Grant Resource Guide

There are countless resources to assist with your funding needs. This guide brings many of them together. Muncie Public Library has partnered with Candid as a Funding Information Network (FIN) location. The network has over 400 locations nationwide, and is the largest nonprofit organization providing resources for funding, grants, and philanthropy.
Muncie Public Library offers individual instruction sessions on the Candid resources such as the Foundation Directory Online database, books on grant writing and nonprofit management, and more.
Click the other tabs in this guide to learn more about what resources are available.
News:
- Check out Candid’s newest grant resource, Candid Learning.
- In response to COVID-19, we are able to offer some remote access to the Foundation Directory Online (FDO). If you are interested in using this service, please contact Laura Janiga using the information on the Questions tab.
- Muncie Public Library can also assist you with searches directly. During the library closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you may send us a search request, and a librarian will send you results from Foundation Directory Online (FDO) within 1-2 business days. Fill out the Grant Research Request form to begin.
A printable copy of this guide is available below.
Grant databases allow non-profit organizations, artists, researchers, and others to research grant opportunities available from foundations, corporations, and government agencies. Learn more about the databases by reading and viewing the materials below.
Foundation Directory Online Professional includes 220,000+ grantmaker profiles, 17 million grants, 900,000 recipient profiles, along with contacts, maps, charts, and more. Access is available at Maring-Hunt Library only, using the link on MPL’s Databases page. Currently, you may use your own laptop or mobile device outside Maring-Hunt Library if you connect to our Wi-Fi network, or you may call Maring-Hunt library during business hours to request a PC Express appointment.
Foundation Directory Online Essential, includes 220,000+ grantmaker profiles* along with contacts, maps, charts. Remote access allows you to get your grant research started while staying safer at home during the pandemic. Access returning soon. Remote Access will be available through your MPL account by logging in to the Catalog with your library card number. For other help with access, contact Laura Janiga using the information on the Questions tab.
*Full foundation profiles for some funder types only available in FDO Professional.
FDO Tutorials and Search Strategies:
- Navigating Search Results in FDO
- Key Parts of a Grantmaker Profile in FDO
- Dive into FDO’s Grant Results
- Strategize using FDO Recipient Profiles
Grants to Individuals Database includes profiles of 10,000 grantmakers with details on funders that provide scholarships, fellowships, grants, and a wide range of financial support to individuals such as students, artists, and researchers. Access is available at Maring-Hunt Library only, using the link on MPL’s Databases page. Currently, you may use your own laptop or mobile device outside Maring-Hunt Library if you connect to our Wi-Fi network, or you may call Maring-Hunt library during business hours to request a PC Express appointment.
Note about the scope of these databases:
The foundations in these directories typically fund only nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status as defined by the Internal Revenue Code. These are organizations whose purposes are charitable, educational, scientific, religious, literary, or cultural. A small number of foundations will also make grants to individuals, usually to help pay for educational expenses, or support artistic or research projects.
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These databases are generally not where you will find funds to help with personal needs such as food, medical bills, housing, or debt relief. Instead, please call 211, or contact your elected officials such as your township trustee, to find government agencies and human/social service organizations near you, some of which may be able to provide temporary financial and other forms of assistance. Please also refer to the resources linked in the library's guide to Local Resources and Assistance and the Candid Learning Knowledge Base for more emergency financial resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Additionally, these databases are generally not where you will find funds to help with a for-profit business. Please contact the Indiana Small Business Development Center for information about starting a business.
- Candid Learning
- eBook Collection 200+ ebooks curated especially for the nonprofit sector, for free public use. First time users must click “User ID Help” on the Sign In screen to request access.
- GuideStar
- Philanthropy News Digest
- Issuelab
These community profiles will summarize the most common data, such as demographic and economic statistics, that you may need for your nonprofit’s case statements, long range plans, and grant narratives.
- Delaware County, IN Profile from the Muncie-Delaware County Indiana Economic Development Alliance and Chamber of Commerce
- Muncie Economy at a Glance from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Delaware County, IN Profile from the National Association of Counties
- Indiana Profile in the KIDS COUNT Data Book
More Data Sources
- County Level Data Sets from the USDA’s Economic Research Service
- Current Population Survey Statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Indiana Economy at a Glance from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Indiana State Profile in the Aging, Independence, and Disability Program Integrated Database (AGID) from the Administration for Community Living
- KIDS COUNT Data Center
- National Center for Children in Poverty
- National Center for Education Statistics
- National Center for Health Statistics
- Opportunity Index
- Populations at Risk Data Tool by Headwaters Economics
- Measure of America by the Social Science Research Council
- Statistics by Topic from the Indiana State Data Center
- United States Economy at a Glance from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Building Better Neighborhoods Initiative page about Funding Resources
Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County
Edmund & Virginia Ball Foundation
George & Frances Ball Foundation
Indiana Historical Society Heritage Support
Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Hamer D. and Phyllis C. Shafer Foundation
Contact Laura Janiga, Adult Services Supervisor and FIN Lead
765-741-7331