Grants & Community Development
Search For Grants
How Do I Get Some Grant Money?
Grant funds are directed to not-for-profit entities and local government agencies, for a specific purpose. Grant funds are NOT available to start or expand a business. In selected cases, for-profit businesses might qualify for innovative research grants. Visit www.mtip.mt.gov. To learn about Downtown Billings incentive and grant programs, see www.downtownbillings.com.
In general, for all grants, you must tell about a need in the community, document the need with some statistics and stories, and then tell how your project or idea will successfully address that "unmet need." (Do you have a proven record of accomplishments in the service area or business for which you want money?)
Next, you must develop a timeline and a budget, showing "Sources of Funds" and "Uses of Funds." And, most funding sources require, or at least encourage, collaborative efforts in a community - they nearly always ask, "Who else is addressing this need, and how are you working with them?"
You may approach local service clubs, business owners and corporations to inquire about both local and corporate or foundation funding guidelines. Once you find potential, fitting funding sources to investigate, you must evaluate whether your organization is ready to accept the responsibilities, accountability, and reporting requirements should your request be successful.
You can obtain information and sign up for grants alerts on several web sites:
- www.fdncenter.org - The Foundation Center
Note: The MSU-Billings library is a cooperating collection with The Foundation Center. At the MSU-Billings library, you can access the database of grantmakers through the "FC Search" program. Ask a librarian for assistance. - www.tgci.com - The Grantsmanship Center
- www.GrantStation.com
- www.seliger.com
Look for federal government information at www.grants.gov
You'll want to use statistics and demographic information to support your statement of need.
Learn more about grant seeking at our free Grants Workshop.
