How to Get Federal Grants to Build a Nursing Home

Financial assistance for construction of new nursing homes can sometimes be obtained through federal grants.

Federal grants require more than a great idea. In fact, successful grant proposals develop from grant program research, careful planning, expert writing and absolute compliance to grant program guidelines. For federal grants to construct nursing homes, focus your grant search on agencies that serve the elderly, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It is crucial to select a grant program that specifically matches your goal of constructing a nursing home.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Word processing software
• Internet connection
• Mailer for hard copy delivery
• CD-Rom or thumb drive

Instructions

1. Write an executive summary of the nursing home construction project. This should be a brief 400 to 500 word profile that includes the applicant, potential project partners, location, estimated funding needed, resources the applicant and partners can commit to the project, demographics of those served by the project and a brief project description.

2. Search the Internet for federal, state and community grant programs that fund projects similar to the one described in your executive summary. Common places to start this search include Grants.gov, FederalGrantsWire.com and even Google.

3. Print out all guidelines, forms, and instructions related to the grant programs you decide to pursue. Review this material carefully, ensuring that you can meet deadlines, eligibility requirements and any matching fund requirements.

4. Outline the grant narrative requirements in a blank word processing document. This step will ensure that you do not miss a key detail that must be included in your application. According to Federal Grants Wire, these sections typically include the proposal summary, a needs assessment, the project objectives, a project design, an evaluation and the project budget.

5. Research any parts of the narrative you are not prepared to write online or at a library, being careful to cite sources. Some research might also include surveys and interviews.

6. Write a first draft grant proposal, adhering to all formatting requirements. Share the draft of your grant application with project partners or others with skill in editing. Seek feedback to improve your proposal and polish your writing before submitting.

7. Submit your grant application according to the program instructions by the deadline. This may be through online submission or hard copy delivery. Some grant programs request several copies and/or a CD-ROM or thumb drive version. Once the grant is submitted, all that is left to do is wait for a response, which typically takes four to eight weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• Many federal grant applications include contact information for reaching the grant's program officer. If you hit a snag or have a question, contacting the program officer may save you from unnecessary confusion or mistakes.

• Strong grant proposals can be thrown out if they fail to comply with even one formatting guideline, such as margin width. Be sure you understand the application's guidelines on font, text size, margin width, table sizing, spacing and page or word count.

• To ensure your proposal is delivered on time and to avoid potential mailing delays or Internet failure, submit your proposal several days in advance.

References

• Federal Grants Wire: How to Write a Federal Grant