4 minute read
GRANT WRITING Grow, change or expand your business
from FARM CREDIT EAST
by NDSACatalogs
WE POSITION OUR CLIENTS TO SUCCEED.
Farm Credit East customer Jeff King of Kings-Ransom Farm in Schuylerville, New York.
Learn more about Farm Credit East GRANT WRITING at FarmCreditEast.com.
Farm Credit East offers grant-writing services to help farms and agribusinesses grow, change or expand their enterprises.
From our years of ag development experience, we find that both public and private sector entities are very interested in supporting agriculture and helping the industry grow and change. We therefore look for grant resources or other economic development incentives that will help our clients succeed.
We first determine if a grant program applies to your project. Public entities have specific objectives that they try to achieve when offering grants, and they often have relatively narrow and specific requirements. Matching the appropriate program to a producer’s activity or investment is a key part of the equation that we do well.
TYPES OF GRANTS WE WORK WITH
• Value-added producer grants • Economic development programs • Energy-related grants • Special state programs As two examples, value-added producer grant programs help producers turn the raw material that they grow into a value-added product. In addition, we work with economic development agencies at the state and local levels to find funds for farms that are adding jobs or developing a value-added business that will add jobs to the local economy.
We have written a multitude of grants, so we under- stand program requirements, and we also know where to look to find additional funds. Many grant requirements involve a feasibility study, which we will prepare as we help you tell the story of what you are trying to achieve.
OUR SERVICES
• Locate economic development incentives and/or public and private sector grant programs that apply to your goals • Write grant applications that: • articulate your project’s story and its benefits effectively • determine a grant’s applicability to your objectives • meet the application’s objectives and requirements • Prepare a feasibility study for programs that require one
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does this grant-writing service cost?
The cost varies based on the number of hours required to complete the grant application and its related reports. Our goal is to not go over the threshold of 5% of the expected grant return.
Will I get billed even if I don’t get the grant?
Yes. Our team is skilled and in demand; their time has a value, as does yours.
When will I know if I get funded?
That depends entirely on the funding entity and their process for scoring and announcing awardees. It can range from a few weeks to several months.
What is your track record for receiving grants?
It varies depending on the program and, more importantly, on the quality (preparedness, detail, eligibility for program) of the project and the skills and experience of the grant writer. You are investing based on both of these factors. If we don’t see reasonable opportunity for success, we won’t take on your project.
What do you need from me, and how much time will it take me to provide it?
The success of a grant request is largely based on the applicant’s preparedness to apply for a grant, which is the product of your thorough understanding of your project mission and objectives. A successful grant request requires a well-thought-out business plan (either on paper or in explanation), plus a drive to succeed and a minimum of funds to provide the required match.
A VIEW FROM THE FIELD
WHO CAN HELP YOU GET THE GRANTS YOU NEED?
Jeff King is a partner in his family’s fourth-generation dairy farm, Kings-Ransom Farm in Schuylerville, New York. When trying to diversify and begin a retail business to sell fluid milk and ice cream under a new entity, King Brothers Dairy, Jeff drafted an application for a USDA value-added producer grant to help with some of the costs. “We attempted to apply on our own, and we were turned down the first time,” said Jeff.
Credit East made the whole process so much easier.”
HOW WE HELPED
As a long-time Farm Credit East customer, Jeff was directed to Nathan Rudgers for grant writing expertise. “He tweaked our application from the previous year and we were successful in obtaining funding the second time around,” said Jeff. The grant was instrumental in covering operating expenses, allowing us to implement an effective marketing plan, and defraying some of the packaging and labor costs early on in the business.
“Farm Credit East is familiar with the process, and they have an idea of what the evaluators are looking for,” said Jeff. “Thanks to their help, we were much more successful than we ever could have been on our own. We highly value the service we received.” “The Farm Credit East team was able to put our proposal into a much more advantageous format because of their familiarity with the process.” – Jeff King
