Here is a recap of the issue we experienced on Friday, June 5, 2009.
Date/Time: June 5, 2009 2:06 – 2:56 pm EDT
Issue: Submissions were not being accepted into the system as a result of a shortage of free space on one of the database drives. The database archive logs reached the allotted space capacity and caused the database to become unavailable.
Impact: Applicants were unable to submit applications.
Resolution: Database system maintenance returned sufficient space to the system to allow submissions to be accepted. The database archive log scripts have been adjusted to free up more database space.
Follow-up Actions: The Technical Augmentation Design (Boost) will add additional database space. Until the Boost is implemented Database maintenance procedures are being reviewed, modified, and followed to prevent a recurrence of the issue.
Regards,
Grants.gov PMO
Thứ Hai, 8 tháng 6, 2009
Chủ Nhật, 7 tháng 6, 2009
Top Ten Tips to Raise Grants In A Down Economy
Top 10 Tips to Succeed At Raising Grants in a Down Economy
10. Do your homework. Research which potential grant donors are currently giving to organizations that: do the work your agency does, funds the kinds of programs or projects that you are needing the grant for, and also fund organizations that serve the same geographic region(s) that your organization serves. Make sure you only apply to grant donors that indicate (in their giving guidelines) they would be interested in giving to your organization. Otherwise, your agency will be wasting time and resources.
9. Contact the potential grant donor before sitting down to write the proposal (if contact is permitted before applying for a grant from them) and speak to a programs manager at the foundation or granting organization. Share with them what your nonprofit does, what you are seeking a grant for, and get a sense of how likely they are to be interested in funding it. Remember, in this down economy many grant donors have either cut back giving, no longer give at all, or have recently changed what kinds of programs they fund. Be sure that the research that you found indicating they would potentially give to your organization is still current, right now, today.
8. Learn. It's fine to be new to the nonprofit sector or to grant writing. It's great. What is not so good is to assume, that because your work is for the nonprofit sector, you have to just guess and cross your fingers when raising funds or doing any other nonprofit operations work. Be willing to be a novice, sit down with some excellent references and learn. Before you sit down to write a grant proposal, learn what they require, what should be omitted, how to write succinctly, and how to write an excellent proposal. We recommend the following post http://thegrantplant.blogspot.com/2006/11/easy-resources-for-grant-writer.html
7. Provide the potential grant donor with only what they require be included in the grant proposal. You will find, in their giving guidelines, what they want in the proposal and sometimes they list what can be omitted. It's a good rule of thumb to only provide grant donors with what documents they request, as attachments, in the proposal package. Do not go over board with fancy printing and binding (it indicates that your organization spends money frivolously). If a foundation needs more information beyond what they request in their giving guidelines, they will contact you and request that information or document.
6. Be honest. Be thorough. Be succinct in your writing. Be forthright. Be on time. If they call to request more information or to set a date for a site visit get right back to them. Be professional, gracious, and be yourself in dealing with potential donors.
5. Apply to more than one potential grant donor for a single project. Up the odds. Be sure that you indicate in the grant proposal budgets which potential grant donors you have applied to for this project, how much is being requested of each, and if you have already heard back from one or more of these potential grant donors, indicate that and how much was granted, if anything.
4. After you've finished a final draft of your grant proposal ask a colleague or friend who is a good writer to review it proof reading for spelling, grammar, clarity, ease in reading, etc. Check and check again that in the proposal package you have provided the potential grant donor with all of the information and content that they requested.
3. Don't hound the potential grant donor after submitting your proposal. I know that you are anxious to hear whether your nonprofit will receive the grant, and they know that you are, too. Respect that they have likely received another record amount of applicants, in this giving cycle, and have tens if not hundreds of grant applications to read. The application is usually received and then program managers or professional grant reviewers will go over the proposal to be sure all content that should be there is included, read and summarize the content, and then pass the proposals that get through the first rounds of review onto a body that will make a final decision, such as the board of a foundation. They will get their response back to you as soon as they can.
