As public, non-profit, and community organizations plan to pursue federal funding, there are two primary approaches. The first is reactive – preparing an application in response to an agency announcement or notice of funding. Due to staff capacity challenges and competing priorities, this is understandably an approach that many local governments and other applicants take.
Set Up Your Systems
All federal funding applicants must have an active Login.gov, SAM.gov and Grants.gov registration in order to apply. Register for your UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) at SAM. These account registrations can sometimes take up to 8 weeks to process.
Don’t wait until you have a grant application deadline on your horizon – you should register in these systems now (or ensure that you are know the existing account information) if you are planning to apply.
Prepare Strategically
However, with greater planning and preparation before an announcement or notice of funding, you can create more inclusive, ambitious, and competitive applications. This also shifts a reactive process into a proactive – and more manageable – process. Three strategies that can help you be proactive include:
- Shortlist Programs of Interest
- Create a Project “Pitch” to Get Buy-In
- Develop an Outline for the Grant Application Before the Announcement
As you consider whether your organization should pursue or support others pursuing federal funding applications, you may find it helpful to understand potential roles of key stakeholders involved.
Click “Next” to explore strategies can help you prepare proactively for competitive funding applications.