How and from whom can we obtain funding for our community-based health improvement project(s)?

Outside funding, in the form of federal, state or local grants, matching funds, or private foundation gifts, is perceived as the “magic bullet” for solving community health access or infrastructure problems. “Where can we get money?” is often one of the first questions a community group looking for solutions asks.

The reality of outside funding is that it functions as only “a part” of any proposed solution, never as “the” solution. The paper-trail process required to obtain any given set of funds is often not only time-consuming, but downright maddening, and monies received usually have strings attached, in the form of administrative, reporting and/or outcome measurement requirements. Grant-writing itself is a specialized function, complete with its own language, and is frequently best left to grant-writing experts.

That’s the bad news. The good news is, community groups can succeed in receiving outside funding and make it work for their purposes. While there are no easy formulas, it helps if community groups search for funds that will evenly match their need(s) criteria. A common mistake is taking the reverse approach, that is, first finding available funds, and then trying to fit the community needs structure into the confines of that set of grant specifications. Before seeking funds, a community must thoroughly investigate its need(s) and refine its specific goal(s) to meet those needs. Being able to clearly articulate this problem-solution continuum, as a guiding vision, is a necessary first step in a process that demands patience and persistence.

One of the challenges in the hunt for external monies is gaining experience on how and where to look for information on grants and funds. The main obstacle is wading through the sheer bulk of information available in published directories or online resources. It is helpful for grant-writing novices to begin small, with a bit of steering from experts. Search strategy suggestions are outlined in the following resources section.

Steps to success include: starting early, following grant Request For Proposal (RFP) guidelines exactly, adhering to submission deadlines and seeking outside advice or assistance (having experts review the grant proposal). A community must also establish, in advance, a sound structure for management of the monies (a suitable fiduciary agent), and most of all, devise a clear-cut plan for continuing the project once the funding runs out, which it usually does.