What Is The Consultant's Business Experience?

One of the first questions you should ask a business consultant before you hire them is what type of business experience they had before they became a business consultant.

You want to be sure that they know exactly what is involved with business before you hire them, because it will make you feel more comfortable that they are able to help you.

You want to be certain that the person is sensible when it comes to the bottom line, that they are going to be able to help you achieve the types of results that you are looking for, and that they will be able to work efficiently but quickly.

Ideally, the consultant has experience as a turnaround specialist for a corporation, or they were a chief executive officer.

That way the chances are good that they know about the need for quick results, know how to deal with cost control, and has come under high pressure scrutiny.

If you hire someone that has this type of experience, you are going to be making a great decision with your business consultant.

They have the same types of goals and attributes that are important to you, and they will help you to get your company in the direction that it should go.

Even though most people who are interviewing business consultants may not think about this, it is something that should be a part of your interview.

The answer to this all important question will help you to know if the person is the type of consultant that you are looking for.

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

Visit our Other Links

Virtual Office Jobs

Who Are Eligible for Federal Grants

Who are eligible for federal grants? If you think about it, almost everyone is eligible for a federal grant as long as this is not used for personal gain. Through the years, organizations which have a vision are the ones that are awarded the much needed funding they need. 

On a government level, this usually include city or township governments, local governments, Native American tribal governments, special district governments and state governments. Various federal agencies are at work here and this may include the Department of Justice, Department of Agriculture and Department of Commerce to name a few.  

For schools, these consist of public and state controlled institutions of higher education, independent school districts and private institutions of higher education that are under the Department of Education. 

For housing, a federal grant is usually given to public and Indian housing authorities that fall under the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Non-profit organizations may also get a federal grant. This is regardless if the organization has or does not have 501(c)(3) status with the IRS.

Small businesses may also avail of a federal grant as long as it meets the size standards that are set by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

To give you an idea, this includes most manufacturing and mining industries that have 500 employees, wholesale trade industries that have 100 employees, retail and service industries that make $6 million, general and heavy construction industries that make $28.5 million, special trade contractors that make $12 million and agricultural industries that make $0.75 million.

If your organization is not within the standards set the by the SBA, you can check their website to find out if there is another way to get a federal grant. 

Individuals may also apply for a federal grant as long as this is not used for personal gain. To do this, you submit your application together with your proposal not on not on behalf of a company, organization, institution, or government. Remember you can apply for a grant proposal that is catered to organizations and vice versa.

To find out what federal grants there are available, you are advised to go online at grants.gov. As you explore the site, you will be able to see if you qualify and what are the requirements. 

You can even complete the application form and submit this online. You also have the option to download everything and then send this through registered mail. 

After visiting the website, you will notice that anyone is eligible for the Federal Grant. Since there are not that many programs issues every year and this is divided into the different federal agencies, you should write a very good proposal detailing what you want to achieve. 

So you can monitor the update of your application, don’t forget your CFDA Number, Funding Opportunity Number, Competition ID or Grants.gov Tracking Number. 

If you don’t get it this year, don’t be discouraged and try again the following year or whenever it is once again open. Be sure to submit all the documents on or before the deadline so whichever agency that will handle your application will have ample time to review your proposal. 

Once you get the federal grant, spend it wisely because the money you are using belongs to the taxpayer. 

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

Visit our Other Links

Virtual Office Jobs

What is a Federal Grant

Do you need money from the federal government? Well, you can get it if the government decides to award the federal grant to you. 

But what is a federal grant? Basically it is financial assistance given from one of the several federal agencies. When it is given, it is suppose to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States. 

There are two types of federal grants namely project and formula grants. 

Those covered by the project grants are those aimed for the arts, education, health care, scientific research, social services and technology development.

The formula grants on the other hand are mandated by law and there are various levels for this type of grant namely categorical, block and earmark grants. 

Categorical grants have a narrowly defined purpose and recipients must have the same amount of money needed to avail of this program. To get a block grant, you don’t need to produce the same amount of capital. Of the three, earmarks grants are quite controversial because lobbyists not ordinary people are the ones involved in securing it.

