401-368-2401
+ Foundation Research
+ Federal SBIR grants (NSF, DOE, DOD, EPS)
+ Federal 5310 transportation grants
+ Federal & state economic development grants
+ Development training
+ Strategic planning
— Eric Robinson, Claflin Medical Equipment
— Dr. Alan Jackson, V.P., Hiwassee College
- $750,000 Economic Development
- $79,000 Disability Transportation
- $30,000 School Technology
- $7,000 Capacity Building
- $10,000 Transitional Housing
- $100,000 Summer Jobs Program
- $250,000 Employment Training
- $250,000 Healthcare (EHR)
- $15,000 Disability Summer Camp
- $150,000 Capitalization
- $130,000 Raised for Disaster Relief
FAQs
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[acc_item title=”I just formed my nonprofit, am I eligible to receive grants?”]You may be eligible, but in most cases foundations are reluctant to fund newly-formed organizations, or organizations that may have been established but do not yet have a track record of success.[/acc_item]
[acc_item title=”I want to start a small business – are there grants out there I may qualify for?”]Probably not. Most grants originate from foundations and government agencies for the purpose of generating significant benefits to the public. There are a small number of foundations that will provide funding to businesses if they are providing a public service, but this is not common. If you want to start a for profit business you are probably going to have to look for funding through a commercial or SBA loan or private investors.[/acc_item]
[acc_item title=”What type of programs are eligible for government grants?”]There are thousands of RFPs for government grants issued every year from many federal agencies such as the Dept. of Education, the EPA, USDA, Dept. of Energy and more. Federal grants typically allow for profit businesses or nonprofit organizations apply as long as they can deliver the desired results. Check www.grants.gov to research.[/acc_item]
[acc_item title=”My nonprofit just got its 501(c)(3) status, can you help me obtain funding”]Maybe. As long as your organization has 501(c)(3) status you will be eligible for most grants (of course you have to meet the funding criteria). However it is very difficult to get funding as a startup. There are some, but not many, foundations that are willing to take a chance on a startup. Typically you need about a year of experience under your belt, as an organization, before you have a good shot at winning grant funding. After a 5-10 minute call I can assess whether you have a chance to be competitive.[/acc_item]
[acc_item title=”Can you help me get a grant to go to school, buy a house, etc?”]No. I don’t work with individuals, only nonprofits and in some cases, businesses.[/acc_item]
[acc_item title=”Can you help me identify funding sources?”]Yes. I offer a research/ feasibility package. If you have not yet identified good prospects it is essential that you do this first. You don’t want to spend lots of $ having me or someone else write you a grant only to realize there is no funder that is will consider it. As part of my prospecting I look through an extensive database of funders whose funding priorities align with your group’s mission, then call them each personally to better ascertain whether there is a good fit.[/acc_item]
[acc_item title=”How long does it take to get grant funding?”]Development needs to be viewed as a long-term investment. Very rarely does an organization write a single grant and receive immediate funding. It will generally take 6-9 months from the time you start submitting grant proposals until the funding pipeline starts flowing. You will not receive every grant you apply for so organization’s usually need a broad-based approach — applying to many foundations/ government agencies. It often takes 1-3 months before the foundation reviews the proposal and gets back to you with an answer. Some grantmakers accept proposals on a rolling basis, but most have 2-4 deadlines per year..[/acc_item]
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Fees
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Business Startup Consultation
I can help. Over the past 13 years I have built two successful businesses using a model which I have spent years refining. The first business has consistently grossed between $200,000-$600,000/ year. The second generated nearly $70,000 in revenue in year 1. This model works best for individuals whose businesses have the following attributes:
- The service provided can be delivered remotely (i.e. your customers could be next door in 1,000 miles away)
- The principal has a strong track record and credentials
- There is a strong demand for the services offered
I offer one package for startup business which includes seven components over four month, for a fee of $2,000:
- Business assessment – This is the feasibility study during which time I interview the new client to fully understand the business model and the competition; I analyze competitors online marketing strategies and together with client create a game plan.
- Develop web-page using wordpress platform – Web presence is essential and a professional website with the write content and design will help you land new clients.
- Create online marketing campaign and landing page – This is the heart of the plan to market your consulting services
- Establish trust – join appropriate associations and setup credit card processing accounts
- Implement lead tracking system – Converting leads into clients is what it’s all about!
- Online marketing monitoring & tweaking
- On-going counsel as needed
Call me today for a free consult. Trust me, I won’t take your $ unless I feel like your business has potential and I think I can help!
