How to Apply for the CSBG Grant
Applying for grants can be difficult. Each grantor has specific rules to follow and competition is great. CSBG, or Community Service Block Grants, are funds distributed to states and organizations for the purpose of funding programs to ease poverty in communities. Groups that apply must be CAAs, or Community Action Agencies. Here are some basic guidelines for how to apply for the CSBG grant.
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Things You'll Need
- Annual audit Annual report Bookkeeping skills Mission statement Board of Directors Organizational chart
Instructions
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Applying for the Grant
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1
Provide the following information: the amount of the grant you're applying for, the population your grant will serve and other basic information the application requires. Write a cover letter with your agency's contact information and the grant administrator's name. Explain the need for the grant and how the amount of the grant will meet that need. Briefly relate your agency's background and experience with the target population.
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2
Demonstrate the support of both private and public sectors of the population your grant will serve. Do this with letters of recommendation, reports or public hearings.
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3
Give detailed information on how the board of the CAA is constituted, or will be constituted if the organization is applying for the grant for the first time.
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4
Show how the services will be delivered to all parts of the service area and how you will reach the population of the service area. Methods might include opening offices or clinics in the service area or outreach to existing entities.
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5
Include your agency's mission statement, organizational chart and proof that your agency is legally established and can operate in the service area.
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6
Write a history of your agency, a description of your agency's past experience and current services that are relevant to the grant.
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7
Produce written documentation that your agency complies with equal opportunity and affirmative action polices. Explain if your agency has ever been sued on equal opportunity grounds and give the outcome of the suit.
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8
Submit your grant so that it arrives before the September 1 deadline. Make sure you have carefully followed the instructions for the grant application process.
Administering the Grant
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9
Contact your grant officer with any questions or concerns as they arise.
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10
Keep records of how the money is spent, what populations are served and what outcomes the grant has produced.
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Save all documentation for the use of the money. The documentation will be used to prepare an annual report and show that the money was legally spent.
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12
Create an annual report that includes how the grant was administered.
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13
Have an annual audit of your agency done. The audit should be program-specific, meaning that it focuses on the original purpose of the grant and how your results were achieved.
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