As your philanthropic resource to strengthen your financial footing, Miner and Associates, Inc. offers a broad range of consulting services.
Menu of Services
- Find Funding Sources
- Plan and Write Proposals
- Critique Proposal Drafts
- Evaluate Grant Programs
- Conduct Grant Workshops
Are you searching for potential grantmakers? Our extensive print and electronic databases far exceed the "free" information on the Internet.
Recent Example: A faith-based organization asked us to identify possible funding sources for a major spirituality project. After learning project details, we combed print and electronic grant information sources; identified 36 potential funding sources; provided private foundation profiles, application guidelines, and a listing of prior grant awards from these funding sources; and prioritized the potential grantmakers on the basis of our past experience. The faith-based organization is now writing their own proposals, following our recommendations.
Do you have a good idea for a proposal but lack the time or expertise to write one? We've written or mentored over 5,000 proposals that cover the entire range from the arts to zoology.
Recent Example: A state government agency wanted to bolster its rehabilitation services but lacked both the time and the grant expertise to write a competitive proposal. Our approach began by identifying a future grant writer within the agency and providing on-the-job training to that individual; together, we outlined the proposal following the RFP, adjusted the proposal outline based on the reviewer's evaluation form, wrote the proposal elements, balanced the content for a combination of logical and psychological arguments, incorporated essential document design features to enhance proposal readability, and made multiple passes in editing the proposal before final submission. The proposal was subsequently funded; more importantly, the agency now has an internal proposal writer that can "carry the lantern" on future grant applications.
Have you written a draft of a proposal but would like an independent review prior to formal submission? We have a long checklist of content and format things to look for that can help strengthen your proposal.
Recent Example: A for-profit firm was seeking funding to develop some new technologies for use with handicapped children. It had applied for grants on two previous occasions but both proposals were declined. We reviewed the penultimate draft of their third attempt and offered a number of content and format suggestions that would strengthen their proposal. Our suggestions were based on both the earlier reviewer comments and our past experience. Final revisions were made and the proposal was subsequently funded. The third time was a charm.
Do you wonder if you have the right systems and procedures in place to compete effectively in the grants arena? We often review agency grant programs and offer suggestions to improve their infrastructure and grant competitiveness.
Recent Example: With the arrival of a new president, a small university decided to ratchet up its grant programs but knew it lacked the current infrastructure to compete successfully. As we did an external review of the university grantseeking capacity, we recommended new systems and procedures regarding hiring guidelines , grant office best practices, and actually drafted policies covering such topics as institutional scholarship expectations, course "buy-outs," indirect cost returns, cost sharing, intellectual property, collaboration agreements, role of grantseeking in promotion and tenure, and criteria for establishing new programs. After appropriate internal discussions among area vice presidents and the faculty senate, the policies were adopted with minimal revisions and the new grantseeking efforts have begun. In the first six months, the university applied for more grants than it had in the previous four years.
Would your organization profit from specialized skill training in successful grantseeking? We can tailor four different grant programs to meet your agency needs.
Recent Example: On average, we do 50-100 workshops a year that have trained a cumulative 10,000 plus grantseekers. For more details on our grant workshops, click here.