2. Keep in mind that in this economy grant donors are going to give to nonprofits doing something no other organization in the community is doing. They will also give to nonprofits who have real talent in their respective professional field of work on the board or in the staff. Grants will be given much easier to nonprofits who are collaborating or to start up nonprofits who are starting their agency as a program of an already established (and respected and well run) nonprofit before formally breaking off and going out on their own. Grant donors are looking for nonprofits to grant to that are operated by people who know what they're doing, are stocking the agency with talent and experience, and are not recreating a wheel that already exists. They want their dollar to be effective, spent on a real current and unmet need in the community, and in a way that will actually provide real quantifiable positive results.
1. Get the word out about your nonprofit, its mission, its work, and all of its recent achievements and successes. Also, listen to what other professionals in the nonprofit sector and also in your organization's professional field are saying. What are they recommending, given this economy? What's the future for your region, your professional field, and the beneficiaries of your agency's work? If you learn of any good tips pass them on and ask colleagues for theirs'. Do not hole up in your office day after day. Be a part of the community by getting out, talking with people in the community and helping even potential grant donors who would give to your agency learn about it.
10. Do your homework. Research which potential grant donors are currently giving to organizations that: do the work your agency does, funds the kinds of programs or projects that you are needing the grant for, and also fund organizations that serve the same geographic region(s) that your organization serves. Make sure you only apply to grant donors that indicate (in their giving guidelines) they would be interested in giving to your organization. Otherwise, your agency will be wasting time and resources.
9. Contact the potential grant donor before sitting down to write the proposal (if contact is permitted before applying for a grant from them) and speak to a programs manager at the foundation or granting organization. Share with them what your nonprofit does, what you are seeking a grant for, and get a sense of how likely they are to be interested in funding it. Remember, in this down economy many grant donors have either cut back giving, no longer give at all, or have recently changed what kinds of programs they fund. Be sure that the research that you found indicating they would potentially give to your organization is still current, right now, today.
8. Learn. It's fine to be new to the nonprofit sector or to grant writing. It's great. What is not so good is to assume, that because your work is for the nonprofit sector, you have to just guess and cross your fingers when raising funds or doing any other nonprofit operations work. Be willing to be a novice, sit down with some excellent references and learn. Before you sit down to write a grant proposal, learn what they require, what should be omitted, how to write succinctly, and how to write an excellent proposal. We recommend the following post http://thegrantplant.blogspot.com/2006/11/easy-resources-for-grant-writer.html
7. Provide the potential grant donor with only what they require be included in the grant proposal. You will find, in their giving guidelines, what they want in the proposal and sometimes they list what can be omitted. It's a good rule of thumb to only provide grant donors with what documents they request, as attachments, in the proposal package. Do not go over board with fancy printing and binding (it indicates that your organization spends money frivolously). If a foundation needs more information beyond what they request in their giving guidelines, they will contact you and request that information or document.
6. Be honest. Be thorough. Be succinct in your writing. Be forthright. Be on time. If they call to request more information or to set a date for a site visit get right back to them. Be professional, gracious, and be yourself in dealing with potential donors.
5. Apply to more than one potential grant donor for a single project. Up the odds. Be sure that you indicate in the grant proposal budgets which potential grant donors you have applied to for this project, how much is being requested of each, and if you have already heard back from one or more of these potential grant donors, indicate that and how much was granted, if anything.
4. After you've finished a final draft of your grant proposal ask a colleague or friend who is a good writer to review it proof reading for spelling, grammar, clarity, ease in reading, etc. Check and check again that in the proposal package you have provided the potential grant donor with all of the information and content that they requested.
3. Don't hound the potential grant donor after submitting your proposal. I know that you are anxious to hear whether your nonprofit will receive the grant, and they know that you are, too. Respect that they have likely received another record amount of applicants, in this giving cycle, and have tens if not hundreds of grant applications to read. The application is usually received and then program managers or professional grant reviewers will go over the proposal to be sure all content that should be there is included, read and summarize the content, and then pass the proposals that get through the first rounds of review onto a body that will make a final decision, such as the board of a foundation. They will get their response back to you as soon as they can.
