Identifying Potential Funders
In the fund-raising world, the process of identifying external funders for particular projects is called "prospecting." So sharpen your pickaxe. It's time to search for gold.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ community has access the premier grants database, Pivot. Make the most out of this comprehensive database by using it to:
- Search for funding opportunities
- Conduct advanced searches based on your specific funding needs
- Track and save individual funding opportunities, as well as the searches themselves
- Share listings with colleagues and potential collaborators
- Access curated lists for your specific research area
- Receive email updates and notifications about opportunities based on your saved searches, and more
Getting to Pivot
In the future, you can also go to , and go to "P" for Pivot
Training on Pivot
To make the most of this powerful resource, however, invest some time in learning about its features.
Five Key Video Tutorials
- (~3 minutes)
- (~3 minutes)
- (~5 minutes)
- (~4 minutes)
- (4 minutes)
Curated Lists in Pivot
The Pivot Grants Database allows me to “curate” lists of funding opportunities based on categories of my choice. I have developed about 40 "curated lists" in the Pivot grants database based on:
- Departments & programs
- Faculty audience (new faculty, faculty seeking short-term opportunities, etc.)
- Students and recent graduates
While these are (and will always be) a work in progress, they can provide a starting point for faculty and students. If you would like to see an opportunity added to these curated lists, please let me know.
Pivot Tips
These tips summarize some key features of the Pivot grants database
Free Search Engines & Databases
For help with Boolean search terms, see .
- Humanities Grants and Fellowships
- - research in the arts
- University of Chicago
- Duke University
- - grants for individuals
- - consortium of arts and design schools
- - entrepreneurial projects
CLASP-Created Resources
My professional network, CLASP (Colleges of Liberal Arts-Sponsored Programs) has created:
- An annual “Master List of Grants,” a compilation of grants awarded to ~100 small liberal arts college (please ask Tess for most recent list)
- A for sabbatical/summer
- List of US Residential Fellowships - review for ideas, then Google (or look in Pivot) for updated info
- List of International Opportunities - review for ideas, then Google (or look in Pivot) for updated info
I am always available to identify potential funding sources for individual faculty. Because many funders have only one or two deadlines each year and they usually take several months to make determinations on awards, it is wise to identify potential funding sources roughly 24 months before you will need the funding. Therefore, please reach out as early in the process as possible. To help me better understand your funding needs, please complete this brief . - Tess Powers, Director of Faculty Research Support
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