Powering Up Grant Funding Capacity of Community-Based Organizations

Writing and submitting grant applications can be daunting, especially for community-based organizations (CBOs) that may be less familiar with the process and face unique barriers to applying. The Community Engagement Alliance Consultative Resource (CEACR) provided informative sessions to help CBOs understand National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant mechanisms and the grant application process. With support from the NIH Common Fund, CEACR invited academic and community experts to offer a speaker series, which provided tailored recommendations for community-engaged research teams applying for federal and nonfederal research funding. 

CEACR offered monthly sessions over a five-month period to support CBOs in their pursuit of grant funding. The presentations covered all stages of the research process — from finding funding sources and developing research agendas and study designs to disseminating research findings to communities. 

Throughout the series, speakers shared actionable recommendations to support the grant application process. Some highlighted the importance of community-academic partnerships, including establishing partnership agreements and defining terms of shared leadership. Others focused on how to center community needs and priorities and to work with trusted messengers to share study results. Attendees praised the speakers, with one sharing, “I really appreciated the inclusion of community voices in this session…it underscored the commitment to community input and lived experience.” 

Another said, “This was a very informative and inspiring [session]. I greatly enjoyed the speakers and hearing their experiences and call to action.” CEACR also hosted separate, extended office hours following each session, offering attendees and presenters the opportunity to meet in a structured space for deeper discussions. These sessions allowed presenters to share tailored guidance and recommendations with the attending CBOs and community leaders. 

“By engaging community experts and demystifying the research process from start to finish, this speaker series served as the kind of community-centered resource that CEACR is all about,” says Al Richmond, executive director of Community-Campus Partnerships for Health and CEACR Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI). Attendees reported in post-surveys that they experienced increased knowledge and confidence in their skills and abilities, like implementing successful writing strategies and research dissemination practices. One respondent shared, “This was an amazing event, and it greatly increased my understanding of what needs to take place before applying for any grant. I really appreciate it, and I plan to share this information with others.” Most attendees responded that they planned to submit a proposal within 6 months to one year after attending the sessions. 

“In total, the series had 453 attendees, demonstrating high interest in CEACR’s offerings,” says Mylynda Massart, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh and CEACR MPI. “This series delivered information that is relevant and applicable to participants’ work, according to follow-up survey responses.” 

Following the series, CEACR is developing a set of resource pages that will highlight key takeaways from each session and serve as durable resources to support CBOs seeking funding for their research. These will be published on the CEAL website in the future. 

This resource is just one example of CEACR’s efforts to further the CEAL mission via personalized consultations. CEACR offers a range of services, including virtual learning sessions, digital and print materials, expert panels, and more, to support research teams wanting to apply community engagement principles in their work. Through this series, CEACR established valuable connections with a broad range of CBO leaders and expanded the CEACR network of potential expert panelists to support future consultations, strengthening CEACR’s ability to meet researchers’ needs. 

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Get involved with CEACR: 

• Volunteer to serve on the expert panelist roster by completing this form.*
• Request a consultation by using this form* to start the conversation.
• Learn more about CEACR.