2. Keep in mind that in this economy grant donors are going to give to nonprofits doing something no other organization in the community is doing. They will also give to nonprofits who have real talent in their respective professional field of work on the board or in the staff. Grants will be given much easier to nonprofits who are collaborating or to start up nonprofits who are starting their agency as a program of an already established (and respected and well run) nonprofit before formally breaking off and going out on their own. Grant donors are looking for nonprofits to grant to that are operated by people who know what they're doing, are stocking the agency with talent and experience, and are not recreating a wheel that already exists. They want their dollar to be effective, spent on a real current and unmet need in the community, and in a way that will actually provide real quantifiable positive results.
1. Get the word out about your nonprofit, its mission, its work, and all of its recent achievements and successes. Also, listen to what other professionals in the nonprofit sector and also in your organization's professional field are saying. What are they recommending, given this economy? What's the future for your region, your professional field, and the beneficiaries of your agency's work? If you learn of any good tips pass them on and ask colleagues for theirs'. Do not hole up in your office day after day. Be a part of the community by getting out, talking with people in the community and helping even potential grant donors who would give to your agency learn about it.
Grant for Journalists Writing About Health Issues That Under Served Communities Face
From The Foundation Center...
Deadline: July 22, 2009
Deadline: July 22, 2009
Journalists Invited to Apply for Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism
Named in honor of the late vice president of communications and public affairs at the California Endowment, California's largest health foundation, the Dennis A. Hunt Memorial Fund for Health Journalism provides grants for reporting on the critical health issues facing under served communities.
The grant competition is open to all journalist members of ReportingonHealth.org, a Web 2.0 community built by the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships.
Print, broadcast, and new media journalists are eligible to apply, as are all past fellows of the USC Annenberg/California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships. Joint projects between mainstream and ethnic media are given special priority. The grant is designed to cover reporting and publishing-related costs such as travel, Web development, database acquisition, translation services, and a journalist's otherwise uncompensated time. Both freelancers and news outlet employees are eligible to apply.
The fund seeks proposals for stories or multimedia projects that illuminate or expose critical community health or community health policy issues. Community is defined broadly by the fund to include both geographic areas and groups of people with shared characteristics, such as Asian-Americans or women.
Proposals can focus on a specific health topic or delve into a confluence of circumstances and conditions that impact health, including environment; social class; crime and violence; urban development; access to health resources or the lack thereof; school absenteeism and its link to health; transportation or city planning and their link to health; and disparities in health.
Awards range from $2,500 to $10,000 each. Grants will be awarded for three years, beginning in 2009.
For complete program guidelines, visit the ReportingonHealth.org Web site.
Contact:
Link to Complete RFP
Thứ Sáu, 5 tháng 6, 2009
RESOLVED: Applicant Submission Issue
The issue has been resolved. All submissions are now being received. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Regards,
Grants.gov PMO
Regards,
Grants.gov PMO
ALERT: Application Submission Issue
We are currently experiencing an issue with the receipt of applications. We are working to resolve the issue and will provide you with notice once resolved.
If you have a closing deadline today and continue to experience an issue submitting please call the Contact Center so your issue is recorded; 1-800-518-4726.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
If you have a closing deadline today and continue to experience an issue submitting please call the Contact Center so your issue is recorded; 1-800-518-4726.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Thứ Hai, 1 tháng 6, 2009
June Is Half Way Through the Year - Take Stock, Nononprofits
Welcome to June! We are in the beginning of the midway month of 2009 and also the start of the third quarter of the year (perhaps your organization's fiscal calendar is the same as the annual calendar). Despite this economy, we're here, in the middle.