But how do you apply for a federal grant? To apply for it, you have to fill up an application form and then attach certain documents with it. The most important of which happens to be your proposal. 

Your proposal should not only have a nice cover letter. It must have something worth reading from beginning to end. 

While introductions are nice, those reviewing the proposal would like to know more based on the problems your proposal wishes to address, the objectives, how you propose to do it, how much money you will need, the length of time of the project, the measures of success and in the end, a summary of what you are proposing. 

If you are able to submit a good proposal which falls under Executive Order 12372 and you are able to get the support of business and community leaders as well as elected officials, the chances of it being awarded are much higher. 

Before you send out your proposal for the federal grant, write it one or two times and then have this checked by an outside party. If you are not happy with the proposal, rewrite it again because everything should be clear and concise. 

When the final draft has been made, bind everything together using either clamps or hard covers. To get good points, find out from the Federal agency you are writing to which one they prefer. Send this by registered mail and just wait for a reply from the government. 

Aside from the federal grant, this is also offered by private non-profit organizations such as foundations, not-for-profit corporations or charitable trusts which are all collectively referred to as charities. So don’t lose hope if your application for a federal grant was given to someone else. 

You just have to go through the same process because this is the way it is done when you need funding for a special project. 

The federal grant is one way for the government to give back the money that it gets from the taxpayers. If after careful review the committee sees that your project will benefit your community or even a greater number of its citizens, there is no doubt that this will be awarded to you. 

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

Visit our Other Links

Virtual Office Jobs

EHS Expansion and EHS-CC Partnership Funding Opportunity Announcements

Early Head Start Expansion

Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership

Funding Opportunity Announcements

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announces approximately $135 million in funding available to expand access to high-quality, comprehensive services for low-income infants and toddlers and their families. This funding will support the creation of Early Head Start-Child Care (EHS-CC) Partnerships and the expansion of Early Head Start (EHS) services to children and families. ACF solicits applications from public entities, including states, or private non-profit organizations, including community-based or faith-based organizations, or for-profit agencies that meet eligibility for applying as stated in section 645A of the Head Start Act.

Find the Funding Opportunity Announcements The EHS Expansion and EHS-CC Partnerships funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) were posted earlier today, June 23, 2016: Early Head Start Expansion and EHS-Child Care Partnership American Indian and Alaska Native EHS Expansion and EHS-Child Care Partnerships Migrant and Seasonal EHS-Child Care and EHS Expansion Partnerships

Join the Webcast

Monday June 27, 2016 2-3pm (EST)

On June 27, ACF will host a pre-application webinar for interested parties. It will provide details about EHS Expansion and EHS-CC Partnership grants.

The recorded webinar will be available to watch on-demand immediately after the presentation on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) Grant Application Toolkit under EHS-CC Partnerships.

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

Visit our Other Links

Virtual Office Jobs

What Government Agencies Give Out Federal Grants

Applying for a federal grant is a challenging since you are competing with others for the same thing. To see if you are eligible to apply for it, you should know what government agencies out there award this to deserving recipients. 

The first is the Agency for International Development. The job of this agency is to provide economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries. So if you are organization wants to provide food and other aid to poverty stricken nations, this is the agency you address your proposal to. 

On a national level, if you want to encourage volunteers to help fellow Americans, you can address your grant proposal to the Corporation for National and Community Service. 

If you are a farmer and have not yet switched to organic farming, you can get a federal grant from the US Department of Agriculture. 

The country’s economy needs to thrive despite the economic recession. If you have ideas that can help sustain that or provide jobs to thousands that are currently unemployed, you can write a grant proposal to the Department of Commerce.

After 9/11, the U.S. government have stepped up efforts to prevent terrorist attacks from happening again. If you have an idea that could help improve that both at home and abroad, you can apply for a federal grant through the Department of Defense, the Department of State or the Department of Homeland Security.

Our children are the future of this nation and this can only be done through the educational system. If your organization wants to improve the quality of education, your grant proposal should be addressed to the Department of Education.

