FY 2010 Funding: Calls to Officials During Slow Grant Times Crucial

Federal grant solicitations tend to dwindle in the latter part of a year, but FAM Editor Ray Sweeney says nonprofits shouldn't become complacent.

Sweeney, who has years of grant submission and management experience, recommends nonprofits use the slow federal grant time to get up-to-date on the funding process for FY 2010.

Solicitations are dwindling now through the end of December because the FY 2009 funds are depleted and the FY 2010 funding process is just getting underway in many cases, Sweeney says.

The best way for a nonprofit to get up-to-speed on its funding programs is to pick up the phone and call the program manager.

"Calling the program manager should always be the first step," Sweeney says. "This time of year is good, because they are more likely to be available for discussion. These discussions are crucial in getting a sense how grants will be run under the Obama Administration."

For example, Sweeney contacted the program official for the Advanced Placement (AP) Test Program (CFDA Number: 84.330B) at the Education Dept. in early September. The program provides grants to states to enable them to pay AP test fees for low-income students.

In FY 2009, the grant solicitation process began in January, with a deadline in the spring. Through the call to the program official, Sweeney uncovered that the grant solicitation would be moved up to September this fiscal year "to better align with the start of the new school year." The FY 2010 deadline is several months ahead of schedule, with grants due Nov. 10.

Sweeney also learned the call that the Obama Administration's Education Dept (DoEd) doesn't seem as worried about updating DoEd's Funding Forecast as previous administrations have been. The AP program official didn't even know who is responsible for updating the site. He directed Sweeney to the program website, which included the program guidance. Under previous administrations, DoEd's forecast was crucial. The forecast provided the grant guidance, and the program page may or may not have had a link to the guidance.

"This is a new administration and with a new White House occupant, come new rules," Sweeney says. "It seems from the calls I have made that each agency is setting its own method, which focuses more and more on posting grant guidance on the program's particular section on the larger agency site. This isn't a given, though, and calls to officials can clear up the situation up and provide other insights."

Info: Sweeney, 301/588-6380, ext. 175; for more on the AP program, please visit http://tinyurl.com/y9ypzm4;  for DoEd's Funding Forecast, please visit http://tinyurl.com/94no7.



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