GRANT APPLICATION
STEPS

Grants Are an Excellent Funding Source - But Getting an Award
Requires  Dedication,  Experience, and  Hard Work.
 

Following are T-21's  Steps To Grant Success:
 

     STEP-1:  RESEARCH.

T-21's Grant Research Teams  help you locate available Grants more quickly and cost-effectively.   They have years of experience in acquiring and evaluating relevant, accurate Grant information - quickly and economically.

The initial step in obtaining a Grant Award is finding RFPs (Requests For Proposals) that meet your needs and for which you qualify.   This isn't as easy as it sounds.   Tens of thousands of Grants are available from many different Grantors, published in many places;  each has different requirements and restrictions;  the specifications and provisions in many of them are complicated and esoteric.   T-21's experts' knowledge and experience can save you money and time in locating and applying only for Grants for which you qualify.

A unique T-21 service is our "Follow-Up Research and Solicitation."   Sometimes, especially near the end of a fiscal year, unallocated Grant money may become available for quick allocation;  our experts have the knowledge and support resources to efficiently locate unallocated Grant monies for you.

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     STEP-2:  VETTING.

T-21's professionals can guide you in pursuing Grants that meet your needs and for which your organization is qualified.   They investigate appropriate Grants' requirements and advise you on how you might qualify.

T-21 does not pursue Grant RFPs unless there is a reasonable probability of your success.   Vetting is a T-21 exploratory process - designed to save you money.   Our Grant Specialists investigate relevant RFPs, the Grantors, and the details of Grant offerings.   Then, your T-21 Grant Team helps determine if your organization qualifies.

T-21 can also help you make changes to qualify for Grants.¹   For example, some RPFs require that you have a "Tax-Exempt Status."   It may be possible for you to easily establish and operate a separate legal entity to qualify.   Other Grantors may have different requirements.   In any case, T-21 can advise you.
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     ¹ SEE IRS PUB 557 @  HTTP://WWW.IRS.GOV 
            (Close Ensuing Window When Finished Viewing)

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     STEP-3:  DATA GATHERING.

Your T-21 Grant Application Team  guides you in collecting the necessary information about your organization and project and keeps you informed of deadlines.

T-21 Grant Specialists  assemble information about your organization and proposed project, then thoroughly examine the requirements in qualifying RFPs (Requests For Proposals).   They work with you - garnering needed information in a timeframe for on-time submissions of your Grant Applications. You are always kept informed of the progress of your Applications and looming deadlines.

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     STEP-4:  APPLICATION.

T-21's professionals organize your information and complete your Grant Application - accurately, in the correct format, and on-time.

Your T-21 Grant Specialist consults with an agent of the Grantor (as needed), then completes your Grant Application.   Drafts of your Grant Application are examined by a T-21 Editor, then sent to you for review.   When you approve a final draft, T-21 finalizes and converts the documents into the computer file format specified by the Grantor.   You then add a cover letter, signature, and send them to the Grantor.  

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     STEP-5:  MONITORING and FOLLOW-UP.

T-21 also helps during the very important Post-Submission / Assessment phase.   Many Applicants and other grant specialists are not aware of the critical importance of this stage.   Grantors will verify that:  your proposal meets the requirements in their RFP;  your organization, plan, and budget are solid and sufficient;  success is likely;  your performance record is favorable; and  there is a plan for sustaining the project goals after the Grant period (if applicable).

Contact is the first important aspect of this phase.   It's vital that you maintain communication with the Grantor at carefully timed intervals;  too much may be viewed as pandering; too little and you may be forgotten.   Your T-21 Grant Specialist guides you in striking the most effective balance.   Grantor Agents may visit you, or you may be called to the Grantor's location for conferences.   Your T-21 Grant Specialist can help you prepare for such meetings.   For Federal Grant negotiations or meetings, T-21 has specialists located near Washington, D.C.

Professional presentation is also important.   A Grantor must feel that you are serious about your Grant Project Proposal and believe in it totally;  you can effectively convey this with a professional presentation.   T-21 offers expert assistance with Professional Presentations.   [View more on this in our Organizational Division, accessible from the T-21 Central (Home Page), or Site Map.]

Interpersonal Relations are another critical factor.   Grantor Agents are people, just like the rest of us.   Your chances of getting a Grant Award are higher if you are  accessible to them,  knowledgeable about your project's details, and  easy to work with.   It's a fact of life in many things - Grants included.   Your T-21 Grant Specialist can advise you on establishing good interpersonal communications.

One Last Note.  If your project proposal is not accepted, you must be understanding and gracious.   A letter, thanking the Grantor for their consideration, goes a long way in reconsideration if Grant money becomes available again and also in future Grant Proposals.   Your T-21 Grant Specialist guides you in achieving good follow-up communication.

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     STEP-6:  POST-AWARD REPORTING.

T-21's Grant Specialists also help you produce cogent, concise "Post Award Reports," to meet Grant specifications and bolster your reputation as a high-quality recipient.   These periodic or end-of-project reports address  efforts,  expenditures,  results, and  sustainability - helping the Grantor verify that funding was used properly and well.

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     SPECIAL:  UNSOLICITED GRANT PROPOSALS.

T-21 offers a special Unsolicited Grant Proposal service.   If existing RFPs do not fit your needs, T-21 Grant Specialists research Grantors offering funds in the general category you seek and explore the possibility of an Unsolicited Grant Proposal (i.e. - an Applicant proposes a Grant Project when there is no current applicable RFP).   If the Grantor has discretionary funds - your project could receive a Grant Award.

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