Tips for Securing Technology Funding

Gaining funding from outside sources is essential for non-profit organizations if they are to keep their technology up to date. However, there are countless organizations in competition for limited funding so it is important to have a good knowledge of the grant funding landscape before submitting an application.

One of the most important things to remember when seeking technology funding is that funders want to help non-profit organizations improve and reach their goals. However, any technology spend should be practical and within reasonable financial limits in relation to the size of the organization.

For this reason, the greater the apparent need for the technology the better the chances of securing funding. For example, a school with very old or defunct computers for students will have an excellent chance of securing funding, whereas an application for funding to improve the school's already strong online presence may fail.

The most important points to consider when seeking funding are to submit an excellent grant application and to have a good knowledge of possible funding sources.

Every non-profit organization should have one person who has at least a basic knowledge of the grant application process. While not all organizations will have the resources to employ someone who specializes in grant writing and applications, it pays to know the basics so the aims and needs of the organization can be clearly communicated to a professional grant writer if need be.

Also, it pays to know who is providing funding and how much funding they make available each year. There are many resource centers that provide information on potential funders as well as providing grant writing workshops.

When making any application for technology funding, an organization will need to provide an inventory of its current technology resources. For example, details of equipment, software, databases and more will all need to be included. However, to put your organization above the competition, it also helps to monitor how the technology is used and how it benefits the organization, or how the lack of certain technologies is holding the organization back. In so far as possible, all of this information should be communicated as clearly and as simply as possible without technical jargon.

Good research should give a clear idea of how much potential funders. It's also a good idea to shop around to find the most competitive rates for the equipment and services required.

Finally, any grant application should provide a very clear breakdown of costs. For example, instead of simply giving the cost for the development of the website, the application should provide a detailed breakdown of the various costs of developing each piece of the site.

 

Written by: Frank J Klein - CIO

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