Acquiring a grant for international development projects is one of the many goals NGOs have. Grants are similar to donations wherein an organization basically does not give anything in return for the funds given. They are, however, obliged to use the funds for the purpose in which are they are operating, specifically for international development projects. Given the many benefits grants can bring to organizations and numerous individuals, needless to say that they also aren’t easy to get. A long process takes place which involves hours of hard work with no assurance to the grant.
Grants for international development projects are typically offered by institutions such as philanthropic organizations and government agencies. These grant offers are very specific in their requirements and specifications. NGOs must fit the role these grant funding agencies seek and follow each and every instruction thoroughly as a small variation can cause your NGOs chances in acquiring a grant. Thus, you must be very careful in both selecting a grant as well as the application process. Before even applying for a grant, you must make sure that your organization meets the criteria needed in the grant they are offering, as going through the entire application process only to be denied will cause wastage in both the time and effort dedicated to the application.
Given that international development grants are very specific, learning the general types of grants being offered is a good step into getting to know the specifics of a grant, and eventually patterning some of your initiatives into the specific grant being offered. Some of the general types of grants focuses on the following: education, healthcare, environment, gender equality, and relief and rehabilitation.
Grants for international projects are available from various sources. Many platforms such as funding directories like AsianNGO could guide organizations such as NGOs, and nonprofits in searching for their grants. Subscribing or looking into the funding directory of your choice will definitely ease the process of seeking for a funding opportunity.
Without a subscription to a funding directory, there are also well-known organizations who offer funding assistance for international development. An example of this would be the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation who focuses on protecting the environment as well as reproductive rights. In the years they have been in service, they have been providing grants for organizations who also try to address those issues. Apart from the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, the Wallace Global Fund has likewise been in service for the past couple of years and has been granting funds to those who are able to solve global problems through innovation and technology. Additionally, J.P. Morgan is another organization providing funds. Although they also have focus areas, J.P. Morgan has granted several funds in various areas such as the environment, education, health and sanitation, international affairs, and lastly urban affairs.
As much as your chances of acquiring a grant can seem huge from organizations like J.P. Morgan because of their wide range of grants, also remember that the more categories or focus areas they have, the more competition you will receive from other organizations as well.
International grants for individuals have also been made available by organizations like the well-known Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who also have a wide range of funds available for people who would like to apply.
The key to acquiring grants for international development projects is to be knowledgeable enough in terms of researching for the right organizations in applying for a grant. Additionally, your research skills could be perfect but one must be careful in strictly following all guidelines required by the grant-funding agency. It should also be own your foundation must be an expert in grant-writing. One thing that a foundation like an NGO or an NPO both need are funds to continually operate and be able to deliver proposals. This cannot be done without expert grant-writing skills.
