1. College Advancement
  2. Grant Programs Office
  3. Grant Seeking Tools

Grant Seeking Tools

Hillman Hall

Looking for potential funding sources? You’re in the right place. Below, you’ll find a list of grant databases and funding organizations to help you begin identifying opportunities that align with your project or area of interest. These free resources are a great starting point for exploring what’s out there and taking the first steps in your grant-seeking journey. If you have questions or need guidance as you explore, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Grants Office—we’re here to help.

Federal Grants

Grants.gov is a federal funding platform with hundreds of opportunities across numerous fields. The federal grant database allows faculty to filter for funding with keywords, eligibility criteria, category, and agency. Grants.gov also offers many resources that may aid in navigation of the federal grant application process including webinars, checklists, step-by-step guides, blog posts, and a FAQ page.  

Similar to Grants.gov, Sam.gov is a federal platform with a search database for current and past funding opportunities. It also serves as the management service for all federal grants, keeping records of tracking, reporting, and eligibility for the institution. Simpson is registered with Sam.gov.  

State Grants

Iowagrants.gov is an online grant management system used by the state of Iowa to manage and streamline the grant process. It’s a one-stop shop for both grant applicants and state agencies involved in administering grants. IowaGrants.gov provides a portal for identifying grant opportunities, a system for managing the grant lifecycle, and instructional guides and videos. 

Other Free Tools

The Des Moines Central Public Library provides access to free grant resources for the Des Moines area in grant funding and development.

The DMPL offers free access to Candid’s Foundation Directory Online and online trainings via Candid Learning, as well as in-person workshops.  

 

The Des Moines Foundation offers funding that aims to foster inclusive engagement and impact to improve quality of life for all in the Des Moines community. Additionally, the Des Moines Foundation has an abundance of grant writing resources and training opportunities.

Warren County Philanthropic Partnership was formed as a community foundation to distribute Iowa’s County Endowment Fund money and support charitable giving in Warren County, Iowa.

For more than a decade, the foundation has responsibly distributed charitable dollars through grants to community nonprofit organizations. Since our inception, we have awarded more than $1 million into the community for beneficial projects.

Quickly get started using pre-curated searches developed by our funding experts or select topic area tags to filter opportunities by research fields.

The Opportunities Lists on this page are compiled and updated annually each summer by the Research & Grant Development Office (RGDO). These downloadable PDF documents are intended to help Scholars identify resources to help fund their work. No list is exhaustive. Scholars should visit the websites of any agencies of interest to learn current deadlines and note any changes to requirements since the list was last updated