PA 425/525 Grant Writing for Nonprofits: Problem Research

In order to make a case for funding to a grant maker, you will need to have researched the particular problem you're trying to solve. This page links to resources that will help you do this research. Let's use the example of reducing recidivism of juvenile defenders through via educational programs. Here are some techniques that you might consider:

• Find research-based scholarly articles. For our example you'd probably want to search for articles about juvenile recidivism and educational programs.
• Find statistics that can provide a numerical background. For our example you'd probably want to look up the number of juvenile offenders. 
• Find white papers & reports. Some problems may not have been addressed in scholarly articles, and there may not be sufficient statistical evidence. White papers, case studies, and reports can sometimes provide good support to your arguments. For our example look for resources on juvenile delinquency or offenses.

This guide only links to broad resources. You may consider exploring other library subject guides on topics related to the topic on which you're working. For our example topic you'd want to consider looking at a research guide on criminology or education.