CHAPTER 10
RESOURCES FOR THE INDIVIDUAL GRANTSEEKER

So far, our primary focus in this handbook has been grantseeking by nonprofit organizations. Most of the resources discussed herein are aimed at nonprofit organizations, because most of the money available from funders goes to such organizations.

All is not lost, however, for ye of solitary persuasions. There are lots of resources targeted at support for individual pursuits, especially educational pursuits. In fact, if you are looking for scholarships or fellowships or educational grants, you’d probably do better going to a college or university admissions office, placement office or library.

However, the Nonprofit Resource Library does offer some resources to engage your interest and fill in your research notes. To begin, there is the Foundation Grants to Individuals, published by your friends and ours at The Foundation Center. The Nonprofit Resource Library has access to both the print version and the online database. Note that access to the online version at http://gtionline.fdncenter.org/ costs only $10 per month to subscribe, but you can always use it free of charge at the Nonprofit Resource Library. Not only does Grants to Individuals list information about foundation support for loans, scholarships, fellowships, grants, internships and residencies, awards and prizes, but the introduction to the printed version also contains a fine, valuable and detailed annotated bibliography of additional sources of information and assistance.

You will find additional resource materials directed to individual grantseekers on the shelves in the library, especially if you are involved in the arts. Be sure to take the time to browse the Arts section of the Nonprofit Resource Library. For a current list of books for individuals, search our Online Library Catalog. Go to http://www.cnmsocal.org/library/ and select the Search our Online Catalog button. In the Subject box, type Individual grants and grantseekers.

Other Resources

In the Los Angeles area, the Scholarship Resource Center (SRC) is located near UCLA and is available to the public. The SRC has compiled a list of free online scholarship databases at www.college.ucla.edu/up/SRC/SS.htm.

A popular book that can be found at many university libraries is The College Blue Book: Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants, and Loans, published by Macmillan.

Public libraries also carry many books on scholarships and grants for education. In Los Angeles, be sure to check the Los Angeles Public Library, http://www.lapl.org/, and the County of Los Angeles Public Library, http://www.colapublib.org/. You will find many books by searching the catalog by Subject and using the term Scholarships United States Directories.