Scientific research is important as the president encourages renewable energy sources. If you have ideas in mind that could further reduce the dependency on oil and other non-renewable resources, you can get federal funding from the Department of Energy.

The health of the citizens is important. If you have ideas which you want to explore that will help the current healthcare system, you can send your application and proposal to the Department of Health and Human Services.

A lot of people have lost their homes and their jobs due to the recession. If you know a way how to improve the housing or the unemployment situation, send your proposal to the Department of Housing and Urban Development or the Department of Labor.

The country should always support the arts and its history. While we have museums and other institutions that do that, new ideas are always welcome so you can write a proposal to the National Endowment for the Arts, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Archives and Records or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

People should be more concerned about the environment especially since we have begun to experience climate change. To continue this struggle and to protect the environment even more, a grant proposal must be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA.

The various federal agencies mentioned focus on a lot of things from agriculture all the way to the nation’s security. When you do apply for a federal grant, this is not for personal gain but rather your contribution to make this country a better place for you and your children to live in. 

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

Visit our Other Links

Virtual Office Jobs

What Are Federal Grants?

Federal grants are financial assistance given by the United States government to support groups and agencies.  There are grant programs being offered by federal agencies, every year there are about 1,000 grant programs offered.  Grants can be used by the non-profit and non-government organizations like foundations and charities.  

Those who can apply for a grant should establish that they are organizations established for public purpose.  Federal grants are provided to increase the capability of the organization to provide public service and public-driven activities. 

Aside from encouraging non-government organization to assist the public,  federal grants also help the federal government to establish a working relationship and partnership with other organizations without spending too much.  These grants also help in combining resources and expertise from the government and those in the non-government organizations for the benefit of the public.  

One thing is clear with federal grants though, it cannot be used to acquire or buy any property or services for the benefit of the federal government.  But it can be used by any means by the recipient through any kind of activities created by the organization or by any means following the restrictions created by federal government who granted the assistance. 

Even with the intention of helping out the public, the grant cannot be used on any expeditious method of acquiring services.  There are always requirements and particularities mentioned in the contract upon the presentation of the grant.  

The truth is federal grant is not “free money or financial aid”.  A grantee or the recipient of the grant is required to fulfil obligations expected by the federal government who awarded the grant.  If the recipient for any reason failed to comply with the responsibilities that the grant requires, the recipient would definitely face legal woes.  

Most of the projects by non-government organization who received a grant would include re-training of workers who have just recently lost their jobs, projects that would attract investors in depressed localities, street or road projects, and other projects or programs similar to these.

Aside from fulfilling the obligations awarded along with the grant, the recipient should also be prepared for complete financial auditing that the government will do.  The grant money spent should be properly accounted for and have followed the restrictions that come with grant money.  The money not spent is forwarded to the National Treasury.  If there would be changes while the grant money is being used, the government should be notified and approve the said changes.  If there is a time frame or project phasing, the dates should be met accordingly.  

Usually, a grant will take as long as 3 years.  All those three years should be properly accounted for.  Government audits are done at least annually.  Not following these rules or any guidelines stated by the grant could result to imprisonment due to theft of public funds and other economic and legal trouble.

Federal grants also have similar programs outside the United States.  There are subsidies offered by other countries’ governments to charities and foundations to subsidize and continue their projects.  

To acquire for a grant, it is important to prepare it like how you prepare a business plan.  When writing or applying for a grant, the reasons for applying and the how to public will benefit fro the project should be clearly stated.  You would like to make an impact on the federal agency reviewing the federal grant application. 


Government money came from the public, therefore it is important to make sure that the public’s money serve the people.  And that is what federal grants are for.  

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

Visit our Other Links

Virtual Office Jobs

Types of Federal Grants

Federal grants are financial aids given and authorized by the United States federal government to non-government and non-profit organizations to assist projects and programs for the benefit of the public and the community.  There are about 1,000 programs which can be sponsored or subsidized by federal agencies.