It's an excellent time to take stock and take advantage of being able to reflect. At this half-way point you can look over your organizations service (or work) statistics, look over your organization's financials and I know that you've been keeping a keen eye on revenue but also planning out the remaining fundraising for this fiscal year based on the trending you are seeing in the region(s) that your organization raises money in. In this unique economy, having even just six months of really recent trends specific to your organization is really valuable. Take advantage of the metrics on your own organization, that you have at your fingertips.
Also, are organizations raising about the same, a little less, a lot less, and are the communities that you raise money from trending to emergency fundraising campaigning, in the area, or a bit to brand new 'recovery' fundraisers implemented this year to make up for losses in the year's fundraising? If yes - it's good to hear it. If no, perhaps that is beginning to slowly improve, as the economy seems to be?
Six months into the year is also a good time to take stock of the future. Is the organization's current board well-rounded: a good strategic semblance of different but very helpful professions, talent, and experience sitting at the table? No matter whether the organization is a start up, newish and small, or a long established one, well run and necessary nonprofits offer potential board members a terrific opportunity to serve their community. Also, are the regular volunteers or if you have it, staff, doing well and motivated? Are people generally happy? Have you taken a 'reading' and checked? If not, work on increasing in-house peoples' fulfillment, connection with the work of the mission and its goal, their own personal goals for working there, and train or even educate them, if need be. Help them help the organization. How is your organization's messaging coming across in the communities it serves, this year? Have you or other leaders discussed some dire likelihood of closure in the press, earlier this year, only to find that your organization is making it O.K., now? If so, get back to the press, sooner than later, and make sure that the community knows, now, that things are working out and the future of the organization looks O.K. Have you not taken a proactive position in marketing your organization? If not, what do people know of your organization, its work, and its achievements, if anything? If the answer is "I don't know" or "not much" then you have a bit of work to do, here. All organizations always have marketing and public relations work they could be doing - this never ends.
How recently have you checked in with the beneficiary population, that your organization does the work it does to help? In a changed and slowed economy nothing is really as it has been for a long time. Change to the economy effects everyone and everything. For that reason, in this year in particular, you want to really keep up on really recent studies (or even white paper) findings pertaining to your organization's professional field. Anything that can help your organization's leaders decide what new programming will best assist the beneficiaries, now, and in the short term will keep your organization, not only relevant, but it will also keep that people, animals, environment, etc. (whatever or whomever your organization serves) assisted despite this economy.
Has your agency stepped up recruiting new volunteers, while retaining established volunteers? If not, volunteers are necessary and invaluable in an economy like this one. They produce volumes of quality work (if you recruit well and train people, and keep them happy) without costing the organization any kind of overhead. If trending in either your organization's volunteer retention or recruitment, or both, is down - you will want to focus on this and fix theses issues before it's a sever impediment to the agency.
How are you doing? I know you are probably not wringing your hands quite as often as you did months ago - but you're still wringing them, occasionally. But, are you losing sleep over concerns, still? Are you able to focus at work or are you distracted by concerns? If you are having a difficult time handling the pressures of the unusual economy, and it's utterly understandable if you are - take care of yourself. Talk to a good friend outside of the organization and decompress. Take a camping trip this weekend. Try anything that is safe, healthy, and sounds fun or relaxing and go do it and do it as regularly as you can. Making sure that the organization's staff, volunteers, leaders, and all are doing O.K. and taking care of themselves reflects in the organization's quality of work and the image it gives to the community.
We are half way through a really difficult year. Taking stock is always good to do regularly, at set intervals, overseeing all aspects of the nonprofit's operations and work. In this economy - it's dire.
It's an excellent time to take stock and take advantage of being able to reflect. At this half-way point you can look over your organizations service (or work) statistics, look over your organization's financials and I know that you've been keeping a keen eye on revenue but also planning out the remaining fundraising for this fiscal year based on the trending you are seeing in the region(s) that your organization raises money in. In this unique economy, having even just six months of really recent trends specific to your organization is really valuable. Take advantage of the metrics on your own organization, that you have at your fingertips.
