Wanting to expand your grant raising horizons but run into many potential grant donors that indicate they may give to your nonprofit, only to find in the fine print, later, that they only give to pre-selected organizations (or they do not accept unsolicited grant proposals, or they are not accepting grant applications at this time)? Yes, they may seem implacable but the reality is there is a way to get your organization in front of most any grant donor even if they are not accepting grant applications.

If, as you conduct research into which grant donors would potentially be more likely to give to your nonprofit (this process is called 'prospecting') you run into a few potential donors whose giving guidelines state three important indicators that they are likely to give to your nonprofit: they fund causes such as the one(s) your nonprofit works on, they fund the types of programs or projects that you are writing the grant proposal to fund, and they fund nonprofits serving the geographic region that yours' is going to serve through your proposed project or program.

The Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF) and the Regional Affiliate Foundations of Doddridge, Ritchie, Jackson, Mason Counties and the Little Kanawha Area (Wirt/Calhoun) is currently accepting applications for grants for the fall cycle of its Community Action Grant Program.

Applications must be postmarked by Sept. To be eligible for a grant from the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, either the applicant or program to be funded must be located in the Foundation's 11 county geographic service area Wood, Wirt, Doddridge, Ritchie, Pleasants, Roane, Calhoun, Gilmer, Jackson and Mason counties in West Virginia and Washington County, Ohio.

Here’s an interesting article from a writer who has gotten a number of grants. Lots of common sense that we often don’t apply when dealing with foundations for any kind of grant.

Research is the first step. This is the same advice I’d give if you were, say, looking to query a publication or apply to an MFA program. You should carefully study any information the foundation or other grant-giving body provides, whether it is just a blurb in a newsletter or a multi-paged, detailed website. You must understand what the foundation is looking for and whether you fit the profile, so you don’t waste both your time and theirs.

Brave New Words: How to Get Grants.