Passantino Andersen Communications

We help public agencies, non-profit organizations and qualified businesses secure the funding they need

Every year, more than $540 billion in grant money is awarded by private foundations and government agencies nationally. Our grant strategists have extensive experience successfully competing for these dollars. We can help your organization secure grant money to achieve any number of program or service objectives.

We begin with a situation assessment, which is a thorough examination of your existing programs, target populations, service delivery systems and long-term plans. With this information, we formulate a strategic plan that recommends the best grants to pursue based on your needs and chances for success.

Our grant strategists will submit the plan with a timeline to ensure that all grant applications are completed and delivered in a timely manner.

We will also develop each grant application, including the budget, budget narrative, and forms. We will then ensure that it is copied, collated, assembled and delivered on time.

Our Grant Director enjoys an 85% success rate, having secured more than $74 million in grants since 2004.

WARNING: Use caution when choosing a grant writer. There are some unscrupulous players in the market looking to line their pockets at your expense. Some early signals include firms that overemphasize education credentials while offering extremely low rates. If the grant writer is a sole practitioner, very low rates are fairly common. But if you are dealing with a consulting firm, very low rates signal limited capabilities and poor quality service. The fact is, grant writing is a highly specialized field, requiring exceptional writing skills and extensive direct experience. The best way to determine the quality of service you will receive is by interviewing members of their team to determine the depth of each grant writer's experience.

Before you invest in grant writing services, be sure to thoroughly vet the qualifications of the person who will write your grant applications:

• ASK TO INTERVIEW THE PERSON WHO WILL BE WRITING YOUR GRANTS
• ASK HOW MANY SUCCESSFUL GRANTS THEY HAVE WRITTEN FOR SIMILAR CLIENTS
• ASK HOW MANY YEARS THEY HAVE BEEN WRITING GRANTS
• ASK THEIR OVER ALL APPROACH TO WRITING A WINNING GRANT APPLICATION
• GET A LIST OF REFERENCES FOR THE PEOPLE THEY HAVE WRITTEN GRANTS FOR

If you are not satisfied with the answers provided, do not be hasty. Continue interviewing firms until you find one that gives you complete confidence.

...and remember, no one ever bought a Porsche for the price of a Pinto. You should expect to receive high quality service at a fair price.

SERVICES & PRICING

Grants Research

For $2,000, we will create a comprehensive report of upcoming grant competitions (with abstracts, deadlines, and your odds of grant funding) for which your organization can apply and will most likely be awarded. This report will typically include 20 to 50 competitions. This also places you in our free monitoring system which allows us to track grant competitions that you have expressed an interest in and alert you when new opportunities emerge.

Grant Writing

We can write individual grant applications for $150 per hour (typically, the range is $5,000 - $15,000). However, our retainer based pricing is $3,000 to $7,000 per month depending on the scope of work and complexity of grants to be pursued. Services include monthly research reports, ongoing consulting, multiple grant writing, packaging and submittal, and funding advocacy.

Most agencies find the retainer approach provides the greatest value because their return far outweighs the investment required for our services.

Grant Evaluation

Most grantors require grant recipients to contract the services of an independent, third party evaluator to perform evaluation and monitoring of the grant program. Grant evaluation is extremely important because it will determine your eligibility for renewals and future funding opportunities. Evaluation services can be paid for out of the grant award and should always be performed by a "third party" evaluator, using a sound and balanced methodology – incorporating valid and appropriate statistical testing techniques. This approach ensures that the evaluation is objective, that results are accurate, and provides the funder with the reporting information that is required to ensure your eligibility for future awards.

Our senior grant strategists possess the experience to evaluate government and privately funded grant programs. We also make sure your staff is informed of its obligations and deadlines under the terms of the grant award. We will be onboard with your organization from the award date through the final evaluation report, minimizing the burden on your staff for paperwork, data collection and reporting. Compensation for grant evaluation services is negotiable.

Grant Admin

We understand that grant administration can be time consuming. Funder reporting and compliance requirements can vary considerably and change over time. Violations of these requirements can result in financial penalties or loss of funding.  We offer comprehensive administrative support services which provide your organization with sound fiscal responsibility.  The cost is almost always covered by the grant.  Our solution is a powerful combination of knowledgeable staff who provide compliance oversight, supported by our financial reports and data collection systems. Our staff prepares the financial reports in the format and schedule funders require and we will assist with audits. In addition to the administrative complexity of any individual grant, we can also manage more complicated situations such as multi-agency and multi-site programs.  Compensation for grant admin services is negotiable.

A special note on pricing: Most grants or funding agencies allow a percentage of the grant to cover admin and evaluation fees, but fees for grant preparation (research, writing and advocacy) cannot be paid for out of the grant itself. As such, proposing services for a percentage of the grant (contingency fees) is unethical and illegal, which is why we won't do it.

Grant Specialties

We specialize in writing grants for:

• Local Public Agencies
• School Districts
• Health Care Providers
• Alternative Energy Development
• New Technology Development
• Affordable Housing
• Non-Profits

Funding Advocacy

Our team has more than 30 years combined experience in government relations. We have served as senior legislative aides and we have lobbied officials at all levels of government. With our experience, knowledge and relationships, we can strengthen your grant strategy with executive and legislative advocacy to secure the funding you need. Compensation for non-grant advocacy services is negotiable.

Revenue Measures

Public agencies of all kinds consult Passantino Andersen to help prepare for and pass revenue measures. Our principals have extensive experience improving libraries and parks, expanding police and fire services, upgrading public infrastructure and enhancing landscapes.

Our efforts include experience with:

• School Bonds
• Water Bonds
• Parcel Taxes
• Utility Taxes
• Special Assessment Districts

For more information on help with revenue measures, please visit Municipal Public Education.