Grant Information

Christian community computer centers qualify for many grants from foundations and other grant-giving organizations. Because the focus of Christian community computer centers is on addressing the digital divide, they can apply for grants from most foundations and some government agencies, without any modification to program design or the Christian character of the organization. Some tips to help get you started include:

1) Invest a significant amount of time doing research to find which grants to apply for. Probably the best resource for this is the Foundation Center (www.fdncenter.org). They have a list of local grant libraries (www.fdncenter.org/collections/), which should probably be your first step in applying for grants. Two additional resources are shown below. Most of these grants are more difficult to get because they are often national in scope.

• Tech Grants Newsletter (www.imakenews.com/techfoundation/) on grants for technology
• List of Tech Grants (www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/2comptec.htm)
• Foundation Center's Tech Grant List (www.fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_science.jhtml)

2) Talk with the grant-giving organization, and if possible set up a meeting to give the "pitch" for your grant. Many grant-makers see hundreds or thousands of applications, so a personal meeting is a great way to stand out.

3) Get books on grant writing, and if it is your first grant application, you can request a model grant from AC4 at info@ac4.org.

4) Do not assume that because you are a Christian organization, you can only apply to Christian grant-giving organizations. Most grant-giving organizations will only want to ensure that their funds are going toward social service (i.e. not to pay the pastor's salary). Having said that, be sure to read the fine print on any restrictions on your programs related to religion, and clearly, decisions related to these are up to your organization.