National database of federal government projects and funding sources. Administered by the General Services Administration, this site contains everything you wanted to know about federal grants.

Anne Gass - For clients looking for help with their federal grants, we always recommend Anne Gass. Whether taking Anne's class through the Maine Association of NonProfits, or hiring her as an independent consultant, an organization would be wise to learn from her.

grant writing

Pasted GraphicNon-profit Guides - Entirely free, sample proposals, great basic information. Superb tone on the site as well, truly looking out for non-profit organizations. Highly recommended.

The Grantsmanship Center - In addition to trainings you'll pay for, there are resources available at no cost that include "daily grant announcements from the Federal Register, archives of The Grantsmanship Center Magazine, indexes of funding sources at the local, federal and international levels, and more."

Grantproposal.com - "Aesthetics and Technicalities for Grantwriters"

Non-profit guides - An online grant-writing resource for community-minded groups. Easy to use and navigate.

non-profit marketing

Pasted GraphicShoestring Creative Group - Shoestring Creative Group is a full-service graphic design, marketing and public relations firm committed to providing creative, affordable solutions specifically catered to meet the unique needs and challenges of nonprofit, state and government organizations.

recommended consultants & sites

Andy Robinson - Andy Robinson serves "the nonprofit community with consulting and training services, including: Community-based fundraising, Major gifts, Grantseeking, Earned income and nonprofit business planning, Board development and board fundraising, Meeting and retreat facilitation, Individual coaching, Trouble-shooting"

Anne Gass - For clients looking for help with their federal grants, we always recommend Anne Gass. Whether taking Anne's class through the Maine Association of NonProfits, or hiring her as an independent consultant, an organization would be wise to learn from her.

Tony Poderis, "Your Non-Profit Fund-Raising Resource" - Development professional, consultant, author, speaker, web-content resource and all around incredibly helpful fellow. His site includes free handouts and worksheets

Idealist.org - A "one-stop shop" for volunteer opportunities and nonprofit services in communities around the world. Well organized, free listings for non-profit organizations, great source of info including (as a small example) how-to start a non-profit, job openings, personal networking/community building, excellent links.

The Grassroots Fundraising Journal - Offers practical, how-to instruction on fundraising. A subscription to their paper publication is highly recommended!

CompassPoint - A nonprofit training, consulting, and research organization, the website is a terrific resource for overall support, with a good emphasis on successful fundraising.

LiteracyPowerline - Specifically for literacy organizations, LiteracyPowerline is the only consulting service dedicated specifically to supporting communities as they develop collaborative solutions for literacy issues.

sample proposals

The following are samples from the grantwinners.net files of funded programs:

Full proposal 1 - program using exercise to improve the lives of disadvantaged people
Full proposal 2 - health clinic providing free medical care
Full proposal 3 - small college seeking to begin a nursing program
Full proposal 4 - grassroots organization reaching out to underserved people