What are the credentials of Strategic Business Alliance?

Joyce E. Frey-Salazar, senior business analyst for Strategic Business Alliance, LLC Funding Development Division has over 23 years of experience in preparation of formal business plans, project development, and writing and submission of grant funding proposals. Joyce has a business degree in Business Administration and is currently working toward a master’s degree. SBA Funding Development works with non-profit and profit organizations in obtaining funding for projects. The projects may need funding in amounts of as low as one hundred thousand and have exceeded millions of dollars.

What type of organizations does SBA work with?

We work with nonprofit and profit organizations of all sizes, in a broad spectrum of disciplines including but not limited to arts and culture, human and social services, education, youth programs, health industry, and community development.

What fundraising services do you offer for nonprofits?

We offer a wide range of fundraising services that include, but are not limited to grant writing, corporate sponsorship, event planning, board development, and general fundraising consulting.

Why is a retainer required and what is it utilized for?

The retainer is utilized for the preparation of a professional business plan to include financial projections. While the business plan is being prepared and compiled grant researchers are contracted to search for available grant funding for your organizations. The time involved in research for one compatible grant for your organization is approximately eight hours. There is an additional eight to ten hours involved in packaging the grant application for submission.

Once the grant researchers locate a grant they feel is appropriate the grant is reviewed and approved by your organization for preparation. Once the package is prepared, it is proofed for accuracy by staff and reviewed again and submitted to the proper funding agencies. Our company contacts all funding sources to confirm acceptance of the grant application and to determine award announcement schedules. In addition a company representative will attend any meetings required to secure the funding. The grant applications must be submitted through the appropriate departments.

Submission of the application and presentation are key elements in the determination of whether your organization is awarded funding. Your applications will be submitted to state and federal funding sources and private foundations. Strategic Business Alliance receives a 10% fee for any funding acquired for your organization.

The retainer and the final fees are reimbursable as professional fees by the funding agencies and added in the grant applications as part of the capital required for your organization. The 10% fee is only paid if we acquire funding for your organization. References have been submitted to contact at your convenience. Strategic Business Alliance will contract with your organization for a period of one to two years depending on the size of the project. Our services include, but are not limited to the following:

•Meetings once a week for the first 4-6 weeks to prepare and compile the professional business plan.
•Prepare and review possible grant funding sources with your organization for the final approval of your board.
•Preparing the business plan and grant applications.
•Attendance of meetings with the contractors and selection of the contractor and design for the project.
•Solicitation of political support for your project.

Upon receipt of grants we consult on the reporting of the grant monies utilized and preparation for someone in your organization to continually apply and submit grants on your behalf.

What is SBA's success rate?

We obtain feedback from our clients on how we are performing at a number of points throughout our relationship. Whether a grant proposal is funded or not depends on many elements and approvals are based on the applicant and not the grant writer. We advise our clients every step of the way on how they will be evaluated and how they can make themselves more competitive for funding. Our project research is extensive to ensure that we target the funders that represent the best possible fit with each organization. We also take great pride in our ability to deliver grant applications that position our clients at their best for each particular funder. But ultimately it is up to you to manage your organizations that will be judged by a potential funder, as the awards are not simply based on how well the proposal is written.

How do I know grant money is available?

There are several web sites you can review to evaluate the organizations that are awarded funding each year for various projects and operational costs. On the federal level the web site is www.grants.gov. The PA grant website is www.newpa.com. To review different funding programs, if you enter in the search division (investment tracker) you can review all the state funding awarded to various organizations. In addition, you can review the web site at www.fbci.gov ,which announces all the grants currently available to faith based and non profit organizations through the federal government and www.grantsalert.com which is a popular website for educational grants. These are just a few sites that will help you in understanding all of the funding that may be available for your organization.