Also, are organizations raising about the same, a little less, a lot less, and are the communities that you raise money from trending to emergency fundraising campaigning, in the area, or a bit to brand new 'recovery' fundraisers implemented this year to make up for losses in the year's fundraising? If yes - it's good to hear it. If no, perhaps that is beginning to slowly improve, as the economy seems to be?
Six months into the year is also a good time to take stock of the future. Is the organization's current board well-rounded: a good strategic semblance of different but very helpful professions, talent, and experience sitting at the table? No matter whether the organization is a start up, newish and small, or a long established one, well run and necessary nonprofits offer potential board members a terrific opportunity to serve their community. Also, are the regular volunteers or if you have it, staff, doing well and motivated? Are people generally happy? Have you taken a 'reading' and checked? If not, work on increasing in-house peoples' fulfillment, connection with the work of the mission and its goal, their own personal goals for working there, and train or even educate them, if need be. Help them help the organization. How is your organization's messaging coming across in the communities it serves, this year? Have you or other leaders discussed some dire likelihood of closure in the press, earlier this year, only to find that your organization is making it O.K., now? If so, get back to the press, sooner than later, and make sure that the community knows, now, that things are working out and the future of the organization looks O.K. Have you not taken a proactive position in marketing your organization? If not, what do people know of your organization, its work, and its achievements, if anything? If the answer is "I don't know" or "not much" then you have a bit of work to do, here. All organizations always have marketing and public relations work they could be doing - this never ends.
How recently have you checked in with the beneficiary population, that your organization does the work it does to help? In a changed and slowed economy nothing is really as it has been for a long time. Change to the economy effects everyone and everything. For that reason, in this year in particular, you want to really keep up on really recent studies (or even white paper) findings pertaining to your organization's professional field. Anything that can help your organization's leaders decide what new programming will best assist the beneficiaries, now, and in the short term will keep your organization, not only relevant, but it will also keep that people, animals, environment, etc. (whatever or whomever your organization serves) assisted despite this economy.
Has your agency stepped up recruiting new volunteers, while retaining established volunteers? If not, volunteers are necessary and invaluable in an economy like this one. They produce volumes of quality work (if you recruit well and train people, and keep them happy) without costing the organization any kind of overhead. If trending in either your organization's volunteer retention or recruitment, or both, is down - you will want to focus on this and fix theses issues before it's a sever impediment to the agency.
How are you doing? I know you are probably not wringing your hands quite as often as you did months ago - but you're still wringing them, occasionally. But, are you losing sleep over concerns, still? Are you able to focus at work or are you distracted by concerns? If you are having a difficult time handling the pressures of the unusual economy, and it's utterly understandable if you are - take care of yourself. Talk to a good friend outside of the organization and decompress. Take a camping trip this weekend. Try anything that is safe, healthy, and sounds fun or relaxing and go do it and do it as regularly as you can. Making sure that the organization's staff, volunteers, leaders, and all are doing O.K. and taking care of themselves reflects in the organization's quality of work and the image it gives to the community.
We are half way through a really difficult year. Taking stock is always good to do regularly, at set intervals, overseeing all aspects of the nonprofit's operations and work. In this economy - it's dire.
Writing Competition With Prize Money for Pieces On the Economy Written by Native Americans
From The Foundation Center...
Deadline: September 15, 2009
Deadline: September 15, 2009
Writing Competition Invites Native Americans to Share Insights on Economy
The Alaska Federation of Natives, in partnership with the National Congress of American Indians and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, has launched "Native Insight: Thoughts on Recession, Recovery & Opportunity," a writing competition designed to encourage Native Americans to share their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in the current economic and political landscape.
The national competition will distributed a total of $60,000 among three Alaska Native winners and three Native Hawaiian/Lower 48 American Indian winners ($10,000 each), with opportunities for their winning essays to be published in Native journals and magazines across the United States.
The competition is open to Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and American Indians of all ages.
For complete program information, visit the Native Insight Web site.
Contact:
Link to Complete RFP
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