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Step 1
Identify what government agency or in most cases agencies give grants in your industry. Although this can be more technical then it first looks, because why you may be building a daycare you may be eligible to receive grant money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So the best way to do this is to search free grant data bases such as grants.gov.
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Step 2
Once prospective funding agencies are identified, research the agency. Since it is government operated all the information you need will be public. Research what type of projects they have funded in the past, the typical amount funded, and any type of projects they directly indicate they do not fund.
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Step 3
If you believe you make a good fit for grant funding, contact them. Yes directly, but do not mention funding yet. Just start a relationship. Start as locally as possible. For instance do not go straight to the D.C. office if their is a local branch. Create a relationship with the offices.
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Step 4
Let the office representatives know what your organization does and who benefits. This not only helps you but will help them, so it is a win win situation and that is what you need to get a better chance of getting a grant for a government agency. Think about it makes perfect since, agencies get calls from individuals and informal groups daily with problems, if your organization helps with those problems they can send the people to you. So you can not just tell them there is a need, they will see the need and see how it was filled.
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Step 5
Now that you have a relationship with the government agency, find out how grants are usually applied for. If all grants have to go through grants.gov go ahead and go through the process but ask you new friends for advice if time allows. Just make sure you are not keeping them from anything, or you are not calling them nonstop.
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Step 6
Keep in touch with the agency other any help to them they might need that you can provide. For instance if your organization specializes in areas that might be helpful to them offer to do a presentation for them and their employees.
