Acquiring Public Funding

What is public funding?

• Public funding is funding that comes from the public treasury, used as the funding of health, human service, environmental, community development, and other public service programs.

Why should your organization apply -or not apply - for public funding?

• Advantages of public funding:– It represents the largest amount of money available to fund

organizations or initiatives– It is often more reliable and more long-term than private funding– It is often appropriated specifically for what your organization

does– It gives your organization more credibility in the community– It may make it easier for your organization to gain funding from

other sources – It is subject to advocacy, and therefore you may have some

influence on how much of it is available

• Disadvantages of public funding:– Proposals may be extremely time-consuming and

difficult to write– It may come with lots of conditions attached– It requires strict accounting and audit procedures– It may conflict with your mission and philosophy– It may be administered by a bureaucracy– Payments may be slow in coming– Public funding can get cut or run out if the economy is

bad

How do you find out about the availability of public funding?

• Federal, state, and local agencies' mailing lists• The Federal Register• Federal, state and local government agencies' websites• The newsletters and journals of professional associations

and community coalitions • Individuals at potential funding agencies or town or county

offices• Becoming part of a larger network of community-based,

non-profit, and other organizations and agencies in your area

How do you position your organization to acquire public

funding?• Eligibility– 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status– Appropriate administrative and organizational

structure– Staff with appropriate credentials and training– Proper money management, bookkeeping/accounting,

and audit procedures– Compliance with ADA regulations– A good track record

• Relationships– Establish relationships with your federal and state

legislators– Establish relationships with individuals at agencies that

might fund you– Attend meetings, conferences, etc. where you'll meet

others doing the same work you do– Join coalitions and collaborate whenever you can– Volunteer for committees and task forces you're

interested in, and take responsibility

How do you apply for public funding?

• The RFP process– The services or programs desired– The amount of money available– Who is eligible to apply– What the deadlines are– What information the applicants need to

submit– What the proposal should look like

If you're successful

• Remember that you still have to work on:– Grants, contracts, and financial survival– Legal agreements– Funder's procedures– Scope of work issues– Diversification of funding