Upon getting a federal grant, it is required for the recipient to use the money provided to fulfil the projects they have applied the grant for.  The money should be spent on the project and is audited yearly.  Upon the completion of the project, the unspent money would be returned to the government.
In certain fields, like in arts or in education, being awarded by a grant is prestigious  and highly regarded.  The process of application and getting the grant can be lengthy and very difficult since there are a lot of application for federal grants, which is why getting the grant itself can be very important.  The good thing about getting a grant is that this would almost definitely assure you and your organization of the completion of the project.

How would you know if your project can be covered or can be granted by federal financial aid?  Here are the types of federal grants.

Actually, federal grants can be divided into different categories.  Here are the following 20 distinct categories:

• Agriculture
• Arts
• Business and commerce
• Community development
• Disaster prevention and relief
• Education
• Employment
• Labor and training
• Energy
• Environmental quality
• Food and nutrition
• Health
• Housing
• Humanities
• Information and statistics
• Law, justice and legal services
• Natural resources
• Regional development
• Science and technology
• Social services and income security
• Transportation

There are also different types of federal grants based on how you acquired the federal grant: direct and pass through grants.

• Direct grants

Direct federal grants are grants which you can apply directly from the federal government.  The good thing about applying directly to the federal government is that there are no middle men.  Less people involved means less red tape.  You get to apply directly to the program officer overseeing the management of funds.  You can directly get  straight-forward information from the federal agency about the grant and would be informed about the process and requirements.

Bu on the other hand, applying directly means more competition.  There are a lot of grant applicants who apply directly to the federal government.  Since there are 50 states, think about competing with different organizations from 50 different states.  It is also more difficult to get grants through this process.

• Pass-trough grants

Pass through grants are grants won by your state and is passed through to different organizations. But since you only compete with organizations and groups from your state there are higher chances of getting one.

But in terms of amount, is considerably lower that direct grants.  The state deducts a certain amount from each federal grant awarded to an organization.  This is to cover the administration cost.

Aside from these two main types of grants, grants can also be classified into the following:

• Project grants- this is the most common form of grants.  Most of it goes to science and technology, arts, education, social services and health care projects.

• Formula grants- this is a grant as stated by the law and based on the preset standard formula created by the state agency.

• Block grants- these are grants also considered to be formula grants.

• Earmark grants- these federal grants stated in the appropriations made by the Congress.  They tend to be very controversial since there would be issues of paid political lobbyists who work to have the grant approved.

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

Visit our Other Links

Virtual Office Jobs

Tips On Writing A Federal Grant Proposal

A federal grant is financial aid awarded by federal agencies to individuals or institution.  A lot of money of government money is allotted on different grants.  There are a lot of people applying for grants every year.  If you think that you are qualified for a grant, then you can start applying for one.  

Getting a grants is a big thing for the success of your project or program but it is also a big responsibility.  Federal grants do not come for free, they have a lot of obligations like good auditing of the expenditures, budgeting, and complete program or project phasing.  

If you think that you know the right federal grant where you want to apply to and capable of handling such obligations, then start creating your proposal.  There are a lot of institutions, organizations and individuals out there applying for federal grants.  How do you make your proposal stand out and still remain formal?  Here are some tips on how to write a federal grant proposal:

• To write an effective proposal, a proposal should meet the expectations of the federal agency.  To meet their expectations, it is important to have extensive research about the agency.  How can you obtain the information about the federal agency?  You can get it from agency reports (if possible), application guidelines, and the previous organizations or groups who have received the grant. Also, make sure to apply for a grant which is suitable for your project or program.

• Budget is also the most important part of your proposal.  The federal agency checks this part of the proposal immediately.  So when making the budget for the proposal make sure to itemize how much is needed for the project and the plans for the fund.

• When writing the proposal, follow the agency’s requirements and the structure or format.  The language should be simple, concise and businesslike.  Use educational terms.

• Remember that consistency is important when writing.

• Make sure that evidences of resources and credentials are provided.  Also include testimonials and endorsements.

• Asked somebody else to proofread the proposal for you.  Sometimes you tend to overlook grammatical or typographical errors, it is best to ask somebody to read and correct it for you.

