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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Our Services, Awards & Grant Funding

What is the process of obtaining a grant?

There are three main phases of the grant process:

1. Pre-Award Phase: This step includes the collection of important information on the client’s organization and project. The grant application is prepared and submitted to the awarding agency.

2. Award Phase: The awarding agency will review the submitted applications and ask any follow up questions. Advocacy in the form of letters of support or discussion with the awarding agency (where appropriate) can be very beneficial during this phase.

3. Post-Award Phase: This phase is initiated when the grant funding is awarded. Grantees are responsible for implementation of the project, compliance with grant guidelines, and reporting to the awarding agency.

Aspire’s clients are serviced through a monthly retainer contract, or an hourly rate, depending upon the project and client needs. We are often asked if we will work on a commission-only basis. However, paying a grant writer only commission based on whether or not the grant is won is generally seen as unethical, and in some cases, illegal.
Match is traditionally done through either cash, private Foundations or federal funding. The same can be said with a Federal grant, only state grants would be the matching component. This however is dependent upon each grant program. However, the rule generally implies you cannot match state to state or federal to federal. This would be analyzed by each funding source.
Drawdown of grant funding can be a very lengthy process, depending on the grant program. Most state and federal funding programs are reimbursement based, so you will need to incur all or some of your project costs prior to receiving any grant money. On the other hand, some private foundation grants are paid in full soon after award. Aspire will assist with the process of post-award management and grant drawdown every step of the way!

A SAM Registration (System for Award Management) is required to complete all federal grants. This is a free service and recommended that all potential clients complete this registration before contracting with Aspire. Stay away from any sites claiming there is a fee. This can take a few weeks to be approved and prior registration allows us to get grants completed faster. You will need your banking routing and account number, DUNS number, and Tax Identification Number (TIN) or Employment Identification Number (EIN). You are then required to complete a notarized letter to accompany your application. The links for these registrations are below.

GSA Guide to Registering with the U.S. System for Award Management (SAM)

https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/New-to-SAM.gov-for-Financial-Assistance-April-2021.pdf

DUNS Registration

https://www.dnb.com/duns-number/get-a-duns.html

SAM Registration

https://sam.gov/SAM/

Notarized Letter

https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/answer.do?sysparm_kbid=d2e67885db0d5f00b3257d321f96194b&sysparm_search=kb0013183

Unlike state and private foundations, federal grants require more steps. These include the following, at a minimum:

Step 1: Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). As of April 2022, the UEI replaced the old DUNS number. This is done as part of your entity registration process in SAM.
Step 2: Register with SAM or ensure your SAM registry is up-to-date.
Step 3: Create a Grants.gov Account. This account is linked to your SAM registry.

Note that some federal agencies, such as the Economic Development Administration or the Department of Energy, have their own grant application portals that applicants must register with.

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