Welcome to Grant Warehouse

Q and A Page

To post a question on Grant Warehouse’s Q and A: 

You can: 
1. Submit a Q&A Form: You may access the form by accessing the How to Submit a Q&A form, or by
2. Simply Emailing your questions(s) to either:
              Kim Guetersloh at:  kimg@klggrants.com 
              Carol Hollmann at:  carolh@klggrants.com
 
The answer to your question will be posted within 2 to 3 business days.
 
              1.  What is a grant? 
The Business Dictionary defines a grant as follows: “A grant is a bounty, contribution, gift, or subsidy (in cash or kind) bestowed by a government or other organization (called the grantor) for specified purposes to an eligible recipient (called the grantee). 
Grants are usually conditional upon certain qualifications as to the use, and maintenance of specified standards, or a proportional contribution by the grantee or other grantor(s).” 
 
        2.   Do grant funds have to be paid back? 
Grant funds do not have to be paid back. However, if you misuse or fraudulently spend the funds, you may have to pay some or all of them back. Be cautious, people have been sent to jail/ prison for misusing grant funds- especially Federal and state funds. There are almost always requirements attached to grants. You must conduct all the activities as submitted in the original grant proposal. You cannot change your mind and go in a different direction. There may be times when you are forced to make changes to the original proposal. Do not make changes until you have submitted an amendment request and have received an amendment approval in writing (Email). Always cover yourself by keeping a paper trail. 
 
             3. How long does it take to write a grant? 
It all depends upon the grant. Some grant applications can be completed in less than an hour, while other grants might take more than 2 months. Corporate grants and Private Foundation grants are often easier to write and submit than federal or state grants. If you are just beginning to write grants, start with the smaller grants that are usually in an application format. Writing for federal opportunities can be complicated, cumbersome, and time-consuming. 
 
4. What is the difference between Grantor and Grantee? 
The grantor is the organization providing the funding, while the grantee is the organization/ individual receiving the funding. 
 
5. How do I know if my organization is eligible to apply for a grant? 
Grantors usually provide an application or at least instructions on the proposal's eligibility requirements. Before you do anything else, ensure your organization is eligible to apply for the grant you are considering. Pay close attention to any geographic restrictions, not-for-profit status requirements, etc. 
If your organization has never submitted a grant application/ proposal, ensure you are grant ready. This includes things like having a Fein, a Not-for-Profit status issued by IRS, and required registrations. A Grant Readiness form is available on this website. 
 
6. What is the difference between Grantor and Grantee? 
The grantor is the organization providing the funding, while the grantee is the organization/ individual receiving the funding. 
 
7. Is it true if you use a font or font size other than the one specified in the instructions/ applications the grantor may toss out your application? 
Yes, it is true. Your application can be tossed out for other things, such as wrong size margins, too many words, too many pages or any other items the Grantor deems a “requirement”. Grantors often use requirements to weed out some applications and to reduce the number of applications that must be read. But also, to eliminate those organizations that do not pay attention to detail or do not follow instructions given. 
 
8. How long does it take to write a grant? 
It all depends upon the grant. I have completed grant applications in less than an hour but have also written grants that have taken over 2 months. Corporate grants and Private Foundation grants are usually easier to write and submit than federal or state grants. If you are just beginning to write grants, start with the smaller grants that are usually in an application format. 
 
9. Are there different types of grants? 
Yes, there are four different types of grants and include: 1. Federal Grants, 2. State or Local Grants, 3. Corporate Grants, and 4. Private Grants and Public Foundations. 
 
     1. Federal Grants: A Federal grant is a "legal instrument reflecting the relationship between the United States Government and a State, a local government, or other entity when 1) the principal purpose of the relationship is to transfer a thing of value to the State or local government or other recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States instead of acquiring (by purchase, lease, or barter) property or services for the direct benefit or use of the United States Government; and 2)substantial involvement is not expected between the executive agency and the State, local government, or other recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated in the agreement." Information taken from: Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1S77, as incorporated in Title 31 Section c304 of the U.S. Code 
There are over 900 federal grant programs offered by the 26 federal grant making       agencies. All federal grants can be found at grants.gov. Federal grants are designed     to support a variety of sectors, including education, small business development,    research, healthcare, and more. 
 
     2. State or Local Grants: The federal government awards hundreds of billions of dollars in grants to state and local governments each year. These grants help finance a broad range of services, including health care, education, social services, infrastructure, and public safety. State and local governments often need assistance with conducting these services and/or programs and will release RFP’s (Request for Proposals) throughout the state or specific regions. 
State and/or local grants can be found by searching through your state’s website. Unfortunately, most states do not have user-friendly access, which means you might have to visit every department to identify any grants that might be available. 
 
     3. Corporate Grants: There are thousands of non-profit organizations and for-profit corporations/businesses that provide grants or other types of funding assistance. Unfortunately, there are no free governmental programs or websites that provide lists of these types of grants. However, there are Internet based grant websites available for monthly or yearly fees. The fees range from less than $200 per year, up to $5,000 or more. The grant information these websites provide is not exhaustive. There are many, many grants that are not well known and little information, if any exists. 
Private Foundation Grants: A private foundation is a nonprofit or charitable organization, created with funds from a single donation, called an endowment, by an individual, family, or business. Trustees or directors manage and disburse the funds according to the mission communicated by the founders. 
 
    4. Private Foundations: do not raise money through public fundraising campaigns but operate on investment income generated from its endowment to fund its activities. For this reason, a private foundation is tax-exempt but does not qualify as a public charity as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 
 
Like corporate grants, there are no free government programs or websites that provide a compilation of available private foundation grants. Once again, grant databases that provide lists of private foundations are available for a fee. Fees range from a few dollars a month up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month.