Happy new year from the staff of FireGrantsHelp.com! 2008 ushers in yet another year of grant opportunities–and renewed hope for grant success. Whether your fire department or EMS agency was tremendously successful or a little disappointed in 2007, it’s time once again to reinvigorate, or maybe even resuscitate, your department’s grant program.
FireGrantsHelp.com, along with sister site EMSGrantsHelp.com, is committed to providing you with the most comprehensive online grant resource available. Prior to its launch in early 2007, there was no known clearinghouse of grants and grant information specific to the fire and EMS industry. Although you may be savvy to the larger federal offerings, what about the hundreds of smaller state, local and corporate opportunities? These smaller grants may not provide the capital required to purchase a new response vehicle, but they can nonetheless be extremely useful in supporting other operational areas. With this in mind, FireGrantsHelp.com was developed to meet the fastidious needs of fire and EMS grant seekers.
The comprehensive database of available grants couldn’t be easier to navigate. Using an interactive map of the United States, simply point and click on your state, and all federal, state and corporate grants available will be displayed. Once you select a particular grant, you’ll be provided with a synopsis of the grant, as well as contact information and a link to the program’s Web site.
In addition to the search feature, you’ll find many other useful tools and resources, such as news, featured grant announcements and research assistance. For the novice grant writer, check out the “Grants 101″ section. This informative introduction to grants and grant writing gives you a significant amount of basic knowledge to understand grants, beyond what’s covered in this supplement. Want to review additional narrative samples? “Grants 101″ has you covered with several samples and writing guidance.
Within this section of the Web site, you’ll also find our “Five Steps to Grant Success,” a step-by-step tutorial to guide you through the sometimes tedious process of collecting the information necessary for nearly all grant opportunities, regardless of their sponsors.
Now more than ever, the fiscal demands inherent to our industry are taking their toll on fire and EMS departments nationwide. Many departments are faced with the challenge of providing the highest level of services available on a thinning budget. Our ever-evolving industry will continue to be faced with these issues. Thus, it’s critical for us to carefully examine alternative funding streams that can supplement existing budgets. Grants will undoubtedly continue to play a major role in providing the equipment, staffing and tools we need to safely and efficiently do our jobs each day.
At FireGrantsHelp.com, we’re continually searching for new and innovative ways to provide you with the most comprehensive fire and EMS grants resource available. The site is frequently updated, so visit often for the latest in grant information and assistance. Stay safe, and best of luck in 2008!
