Frequently Asked Questions

The process for engaging SMC Funding Solutions typically begins with an initial consultation to understand your goals. Do you have a proposal you're working on, or would you like assistance finding one? Are your needs focused on short-term gains to build momentum, or long-term planning and competitive insights? 

Once we've established your goals and objectives, SMC develops a project charter that briefly but concisely outlines important information such as our recommended approach, scope of work, roles and responsibilities, and expected deliverables. Once you approve the charter, our work will begin.

SMC Funding Solutions provides proposal development services focused primarily on government funding sources—federal, state, and local grants. We also regularly consult on arms-length foundations funded with government subsidies, such as the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities and their state counterparts. 

Our expertise with private foundations is more limited, primarily to those focused on academic research and creative work. We are always interested in expanding our portfolio of engaged funders—if you'd like to know more about whether a funder you'd like to apply to is one we've worked with, please contact us at Info@SMCFunding.com to learn more.

SMC Funding Solutions does not presently have capacity to assist with contracts or cooperative agreements. Not sure of the difference between grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements? Read up on the differences (and get insights on what might be best for your project) on the Grants.gov "What Is a Grant?" Blog.

The mission of SMC Funding Solutions is to make ourselves obsolete. We want to leave every client more knowledgeable, skilled, and confident about grant writing and funding opportunity development each time we work with them—until they are capable of forging ahead in leadership roles of their own. 

This engaging-to-grow model of consulting strengthens our communities by expanding the pool of knowledge-holders, broadening participation in the process from all corners and increasing quality—of the grants we receive and the lives we live—as a result. 

SMC Funding Solutions charges an hourly rate, with registered nonprofits receiving a 10% discount. Please contact us at Info@SMCFunding.com for a full fee schedule. 

SMC does not accept payment in the form of a commission on successfully funded grants in place of our hourly fee. This stems from of our philosophy that client education and skill development is our most valuable product, and will continue to deliver positive results for you and your organization beyond the success of any single proposal. 

We do not, nor will we ever provide our clients with a 100% guarantee that their grant proposals will be funded—and we encourage anyone encountering such a guarantee to approach the issuing organization with healthy skepticism. 

It is true that the majority of our clients are funded, thanks to the knowledge, skills, and abilities we help them develop and the time they are willing to invest with us in learning the grant writing craft. Academic researchers submitting to the NSF CAREER program, for example, have a 60% average annual award rate when working with SMC, compared with a 25% national average. Most of the remaining 40% who work with us are funded through another competitive research grant. 

SMC does pride itself on its successes! That said, there are many factors outside the control of a grant writer or grant writing consultant that influence a funding agency's decisions. These include things like how much funding is available, what projects an agency has previously funded, the strength of the submissions in a given cycle, and even the mood of the reviewers. 

Rejection is much more common in grant writing than acceptance—we often tell our clients to plan for every proposal to be rejected at least once before it is funded. This is because the funding process is more of a conversation than a one-way flow of information, and at SMC we help our clients (you!) learn how to navigate the challenges of rejection while benefitting from the opportunities it provides. 

So while we can't (and won't) guarantee every proposal you submit with us will be funded, we can (and do) stand by our commitment to client learning and development. We will help you identify what milestones you can control, like writing the proposal or hitting "submit," and we'll give you 100% of our best efforts in helping you reach them. When you do, we'll be there with you to celebrate your achievements, the growth they represent, and the possibilities they unlock. 

Funding is never assured. But success can be, with the right perspective... and the right people. That is the SMC guarantee.

Learning and development is at the heart of what we do. That's why SMC Funding Solutions offers custom-designed workshops, trainings, and learning materials to suit the needs of every client. Whether you are just beginning your funding search process or have an established portfolio you'd like to improve, we have the tools to assist you—and we'll meet you wherever you are.

To learn more about the types of services we offer, visit our Services page.

Glad to hear it! Please complete our Contact Us form or email us at Info@SMCFunding.com to get started.