— Aaron
401-368-2401
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Aaron Gets Results – 0ver $200 Million Raised for his Clients
Aaron has been writing grants for over 28 years. He cares about his clients’ success and takes pride in helping organizations to better pursue their missions. Through his work Aaron has helped win funding to: create summer jobs for youth; expand an organic farm; improve the healthcare training infrastructure in Liberia; fund free medical clinics in Florida; build a community grocery store in Maryland; help victims of human trafficking; serve homeless veterans, and much more. He offers a number of services including grant writing, research, strategic planning, feasibility studies, coaching and editing. Contact Aaron today and learn how he can help your organization to succeed.
TRACK RECORD
- 28+ Years of experience as a grant writer & reviewer
- 20 Years experience running a successful eCommerce business
- 11 Years presiding as board president of a private grant-making organization
GRANT WRITING EXPERIENCE
- Community & Family Foundations
- Private Foundations
- State agencies (Dept. of Labor, Health & Human Services, +)
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Department of Education (DOE)
- Department of Health and Human and Human Services (DHHS)
- Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR — various agencies)
- Department of Transportation (DOT)
- US Treasury Department
- World Bank
SERVICES
- Grant Proposals
- Business Plans
- Letters of Inquiry (LOI)
- Foundation Research
- Feasibility Studies
- Strategic Planning
- Executive Coaching
- Editing
- Dissertation/ Publication Critiques
Free Online Marketing!
Ever wonder how you can give your little non-profit a competitive advantage and put you on the same playing field as the big players in your industry? I can help you obtain $10,000/ month in FREE online advertising AND teach you to leverage this resource to bring volunteers and money into your organization.
Google has a great program for nonprofits that very few take advantage of. It’s called “Google Grants” and most legitimate non-profits qualify. Once enrolled you are allotted $300/ day in Adwords credits. What does this mean? Depending on factors such as the competitiveness of keywords in your field, and the search volume of your selected keywords, you could generate anywhere from 10-600 new visitors per day to your website!! So what you ask? So a lot of things!! This is a humungous resource – you can target your ads to run in just your town or state or nationally if your group’s geographic scope is that broad. Recruit volunteers and mentors; attract new donors; publicize an event. All for NOTHING! Your ads will show up on mobile devices, computers, laptops tablets … even gmail. This can translate into $$ for your mission. Let’s say for example you attract 200 visitors/ day to your donation page. Assuming a 1% conversion rate means you’ll generate an extra 2 donors/ day – 700/ year! At an average donation rate of $15 that amounts to $10,500/ year.
Why doesn’t every nonprofit take advantage of this program? Most simply don’t know about it, or have the time and experience to do anything about it. I don’t know how long this opportunity will last but I can help you get started. Why choose me to assist you? I know Adwords very well because I have spent over $100,000 of my own money advertising various businesses. And this investment has resulted in over $2.5 million in sales over the past 6-7 years. So, yeah, I know a thing or two about Adwords.
I offer several different packages to non-profits wanting to get started with the Google Grants/ Adwords program. Perhaps you want help setting up the account and the first few advertising campaigns and some training – this way you can continue on your own. Or I can get the whole schtick going from account setup, strategy, landing pages, keyword evaluation and regular monitoring. My rates are very affordable and it will result in up to $120,000 in free advertising per year for your program! Call for a quick, free, 5-minute consult. 401-368-2401
401-368-2401.
Webinars
Are you looking for actionable advice from an experienced fundraiser and grant writer? Do you need help developing ideas to improve your organization’s program and upgrade your own skillset so that you can more effectively raise funding for your nonprofit? If you answered “yes”, then please Join me for an information-packed webinar that will arm you with strategies and ideas to strengthen your organization’s fundraising capacity. There are many advantages to this popular webinar series including:
- Gaining insight from other nonprofit leaders
- Leaning grant writing and research techniques that you can apply immediately
- Receiving feedback about your goals and vision
- Learning from the successes and mistakes of others in the same situation
Space is limited in order to provide a meaningful, interactive experience for all.
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[wp_cart_button name=”Personalized Coaching” price=”29″]
Where do I go from here? Personalized Coaching Session
Date: On-going Duration: 45-60 minutes Fee: $95
Do you have an idea for a nonprofit organization or a business that you want to start, but not sure what steps to follow? Is your nonprofit already established and in need of funding? Do you need advice about if and how you should diversify your revenue streams? Do you need help presenting your programs and services in a more ‘fund-able’ way? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you will benefit from a personalized coaching session. Each session is one-on-one, or should you choose we can conference-in one additional participant, and tailored to your organization’s needs. Prior to the session I will review your materials (ie. website/ brochure, previous grant proposal) and ask you to fill out a brief survey so I can better understand what information will be most helpful. The outcome I shoot for is for my clients to leave the session with a sense of purpose and a clear understanding of the big picture — the steps necessary to take their organization to the next level. Additional sessions are available at the discretion of the client.