A grant proposal depends of the structure and format given by the federal agency that awards the grant.  But most of the times, it has seven parts:  

• Introduction – describes the group asking for the grant, its background., goals and the importance of having a grant to pursue the projects.

• Problem statement – describes the goals and the intent of the project and should be supported by appropriate literature.  This shows what are the problems needed to be addressed.

• Objectives – this section explains how the problem would be resolved by the issues.

• Methods -  details of the activities or what constitutes the program.
• Evaluation – this part would add to the supporting documents of the effectiveness of the project.

• Budget -  the expenses that the project expect to reach.

• Abstract – this is actually a quick glimpse of the project proposal.  

Some other things that could be included in the proposal or features in the proposal could be the brief biography of board members and staff members.  A good way to make an impression on the grant givers is by showing or demonstrating your knowledge on the issues and how the projects/programs would address the issues.  Another thing, this is not where you insert your creativity, like creative boarders and other things.  Just be ready to support or substantiate your claims. 


Make sure that you would have enough time to complete your proposal and you would be able to meet the last day of application.  Make sure that you have enough time to assemble and collect information needed for the grant proposal.  Federal grant proposal writing is the last hurdle in applying for the proposal.  

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

Visit our Other Links

Virtual Office Jobs

The Disparity Between Federal Grants And Private Grants

Federal grants are provided by the government to organizations, agencies, businesses and individuals who are in need of assistance to continue their education, business or public service. Grants do not require payment unlike loans, but the application process can be rigorous. 

Government grants are offered referred to as free money, but the truth is that along with the grants are obligations.  There would responsibilities that the recipient needs to complete so as to avoid any legal infringement.  

The difficult thing about federal or government grants is the competition.  There are different groups and agencies applying for federal grants,  sometimes, grant proposal can easily be patterned to other programs who have been awarded with grants. This can increase the possibility of being awarded with grants.  

Another sad thing though with federal grants is that it usually takes a year before a non-profit organization or institution can actually get the grant money.  What causes this?  If your organization or the individual is located in a rural area, that can be a factor since the grants allocated for that area can be limited.  Most grant money or allocation is kept away for existing or ongoing projects. Actually, this can also happen in larger and urban areas.

Another problem can come from technical problems like misinformation in the application or just missing out a point in the grant application and proposal.  The application can be rejected without due notice.  

Most of the agencies concerned with the grant are tied up with other work which is why you get response slower.  It would take time before you notified of approval, rejection or even forwarding of funds for the project.  

These reasons could push an organization to get private funding and grants instead. When we are talking about private grants, these are funds provided by foundations or corporations.  There are about 70,000 private foundations in the United States and statistics are showing that they what they give as grants or aids are increasing every year.  

The reasons why foundations are doing this is because they do not want to lose their tax exemption.  Federal law requires foundations to give away 5 percent of what their assets and incomes value each year.  

Non-profit organizations can benefit from this foundation characteristic.  If a non-profit organization can come up with a solid plan of solicitation and collaboration with a foundation, then they could get funding for their projects and programs without undergoing the arduous process like when applying for federal and government grants. 

To encourage a healthy relationship between non-profit organization and a foundation, experience is valuable.  If the foundation has fostered a relationship which includes volunteerism in the goals and activities of the non-profit organization, it is likely that they would continue partnership with them.

When applying for private funds or grants, it is important to know everything about the foundation you would like to work with or ask foundation from.  Upon identifying which foundation you would like to solicit from,  go ahead and contact them.  This would provide you with first-hand information about the foundations priorities and interests.

Similar when applying for government grants, you would need to create a grant proposal.  It should be concise and informative as possible, but still leave an impression.  Foundation board of directors or grant reviewers would convene a few times in a span of time and they review the proposals.  So you want to pass something that would get and retain their attention.  Avoid being too creative though, you would like to maintain formal and business relationship.

Federal grants and private grants are available for those individuals and organizations who are in need of help.  You need to weigh which one is best appropriate or your needs and can address your financial woes. 

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

Visit our Other Links

Virtual Office Jobs