In this week’s podcast episode, we go behind-the-scenes with Jason Adkins on the 5 proven steps to actually find the best-fit federal grants.
This is a question I get a lot…
“Holly, how do I find federal grants for my nonprofit?”
Federal grant research expert Jason Adkins, gives us 5 steps to find those pesky federal grants. Well, er, they seem pesky until you find them, and then federal grants rock.
I know you might feel like federal grants are elusive, but after Jason breaks down the steps (and gives you websites to find them), then you will be feeling like a pro.
So if thinking about finding federal grants makes you immediately zone out and start stress-chewing your nails, then you will want to listen to today’s podcast episode on finding federal grants (and save that precious manicure).
Here are the 5 proven step highlights from this week’s episode (listen to the podcast or watch the YouTube video for more details that you won’t want to miss!).
#1) Schedule Time in Your Day to Find Grants
Click here to get Jason’s “The Ultimate Guide to Finding Federal Grants” with more free resources.
Every day Jason recommends scheduling at least 15 minutes in your day to stay on top of deadlines and bring grants to your boss (instead of him/her bringing them to you at the very last minute).
Subscribe to the Grants.gov email list! Every day Grants.gov will email you a list of published new federal grants (within 24 the previous 24 hours). Use the ‘search’ tab on grants.gov to also sift through grant opportunities.
#3) Get Familiar with Federal Agency Websites
Get familiar with the federal agency websites that align with your nonprofit programs. For example, if you have a youth nonprofit, you might want to bookmark the website for the Administration on Children, Youth, & Families.
#4) Federal Registrar Public Inspection Site
Secret-sauce! Before federal grants are published on grants.gov they need to be published on the public inspection website! If you want to have a few more days in advance on writing a federal grant, this will give you some leeway! Click here to find get the link to Jason’s secret sauce!
#5) Federal Grant Forecast for 2021, yet Pay Attention to Grant Season
The good news is that there is some budget continuation of grants from 2020 to 2021. Jason expects a lot of continuation in the federal grants in the upcoming years.
The federal fiscal year is from October 1st to September 30th. So grant season can be heavier in the spring and summer.
Some Highlights We Discuss:
- Why sometimes having an English Degree doesn’t automatically equate to being a Grant Writer
- Why ‘failing forward’ is important
- Keeping a flipchart list of grants secured to make sure you have moments of celebration and don’t go from grant deadline to grant deadline
- How Jason uses the same strategies of writing a foundation and federal grant
- How being a federal grant reviewer has been helpful in writing federal grants
- Grant writing is best at a 9th to 12th grade level
- Why formatting a federal grant is important
- Schedule time in your workday to find grants
About Jason Adkins
Since 2008, I have raised over $120 million in grants and donations. My work has served organizations in education, the arts, health and human services, and technology. Finding funding opportunities is my strongest skill set. It’s fulfilling when someone asks, “How did you find that funder?”
In 2021, I debuted a new website, Funding Finders, for nonprofit pros on a quest to raise money. Check it out at https://funding-finders.com.
Connect with Jason:
- Contact Jason: Click here for LinkedIn
- Finding Funders Website: Click here
- The Ultimate Guide to Finding Federal Grants. Click here to view the article.
- Link Library: Websites for Finding Federal Grants. Click here for a link to the sign-up for websites to find federal grants.
Related Podcasts Episodes:
- Ep. 132: Become A Federal Grant Reviewer – 10X Your Grant Writing Skills While Getting Paid: Click here
- Ep. 43: How To Find The Best Fit Grants: Click here.
- Ep. 37: How to Become a Grant Reviewer. Click here.
