Interpreting grant guidelines can be tedious, time consuming and exhausting; however, it's extremely important to read them thoroughly. Some guidelines are simple and some are not. Guidelines, particularly with Federal Grant applications, can be extremely detailed and include specifics such as weight and color of paper stock for attachments, labeling of exhibits, format to be used, grantor specific budget spreadsheets and so forth.
Guidelines provide detailed instructions about application processes and requirements, such as:
- Areas of Interest (What areas they specifically wish to fund)
- Geographical areas they support
- Deadlines
- Required attachments
- Partnership preferences
- Reporting requirements
- Site visit requests
- Recognition for involvement
- Workshops specific to their grant application
- Pre-application requirements (such as a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) before an invitation to apply is extended)
- Review Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
- Review Past Recipients - This will serve as a guide as to what types of projects and programs a grantor likes to fund and an average of the amounts they award.
It is just as important to understand what type of requests and/or organizations are NOT eligible for specific grant funding. A few examples may include:
- Religious organizations for religious purposes. (Some exceptions may apply. If the program/project benefits a community as a whole, does not require belonging to a specific church/denomination and is not solely for specific religious purposes, then the organization may be eligible.)
- Political Parties or campaigns
- Endowment creation or debt reduction
- Annual appeals
- Membership contributions
- Travel requests for groups/individuals such as bands and sports teams
- Scholarships
- Capital and operating expenses are no longer commonly covered in grant awards
Again, ALWAYS read and follow the grant guidelines that are specific to each application!
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