By James D’Ambrosio
Doug Sauer, CEO of the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON), recently issued a memo to members with some welcome news: New York State has introduced new resources to streamline the grants process for nonprofits doing business with the state. New York State Grants Gateway, part of an effort by Gov. Cuomo to ease burdens on nonprofits, includes state agencies collaborating to create a uniform grants contract, making multi-year contracting a priority, and a statewide grants management system.
INTRODUCING THE NEWÂ YORK STATE GRANTS GATEWAY
Here are three components of the new system:
1) GRANT OPPORTUNITY PORTAL: A comprehensive resource to locate grant opportunities with state agencies all in one place. Open to the public, agencies are not required to be registered users. It’s suggested that new users begin by using the ‘Browse’ and ‘Search’ features, allowing you to sign up for e-mail notification(s) when the grants you specify become available, eliminating the need to continually check back.
2) GRANTEE DOCUMENT VAULT: A service for existing grantees and potential applicants, it’s an online repository to store key agency information in one secure location for use by all state agencies, eliminating the need to repeatedly furnish the same documents for the same programs year after year. It’s recommended to first upload those documents you’re most frequently asked for by agencies you contract with.
To use the vault, you register as a user and provide information for a delegated administrator to manage the account. Accounts require a registration form and accompanying organizational chart. The form must be signed, notarized and mailed to Gateway Administrators. Note: Through July 31, the state is exclusively processing applications from agencies with active state contracts; nonprofits without state contracts can still apply, but they won’t be processed until after July 31.
3) PREQUALIFICATION: This is a way for nonprofits to more directly interact with state agencies prior to competing for contracts, providing an opportunity to make adjustments before entering into a competitive bid. Once registered with Gateway, nonprofits can upload key documents and complete an online Prequalification Questionnaire inquiring about organizational capacity and integrity. Notably, nonprofits have to prequalify just once every three years, keeping information current during that time.
GETTING STARTED
More detailed information is available to help you get started:
1)Â NEW YORK STATE GRANTS GATEWAY VENDOR USER GUIDE
2) ACCESS THE GRANT OPPORTUNITY PORTAL
3)Visit www.grantsreform.ny.gov, click on “Grantees” at the top, then scroll down and click on “Questions and Documents” on the lower left.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
QUESTIONS TO READERS:
a) What do you think of Grants Gateway? b) How might it positively impact your organization?
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Governor Andrew Cuomo, Grants Reform, New York State grants, New York State Grants Gateway, Streamlining State Grants |
Nonprofit Communications: Writing For A Better World 
Hey! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems with hackers?
My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing months of hard work due to no
back up. Do you have any methods to protect against hackers?
Howdy I am so excited I found your weblog, I really found you by mistake, while I was looking
on Aol for something else, Anyways I am here now and would just like to say cheers for a
incredible post and a all round entertaining blog (I also love the theme/design),
I don’t have time to read through it all at the minute but I have saved it
and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will
be back to read much more, Please do keep up the great jo.
Great web site you have here.. It’s hard to find high-quality writing like yours nowadays.
I honestly appreciate people like you! Take care!!
Its not my first time to pay a quick visit this site,
i am browsing this site dailly and obtain fastidious facts from here all
the time.
whoah this blog is excellent i like reading your articles.
Stay up the good work! You realize, many persons are searching around for this
information, you can help them greatly.
This is my first time visit at here and i am in fact happy to read everthing at alone place.
If you are going for finest contents like me, just go to see this
web site daily as it offers quality contents, thanks
We stumbled over here coming from a different website and thought I may
as well check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you.
Look forward to looking over your web page again.
Howdy! I’m at work browsing your blog from my
new iphone 3gs! Just wanted to say I love reading your
blog and look forward to all your posts! Keep up the great work!
The process is so unbelievably complex and daunting that I’ve spent weeks trying to navigate it. I’m on the board of a small local volunteer fire department, and we don’t have the resources or expertise to get through it. Very frustrating. Wish I knew of an expert grantsperson who could help us — especially one who works pro bono!
Dear Mr. Phelps,
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on this blog post. I can certainly understand your frustration — grant-seeking can be very difficult, especially if resources are limited. That said, there are some resources out there to help you get some pro-bono support:
1) You can post an ad for a p/t volunteer grant writer onwww.idealist.org, a great site for recruiting volunteer help 2) Depending on where you live, contact the nearest chapter of the Association of Fund-raising Professionals. Their may be someone who has the time to volunteer or is looking to build credentials. 3) Contact local colleges or universities — perhaps you can offer an internship with a small stipend — you might find a young, smart, motivated person to help you.
These are just a few things that come to mind. Good luck — and be persistent.
Best Regards James D’Ambrosio
Thanks very much for the tips, kind of you to answer! I’ll follow up, and let you know how we make out. Happy holidays…
Steve