How Do I Find Grant Funding?
Grant funding for your work can come from a variety of local, regional, national, and public, and private sources. Below are some funding search engines and funding opportunity lists that may help you identify new sources of funds.
Deal or No Deal?
A critical part of successful grant seeking is making sure you pursue only those grant opportunities that are a tight fit with your project, personnel and timing. The Deal or No Deal (PDF) handout is a tool you can use to consider the key questions that will determine whether a particular grant opportunity is worth pursuing or not.
Resources Provided by MU
- Pivot Funding Opportunities Database: Provides a comprehensive database of federal and private funding opportunities and an expertise database to help you identify potential collaborators within MU. The website also allows users to set up automated funding alerts based on keywords and areas of interest. Pivot is a subscription service provided free of charge to all faculty and staff by the MU Office of Research.
- Major funder list: Explore an extensive list of major funding sources, such as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- MU Limited Submissions: In some cases, sponsors limit the number of applications an organization may submit and require the organization to determine which application(s) will be submitted. The list is hosted on InfoReady (link above) and you must follow the application procedures. Update notifications are delivered through the OSPA listserv.
Other Resources
Local Funding Sources
There are also sources of funds that exist at the community level. Look around your community for the following types of organizations that may provide grant or philanthropic funds:
- Local companies (e.g., Dollar General, Aldi, Wal-Mart, local banks)
- United Ways (e.g., United Way of Southeast Missouri)
- Service Clubs (e.g., Lions, Rotary, women’s clubs such as Impact 100 Ozark and Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund)
- Fraternal Associations (e.g., Elks, Shriners)
- Junior Leagues (e.g., Junior League of Springfield, MO; Junior League of Kansas City)
- Faith-based groups