Government grants have long been necessary but now, more than ever, they are essential for many organizations to stay afloat.  Federal funds are being allocated to businesses and non-profits that are facing new challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Great, in theory, but the application process can be daunting and sometimes can take months to finalize.  Well, fret not!  We have a dedicated team of grant writers, and more specifically, government grant writers at Orange Door Consulting that are experts at managing this process.

Government Grant Writing is a craft that requires special experience, skill, and attention to detail.  At Orange Door Consulting, we are highly skilled in developing government grant proposals because of key staff members’ immense experience in proposal development, extensive vetting of funding opportunities, and strong collaboration with our clients to ensure we submit only viable proposals.  Since its inception, Orange Door Consulting has successfully assisted our clients in securing millions of dollars in government grant funding.

How do we do that?

First, we start with the basics.  While there are other federal agency-specific requirements, below are the general requirements for federal grant applications*:

• 501(c)(3) Tax ID Number

• DUNS Number

• gov account

• SAM Registration

*DUNS: Data Universal Numbering System.  SAM: System for Award Management.

State and local government grants require the same general requirements as federal grants, with the exception of a Grants.gov account.

The applications that we submit fulfill all of the above requirements.  We then review the specific Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) or Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for additional requirements.  We also believe it is a best practice to apply for eRA Commons (an electronic submission portal currently used by SAMHSA and Health & Human Services Departments) even if it may not be required currently, since more and more federal agencies may begin using this system in the future.

So, in summation, it’s as easy as DUNS, SAM, NOFO, NOFA, eRA… uhh, yes, that’s a lot of acronyms.  Fortunately, we handle the majority of this so our clients don’t need to.

Why is it so important that we have dedicated staff for this process?

Many of Orange Door’s clients require government grant proposals.  These types of grants are far more competitive than non-government grants because they are less abundant; often they run on multi-year cycles for applications.  So, your organization may not be able to apply for the same grant the following year if you miss a deadline which may be detrimental to your organization’s budget.  Sometimes, certain grants only become available every five years.  Our team plays a critical role in making sure that our clients never miss the appropriate opportunity for funding.

What kind of information does Orange Door gather for clients?

• Specific experience/expertise in the area that the organization is applying.

• Examples of capacity/capital, abundance, and a fiscally strong team.

• Substantive budgets: most, if not all, government grants are funded on a reimbursable level. If organizations cannot put up the money for this, they cannot be approved for the grant.

• Robust structure and departments, strong fiscal management.

• Tracking of the data: we work with our clients’ evaluation and data management systems (or create them if they do not yet exist).

• Partnerships and collaborations —MOUs (yes, more acronyms!), letters of commitment, and letters of support are typically required when applying.  These include partnerships within the community to prevent a duplication of services, so we strategically make the strongest case for your organization’s unique attributes and program delivery.

• Proven ability to execute funding programs with successful outcomes. This may be indicated in the agency’s outcomes and track record in program management.

• The use of evidence-based practices. Most, if not all, government funding programs require the use of evidence-informed practices so agencies must demonstrate their background using evidence-based practices or at least a willingness to use them.

Your organization is hardly the only voice in this process, and one individual cannot do it alone.  To be successful in securing government grants, we have to work as a team; this is critical to winning a government grant.  There are numerous facets to the application itself: the research, budget, narrative, review process, planning, staffing, and the various document requirements.  Orange Door is able to oversee each of these components and work with our clients’ teams to successfully compile winning government grant proposals.  After all, Together Everyone Achieves More, or TEAM.