The Importance of a Grants Strategy

Three major pieces of recently-passed legislation, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act, together provided more than $2 trillion in new federal spending. These bills directed additional funds to existing grants programs and created over 100 entirely new grants programs. Many of these new programs are set to expire after five years. 

With so many funding streams available, and some only for a limited time, it is critical to develop a grants strategy. A thoughtful strategy will maximize your ability to apply for relevant grants, while preventing squandering resources on less pertinent programs. Start by identifying your community’s needs and priorities, then reviewing the available opportunities to find the ones that are the best match with those goals. The level of competition for these federal funds is high, so it is not enough to simply be eligible. Your grants strategy should ensure you are applying for the grants where you are truly competitive.  

Most grants are offered on an annual, semi-annual or quarterly basis. If you missed the most recent grant opportunity, then use that time to get your community lined up for the next round.  Starting early allows time to structure your project to the grant’s requirements, gather data that is vital to supporting statements of need, secure commitments and support letters from stakeholders, identify the source of the non-federal match and overall prepare an application that optimizes competitiveness. Here are a few other keys to preparing a successful application:  

• Review previous NOFO multiple times to create a framework and timeline
• Use all resources and materials available on federal agency websites
• Determine if you need the help of a grant writer
• Follow directions precisely
• Keep it simple and concise
• Tell YOUR story
• Validate claims and statements of need with data
• Secure commitments and letters of support from stakeholders

Even with clear goals and a defined strategy, the grants process can still prove quite challenging.  Centralina Regional Council can help demystify the process. We have a continuously updated list of opportunities curated specifically for our members available on our member portal. We also offer a comprehensive menu of grant support services including training opportunities, strategic support, grant writing and technical assistance. Contact Kelly Weston at kweston@centralina.org for more information on the many ways Centralina can help you prepare a meaningful grants strategy, identify the right resources to pursue and prepare winning applications.