5 Easy Ways to Land Grants for Foster Care and Group Homes

In the world of social service – especially foster care – money can be tight for agencies. There are always so many more opportunities… if only there was more funding. Of course, there are grants for foster care and group homes… but many find applying for funding to be fruitless as they always get passed over. Maybe you’re wondering how to even apply for foster care grants? Here’s how you can put together a strong application so you can get the funding you need. Read on to get your hands on a list we put together of foster care-related grants to make things even easier. extendedReach always has you covered.

1. Bigger is not always better. It’s tempting to look through a list of foster care grants and cherry-pick the ones with the highest dollar amounts, but we recommend focusing on “fit” and the money will follow. By following our tips and using our downloadable list, you can spend the same amount of time applying for 3 small grants as you would 1 large grant. Fewer people apply for small grants, so there is less competition than for very large grants.
   
   
2. LinkedIn is your friend. LinkedIn isn’t just for finding jobs! You can use the handy networking tool to find and connect with people who work at these grant-giving organizations. If stuck between two candidates, people may be more likely to choose the one that sent a thoughtful, personalized message to them. It only takes a few minutes, and the payoff could be huge.
   
   
3. Save your work. While it can be tempting to type your answers directly into the form and hit send, we recommend copying and pasting the questions into a Word or Google Doc. Not only does this allow easier spell and grammar checks, but you can save your answers to repurpose on other applications! Why spend hours answering the same questions in different ways when you can copy, paste, tweak, and send? The hours of saved time mean you can apply for more foster care and group home grants!
   
   
4. Push your mission – and theirs. Grant-giving organizations take your mission into account… but they’re also thinking about theirs. Choose grants from organizations with similar missions to yours and emphasize how you’re fighting the good fight together. The more an organization sees similarities in you, the more likely they will be drawn to your application.
   
   
5. Focus on accomplishments and data. When applying for funding, it’s hard not to get carried away explaining what you would do with the funding. While it is important for them to fully understand how you will use the money, it’s crucial to establish a good track record. What have you done that has been a success? Why was it successful? What data do you have to show for it? How many lives has your organization impacted? The more numbers proving your case, the better.

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