Grant Application/Proposal Writing Resources

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA #) The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance can now be searched for on the System of Awards Management site.
   
• Central Contractor Registry (CCR) The CCR is the primary registrant database for the U.S. Federal Government. CCR collects, validates, stores and disseminates data in support of agency acquisition missions. Recipients of direct federal contracts and grant awards have been required to be registered with CCR since 2003. The CCR, along with Federal Agency Registration (FedReg), the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), were migrated into the new System for Award Management, or SAM.  Moving the CCR system to SAM was part of the first phase to combine federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) into one new system. beta SAM has streamlined and integrated processes, reduce the number of passwords to remember, reduce the number of systems to interact with, eliminate data redundancies by sharing data across the award life cycle, and reduce costs while providing improved capability.
   
• Choose Maryland.org  This site found within the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development’s website contains state industry and community profiles by county and/or region.
   
• Cognizant agency or an oversight agency based on 2 CFR § 200.513 - Responsibilities:

1. If the amount of Federal awards expended is $50 million or less in a fiscal year, or includes no direct awards, the organization will have an oversight agency.
2. If the amount of Federal Awards expended is more than $50 million in a fiscal year and includes direct awards, the organization will have a cognizant agency.

Q - How do I determine the Federal oversight agency?
A - The oversight agency is the Federal agency that awarded the greatest amount of direct awards expended. If no direct awards were expended, the Federal agency that awarded the greatest amount of indirect awards expended is assigned oversight responsibility. Oversight agencies are identified by the Federal Audit Clearinghouse in the online database based on the expenditures reported in the year of the audit.

The Federal oversight (or cognizant) status and Federal agency for an audit is listed at the bottom of page two of completed Form SF-SAC data for that audit. Completed Form SF-SAC data for any completed audit can be found by searching the Single Audit database.

• Domestic Per Diem Rates To look up rates throughout the continental United States (CONUS). Select a year, and click on a state.
       
• D-U-N-S  The Data Universal Numbering System, abbreviated as DUNS or D-U-N-S, is a system developed and regulated by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) that assigns a unique numeric identifier, referred to as a DUNS number, to a single business entity. The Office of Management and Budget, a United States federal agency, announced in the June 27, 2003 issue of the Federal Register (68 FR 38402) that a DUNS number would be required for all grant applicants for new or renewal awards submitted on or after October 1, 2003. The DUNS number supplements other identifiers, such as the EIN, and is required whether the application is made electronically or on paper.
   
•  Explore Census Data Census Bureau's website which is a good source for population, housing, economic, and geographic data.
       
• Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) The FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) is the reporting tool Federal prime awardees (i.e. prime contractors and prime grants recipients) use to capture and report subaward and executive compensation data regarding their first-tier subawards to meet the FFATA reporting requirements. Prime grant awardees will report against sub-grants awarded. Direct recipients of awards of $25,000 or more will be rEequired to report award information on any first-tier subawards totaling $25,000 or more. The sub-award information entered in FSRS will then be displayed on USASpending.gov associated with the prime award furthering Federal spending transparency. To view a webinar on this requirement vist the FFATA website and click on the Demonstration Link on the right hand side of the main page.
       

• GovGrantsHelp.com   GovGrantsHelp is dedicated to providing local government leaders with grant research and assistance across all categories of federal, state and foundation grants including community development, transportation, water/sewer and health among many others. The site provides original content developed by EfficientGov.com, a leading information service and website for local, county and state government officials, and is designed to provide resources to the spectrum of government officials who need aid in finding grant funding. Registration is free.

• Grant Proposal.info A site devoted to providing free resources for both advanced grant writing consultants and inexperienced nonprofit staff. The site contains numerous tips for proposal writers.
   
• Guide For Writing A Funding Proposal. This website written by S. Joseph Levine, Ph.D., Michigan State University was created to help empower people to be successful in gaining funds for projects that provide worthwhile social service.
   
• IRS Automatic Revocation of Exemption List The IRS has started publishing a list of organizations that have had their federal tax-exempt status automatically revoked for failing to file an annual information return or notice with the IRS for three consecutive years. Before committing to work with a non-profit you can check to ensure that their non-profit status is still relevant.
   
• Maryland State Clearinghouse  Under Executive Order 12372, the federal grant application process may require that the application be submitted for review by the State. The application would therefore be sent to the State Clearinghouse. The primary mission of the Clearinghouse is to ensure that financial and non-financial assistance projects operating within Maryland are consistent with State and local laws, regulations, and guidelines. This is accomplished by circulating requests for financial assistance, plans and development projects to State, regional and local public officials, to ensure that requests, plans, and projects are consistent with public policy.
   
• Maryland State Data Center The Maryland State Data Center (SDC), coordinated by the Maryland Department of Planning, is an official partner with the U.S. Census Bureau. The SDC monitors development trends, analyzes social, economic and other characteristics and prepares population, housing, employment, labor force, and income projections, which provide the baseline for planning for growth and development in the State. The site allows visitors to select a county in Maryland and retrieve the latest Census data for easy download.
   
• M&IE Breakdown Go to this page for Meals and Incidental Expense (M&IE) Breakdown.
   
• The Nonprofit Institute at the College of Southern Maryland  The Nonprofit Institute provides support and training for nonprofit organizations who serve the needs of Southern Maryland communities. The Institute seeks to enhance the effectiveness of nonprofits through the provision of training, networking, and consultation services for nonprofit leaders, their staffs, board members, and volunteers. The institute offers both free and fee based training throughout the year.

• System for Award Management (SAM) SAM is a federal government owned and operated free website that is combining federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one new system. The consolidation includes the functionality from the following systems: Central Contractor Registry (CCR), Federal Agency Registration (FedReg), the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS).

• USA Quick Facts  This site contains frequently requested Census Bureau information at the national, state, and county level.

• Value of Volunteer Time To look up rates for Value of Volunteer Time for Grant Applications. This information is tracked by Independent Sector. Other additional data on the charitable sector can be found under the resources section of independentsector.org website.