Grant Services
In response to our clients’ needs and recognizing that most federal funds are distributed in a programmatic and competitive fashion through grants, WSW launched its competitive grants practice in 2003 and was one of the first federal lobbying firms to provide an array of grant services.
WSW prides itself on our ability to assist our clients in navigating the many layers of federal funding sources to effectively identify and secure all available grants. With almost 2,000 federal grant programs administered by more than two dozen federal departments and agencies, one of the most difficult tasks can be identifying viable federal funding opportunities to support our clients’ priorities and initiatives.
We identify and track federal competitive grant opportunities from their inception in legislation until the funding opportunity is announced, devoting considerable resources to ensure our clients are aware relevant grant opportunities available through the federal government. We also follow all developments in the annual budget and appropriations cycle, reporting out to our clients on proposed programs and funding under the President’s budget request, as well as enacted budget levels, so that our clients are up to date, can anticipate new opportunities, and make strategic plans based on the changing priorities of the federal government.
comprehensive competitive grant services
- Researching, identifying, and tracking all available federal, state, local and private funding opportunities that match our clients’ priorities and needs. As an initial first step with new clients, we conduct a landscape assessment of competitive opportunities available to support a client’s identified priority projects and needs.
- Reviewing all current and pending legislation, including an analysis of the various federal appropriations bills, which fund federal competitive grant programs, to provide timely guidance to our clients regarding federal funding priorities.
- Identifying grant opportunities provided by state, local and private foundations and corporations by regularly monitoring funding announcements.
- Supplying ongoing Grants Alerts on funding opportunities of potential interest.
- Assisting with the development, preparation, writing and editing of proposals. Many times, we put together program and application requirements lists of all the information that will need to be included in a proposal. Our clients then pull relevant information and we write/edit the proposal and complete the application package. Alternatively, we can be an outside reviewer and help in the editing of proposals to ensure the proposal is written clearly and concisely, and to make sure all components of a successful application are included.
- Providing a grant development timeline to ensure applications are submitted on time with complete and compelling information.
- Arranging meetings or calls for our clients with relevant officials at the federal, state, and local departments and agencies to discuss proposed project(s) or to ask specific questions regarding a funding opportunity and conducting follow-up as appropriate.
- Drafting letters of inquiry and scheduling introductory calls or meetings with the appropriate staff at targeted foundations and corporations.
- Securing the appropriate congressional letters of support for grant applications. While all grants are peer-reviewed, appropriate expressions of Member interest demonstrate that a submission has broad-based support.
- Working with Congress and the Administration to change or potentially create new funding opportunities.
- Assisting with grant reporting, and the entire life cycle of the grant process.
WSW: We Help Make the Good Happen.