Federal & State Government Funding

There is no area in philanthropy today that is changing as much as government funding. With the devolution of the federal government and the funding shifts to the state and local levels, obtaining grants and contracts from public agencies has become a real challenge. The speed of change in government is not unlike that on the Internet—just as soon as you think you understand and have a handle on information, it changes.

Even with all the changes, however, public funding is still the primary source of support for the nonprofit sector as a whole, as well as for schools, libraries and local governments. Organizations seeking money from state government are learning to be flexible, and to closely monitor developments in the state Legislature and within the departments of the executive branch. Not unlike the advice from Wall Street investors who say the best way to make money is to already have some, one of the best ways to get a grant or contract with state government is to already have one. The system favors those providers who are already in the system.

The search for federal funding opportunities can be time consuming and frustrating. Federal funding is available from approximately 1500 grant programs, most of which are administered in a decentralized manner. Some programs are administered by several agencies working together. While most federal agencies and departments do not as yet have a single departmental publication that describes all grant programs in the department, many departments are becoming fairly sophisticated at providing searchable information via departmental web sites. Others have yet to catch much of a “ride on the information highway.” Agency and departmental descriptions, as well as web site addresses, are profiled in the Federal Government Departments section. As you can see, the amount and kind of information varies widely.

For readers new to the process of obtaining government grants and contracts, the introductory articles to the federal and state sections are designed to help you begin to understand how the system works, and how you can participate. Introductory articles to each type of funding precede both the federal and state government sections. Click here to continue