For Grantseekers » Grant Writing Assistance Program


In partnership with the Volunteer Center of Erie County, the Sandusky/Erie County Community Foundation supports a Grant Writing Assistance Program to help Erie County non-profit organizations identify and apply for grant resources. The Grant Writing Assistance Program is funded through the generous support of the Randolph J. and Estelle M. Dorn Foundation and the Frost-Parker Foundation. Since its inception in 2006, more than 50 Erie County organizations have utilized the services of the program, generating more than $1,000,000 in grant revenue.

Services of the Grant Writing Assistance Program include:

  • Grant writing
  • Editing or proof reading a draft
  • Finding collaborative partners
  • Grant reporting (for funded grants)
  • Consultation

Reference materials are available for use in the grant writing office at the Volunteer Center for agencies wishing to conduct their own research. Please contact the Volunteer Center to arrange a time to use the materials. Use of reference materials is free of charge.

Reference materials include both hard copy and searchable electronic grants databases, including: The Foundation Directory, The National Directory of Corporate Giving, The Guide to Ohio Grantmakers (on CD) and Grants Station. If you would like to receive information about grant opportunities that may be applicable for your organization, please contact the Volunteer Center to sign up for email notifications.

Fees for Services

The fee for grant writing services of $25 per hour is shared by the Community Foundation and the participating organization. Organizations pay $7 per hour for grant writing services and the Community Foundation will provide the remaining $18 per hour.

Eligibility Requirements

The Grant Writing Assistance Program is available for non-profit organizations located in Erie County. Organizations offering services in Erie County but having offices located outside of Erie County are ineligible, unless the proposed grant seeking efforts are targeted to benefit Erie County.

Applicant agencies must be designated IRS 501 (c) 3 tax as a governmental unit or qualified church or other entity covered by a group exemption.

Application for Grant Writing Assistance

An application form is available at the Volunteer Center or may be downloaded from the Volunteer Center's website at www.thevolunteercenter.com.

You will be contacted within two weeks of submitting your application. Services are available by appointment only. Please note, applications will be reviewed on a first- come, first-served basis.

Organizations applying for assistance for the writing of a grant proposal must provide documentation to the grant writer in a timely fashion. Documentation includes, but may not be limited to:

  • A completed Grant Writing Assistance Program Application
  • IRS letter of tax exemption
  • Mission statement
  • List of current board members
  • Most recent 990 and annual operating budget

Release

Grant writing assistance provided by the Volunteer Center and Sandusky/Erie County Community Foundation does not guarantee funding or grant awards for applicant agencies. In order to track the effectiveness of the Grant Writing Assistance Program, applicant organizations must agree to give permission to the Volunteer Center to release information for statistics and study.