[wp_cart_button name=”Grant Writing 101″ price=”29″] Grant Writing 101: An Overview
Date: June 26, 8:30pm EST Duration: 1 hour Fee: $29
This session will focus on the nuts and bolts of the raising funds through grants, including: identifying the right funding sources, cultivating relationships with program officers, fund-able vs. un-fundable ideas and organizations, the LOI, timeline and reporting. This is the course to start with for startups or pre-startups that need to learn about what lies ahead for their organization. This promotional price is available only for a limited time (regular fee = $60). Register today!
[wp_cart_button name=”Funder Research” price=”75″] Research: How to Find the Right Funders
Date: TBD Duration: 1.25 hours Fee: $75
Writing a really good grant proposal is the easy part! Finding the right funder is the first and often biggest hurdle. How do you know where to send your grant? How do you identify the foundations whose funding priorities match up best with your work? In this webinar I will share my techniques for finding the best prospects and we will discuss how to create the elevator pitch you will need to get your foot in the door.
[wp_cart_button name=”Free Online Marketing” price=”125″] Could You Use $10,000/ month in Free Advertising?
Date: TBD Duration: 1.5-2 hours Fee: $125
Learn how to receive up to $10,000/ month in free online advertising through Google’s Adwords for Charity program. I have spent over $100,000 of my own, real, money over the past 10 years so I know first hand how beneficial this program can be in driving traffic to your website. As a nonprofit you can leverage this resource to attract volunteers and donors. This session will provide an overview of the program, signup instructions and a tutorial to setup your first advertising campaign.
[wp_cart_button name=”Proven Grassroots” price=”100″] Beyond the Grant: Proven Grassroots FR Strategies
Date: TBD Duration: 1.5 hours Fee: $100
Foundation and sometimes government grants are an appropriate ingredient in your development portfolio. But if your entire plan relies on getting a big foundation grant to get your organization started you have a long road ahead of you! There are many other ways nonprofits can generate revenue. This session will explore: the individual appeal (to donors big and small), fee for service opportunities, contracting and crowd-sourcing. This session will incorporate materials and case studies to illustrate effective approaches.
Speech Writing
Whether you need a speech written for an award acceptance, a business presentation, a keynote address or even a wedding toast, Aaron can help you find the right words, and have the desired affect on your audience. In 1991 Aaron delivered the keynote student address at his commencement ceremony at UMASS, Amherst to an audience of over 10,000. Engaging and inspiring an audience which included 5,000 raucous college students takes a combination of planning, deliberation and courage! He is still passionate about effective communication and as a speech writer loves helping clients achieve their goals through the spoken word. He has written speeches for politicians, professional athletes, CEOs and regular folk who want their words to resonate. Contact Aaron for a free consult to discuss how he may assist.
Strategic Planning
Having a well developed strategic plan in place can help your organization in several ways, it will:
- Help to develop a shared vision among stakeholders
- Provide a detailed road map for future growth
- Demonstrate to potential and current donors that you have a plan
- Improve morale among your board and staff
- Excite and motivate stakeholders to become more involved
The language above is very precise in order to emphasize the importance of process and ensure that your plan will not sit on some shelf collecting dust. The purpose of a strategic plan is not to write your organization’s vision. The purpose is to create a vision. By implicit definition, a vision is contextual — it cannot exist independently of PEOPLE! Therefore embodied in a “vision” or vision statement is that it has ‘buy-in’ from stakeholders. Further, the process of creating a vision — or strategic plan — should incorporate several important attributes:
- Inclusivity
- Utilization of data and evidence-based research
- Commitment to iterative dialog and qualitative analysis
- Openness to critical feedback and divergent/ transformational ideas
- Awareness of the marketplace (competitors, partners, market conditions)
How do you create a strategic plan? There are several ways to design the process, depending on the size and culture of the organization. A small or emerging organization may only necessitate involvement of the executive director and board — much of the work can be accomplished in two half-day retreats, with one-on-one meetings, data collection and market analysis conducted in-between. A regional or statewide organization that includes the general public as its stakeholders may also choose to hold public forums, or host online surveys, to illicit input.
On a more granular level I like to start with a point in time 1 to 5 years in the future and work backwards. What do you want to have accomplished 5 years from now? Once that vision is in place the process of breaking it down into goals, objectives, strategies and actions steps — with financial projections and timelines — can be tackled in a relatively straightforward manner.
Aaron’s role as a facilitator through this process is to keep everyone’s ‘eyes on the prize’ — this document is not meant to be static, intimidating, or a paperweight. The purpose is to excite & motivate stakeholders and set a clear path to help your organization meet its vision!