Grant Writers’ Listserv
ECC manages a grant writers’ listserv. Grant information is sent to over 400 nonprofits, local governments, school systems, community colleges, and other interested parties. Additionally members of this listserv receive nonprofit management information, grant training opportunities, pertinent studies and reports that may be of interest. To subscribe/unsubscribe to this listserv, contact Executive Director
Periodically ECC conducts grant writing and grant management workshops. This information is sent out on the listserv.
ECC Weekly Information Bulletin
Grant opportunities pertinent to local government are sent out in the Weekly Information Bulletin. The Weekly Information Bulletin also lists major grant deadlines in the “Workshops/Meetings/Events/Deadlines coming up soon” section. Each listing gives contact information.
ECC Research Services
ECC also provides research services (e.g., a municipality is looking for funding for a greenway). ECC staff researches the topic and sends the requestor a list of pertinent resources. It is up to the requestor to follow-up.
ECC Grant Training
ECC is available to train staff from member governments on grant writing and grant management.
ECC Grant Assistance
The Eastern Carolina Council is frequently contacted regarding grants. We are asked to help look for grants for specific purposes and we are asked to help “write” grants. Given the number of requests we get, it is virtually impossible to provide all the assistance needed by local governments and other organizations. If you have a specific need, please contact ECC and we will help if possible.
Planning to Apply for a Grant
First and foremost, organizations and governments can best help themselves by planning. Many applications, especially state or federal, will require evidence that the proposed project is noted in some plan.
In addition, setting aside money for specific projects as part of the yearly budgeting process is not just highly desirable, but in some cases it will even get applicants additional points on the grant application (e.g. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grants).
ECC offers assistance in visioning and planning.
Proposal Writing Assistance
Very few grants allow you to pay someone to write the proposal with grant funds (if awarded). There are grants that allow you to pay someone to help you “plan” for the grant. An example of this is the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) grant. There are other planning grants that will allow you to pay someone to help write a planning document in preparation to writing a future grant.
ECC staff is available to provide this assistance however your investment in this effort is requested. The hours billed by ECC staff go toward helping ECC secure other grants to benefit the region. ECC can help with most any plan, however, it is better to use one of the professional planning or engineering firms for very complex issues requiring original research, highly technical information or engineering services/estimates (e.g., water & sewer).
ECC can, at no charge, provide member governments with some help with writing proposals. If you need some statistics or are looking for a specific piece of information, we can do that research. We can also read your narrative and perhaps provide some suggestions for improvement.
Grants Management
As we say in our grant writing classes, “Getting the grant money is easy, fulfilling the requirements of the grant is not.” Foundations, State agencies, and Federal agencies have been known to request full payback for grant funds that were not properly spent or for programs or projects that did not meet the objectives stated in the grant. Only apply for grants if you are fully prepared to implement the program or project exactly as you stated in the grant application.
ECC can provide grants management services and administrative services for specific grants for a fee (e.g., ECC provides Davis-Bacon job wage rate monitoring for EDA construction projects).
For a fee, ECC can provide accounting services. ECC has also been the designated grant recipient for an otherwise ineligible applicant.
For more information contact:
Executive Director
252-638-3185 x3005