The Grants Office is your campus resource for developing grant applications to external funding sources, including both public agencies (federal, state and local government) and private sources (foundations and corporate giving programs).

1. Getting Started

   If you have an idea for a grant project, your first step should be to outline what you plan to do and how much it will cost.  Then use our Pre-Proposal Checklist to evaluate whether your idea is a good candidate for grant funding.
   

   Pre-Proposal Checklist

   Pre-Proposal Checklist

   The Grants Office suggests the following guidelines to identify proposals that advance the college’s mission and have the best chance of being funded:

   • Is the proposed project consistent with the college's Mission and Strategic Plan?
   • Is the proposed project consistent with the priorities of your Division/Department?
   • Has the responsible Dean/administrator approved development of an application?
   • Will college resources (space, equipment) be needed if the application is successful?
   • Is there sufficient evidence/data to demonstrate a need for the project?
   • Is the project scalable?
   • Is there a strong, committed team ready to collaborate on proposal development?

2. Find Funding

   If you have identified a funding source or sources, compare our Grant Checklist to each potential source.  If you do not have a source in mind, use the links in Funding Sources to search for a suitable grant.  If you cannot identify a funding source, the Grants Office can recommend appropriate choices or help you search.
   
   

   Grant Checklist

   Grant Checklist

   The Grants Office suggests the following guidelines to determine if a grant opportunity is a good match for the college and for the proposed project:

   • Are higher education institutions eligible to apply for this grant opportunity?
   • Are previous projects that have received awards under this grant opportunity comparable in scope and purpose to the proposed project?
   • Are funding amounts sufficient to perform the proposed project?
   • Will the number of awards ensure a reasonable probability of success?
   • Does the grant require sustainability? If so, is there a plan or potential to institutionalize the project when grant funding ends?
   • Does the grant require matching funds? If so, it is unlikely that the college will approve an application to this source.
   • Does the grant require partnerships? If so, are relationships in place that could be leveraged to meet this requirement?
   • Is there adequate time to write a quality proposal before the deadline?

3. Approval To Apply

   Contact the Grants Office at least thirty (30) days prior to the application deadline. All external grant applications are reviewed and submitted by the Grants Office, with prior approval by the college’s Executive Committee based upon a proposal’s alignment with PCC’s mission and Strategic Plan.  To request approval, you will be provided with a Grant Opportunity Summary form to complete and submit to the Grants Office.
   
   Download the Grant Opportunity Summary Form

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More Resources

For a complete guide to the College's grant development process, including guidelines for successful proposals, see our Grant Development Handbook.

Download the Grant Development Handbook

The college’s Internal Audit office has published a manual to guide project directors on federal policies and procedures to be followed in the management of grants at PCC.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance Policies & Procedures