Researching Grant Opportunities

Government Grants and Program Assistance Conference

Federal Funds Information for States www.ffis.org

Overview

Understanding how federal funds are distributed– Budget breakdown– Types of federal aid

Looking for grant opportunities– Useful websites and ways to search

Finding out more information about a program– Priorities and selection criteria, rules and regulations, funding history and

previous grantees

Deciding whether to apply for a grant– Eligibility, MOE and matching requirements, staff infrastructure, deadlines

Where the Money Goes: Pieces of the Federal Budget Pie

Where the Money Goes: Type of Assistance

Type of Assistance Total Funding

Block Grant $14,580,561Formula Grant 690,536,050Project Grant 181,183,450CO-OP Agreements 51,858,133Specified Direct Assistance 540,373,751Unspecified Direct Assistance 773,924,060Direct Loan 21,770,712Guaranteed/Insured Loans 428,407,311Insurance 845,305,270Other 631,586Total $3,548,570,884Source: U.S. Census FAADS Data, 2009

U.S. Financial Assistance (dollars in thousands)

Where the Money Goes: Type of Assistance

Source: U.S. Census FAADS Data, 2009

Project grants make up only 5.1% of total assistance

Where the Money Goes: Program Area

5%

14%

61%

8%

1% 0% 0%1%

10%

0%

Agriculture

Education

HHS

HUD

Energy/Interior/EPA

Justice

Homeland Security

Labor

Transportation

Other

Composition of Major Federal Grants, FY 2011

Types of Federal Aid

Mandatory Spending– Spending that is not subject to annual

appropriations – Spending levels dictated in authorizing legislation

Discretionary Spending– Funded through annual appropriations process– Programs created or authorized through legislation

Types of Federal Aid, cont.

Formula Grants– Noncompetitive awards based on a predetermined

formula– The amount distributed depends on various factors

(i.e. population, amount of tax effort, per capita income, housing density, rate of infant mortality, etc.)

Project Grants– Awarded on the basis of competitive applications for

fixed or known periods of specific projects, or the delivery of specific services

Researching Grant Opportunities

Looking for grant opportunities– Searching Grants.gov and the Federal Register

Finding out more information about a program– Using agency websites and the Catalogue of Federal

Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Deciding whether to apply for a grant

– Meeting eligibility guidelines, MOE and matching requirements, staff infrastructure capabilities, deadlines

Grant Notices

Where to look for grants– Grants.gov: www.grants.gov

Database listing all federal grants (formula and competitive) Links and information about the application process

– Federal Register: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/ Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFA) Opportunity to comment on priorities/selection criteria

– Agency websites Email Updates

Using Grants.gov to Find Opportunities

Glossary of terms– http://www.grants.gov/help/glossary.jsp

Search for grants by keyword, category, agency, funding opportunity number (FON), CFDA number, etc.

Grant Email Alerts

Grants.gov: Ways to Search (Basic)

Grants.gov: Ways to Search (Advanced)

Grants.gov: Email Alerts and Notices

RSS feed Email Updates Daily notifications of new grant opportunities Receive notices based on criteria or FON http://www.grants.gov/applicants/email_subscri

ption.jsp

Grants.gov: Applying for a Grant

Download the application and apply direction from the funding announcement

Check software requirements for online application

Grants.gov: Tracking Applications

“Track my application”– https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/checkApplStatus.

faces– Track up to five grants using application tracking

numbers

Federal Register

Published NOFAs, grant priorities, and criteria– http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?c

ollectionCode=FR– Sign up for daily Table of Contents email– Opportunity to submit comments

Agency Websites: Grant Listings

Some agencies provide comprehensive grant listings– Education: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html

– Health and Human Services: http://www.hhs.gov/grants/

Others separate listings out by office or department– Energy

Science and Technology: http://science.doe.gov/grants/index.asp

Energy Efficiency: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/financing/

– Transportation FTA: http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants_financing_263.html

PHMSA: http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/grants-state-programs

NHTSA: http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Programs+&+Grants

Agency Websites: Press Releases

Searching an agencies’ press releases is another way to find grant opportunities

– Ex: Department of Agriculture List of latest releases:

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=LATEST_RELEASES

Funding opportunity example: Housing Preservation Grants

Agency Websites: Press Releases

Example: Housing Prevention Grants http://tinyurl.com/3m2qoeu

Agency Websites: Press Releases, cont.

Agency Press Releases

Agriculture http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=LATEST_RELEASES

Commerce http://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases

Education http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases

Energy http://www.energy.gov/news/releases.htm

HHS http://www.hhs.gov/news/

Homeland Security http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/index.shtm

HUD http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories

Interior http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/index.cfm

Labor http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/opa/main.htm

Transportation http://www.dot.gov/affairs/

Getting More Information: Agency Websites

Additional information about grants can be found in agency guidance documents and reports

– Often provided at the program or office level– Can include:

Program overviews Rules and regulations for a given program Reports on best practices Summaries of previous grantee projects for existing programs Audit findings and OIG reports

Agency Websites: Funding History

Overall budget tables – Annual appropriation levels– Ex: Department of Education Budget Tables (

http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/tables.html?src=ct)

Previous grant awards and grantees– Ex: HHS Tracking Accountability in Government Grants

System (TAGGS) http://taggs.hhs.gov/

Searching for Awardees allows you to see how much organizations have received for grants in the past

Agency Websites: Congressional Justifications

Program overview Performance measures Proposed program changes

– Ex: Round II of Race to the Top competition proposed in president’s FY 2012 budget

Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

CFDA (www.cfda.gov) provides additional background information on grants

– Type of grant– Previous award levels– Agency contacts– MOE and matching requirements– Eligibility

Look for upcoming announcements in print edition– “Applicant Eligibility Index” provides grants by eligibility

CFDA: Applicant Eligibility Index

Things to Keep in Mind

Are you eligible?– Eligibility can be found in the funding announcement– Read priorities and selection criteria carefully; sometimes

preference is given to previous grantees Does the federal program meet your needs? Do you have adequate resources to manage the

grant/meet the requirements?– Staff/infrastructure– Matching and MOE requirements– Project deadlines/post-award management

Questions?