Clark County Public Library program helps nonprofits access grant funding

The main branch of the Clark County Public Library. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

The main branch of the Clark County Public Library. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

To help nonprofits apply to receive funding, the Clark County Public Library (CCPL) now offers a program to help identify grant sources that meet certain criteria.

Candid, a nonprofit, finds out where other nonprofits get their money, where it goes then “helps leverage that information to secure funding,” Zoe Spangler, CCPL reference library associate, said in an email. The resource uses advanced search filters to narrow down results by criteria including geographic focus, fields of interest, grantmaker name and types of support.

Candid also features “detailed profiles of grantmakers” in order to provide insight into what their priorities may be, application guideline and past funding trends, Spangler said. It has the same for grant receivers which “can better inform and guide grant application strategies.”

“Candid primarily helps users find funding opportunities through its grantmaker profiles,” Spangler said. “While it offers resources and educational materials that can aid in the application process on Candid Learning — such as live and on-demand training, webinars and other resources designed to improve your fundraising — it does not directly assist with the actual submission of grant applications.”

Spangler said Candid can help find a number of individual grants, foundation grants, government grants, cash grants, corporate giving grants, fellowships, matching grants and more. Students can also use the program to find scholarships under the grants to individuals filter, where they can find scholarship profiles including information on eligibility, applications procedures, deadlines and how much the scholarship would award.

Anyone with a Clark County Public Library Card can use Candid on-site or remotely through the library’s link on the Online Resources section of its website, Spangler said. Those accessing the tool remotely will need to provide their library card number and password.

The Greater Springfield Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals contacted CCPL to start a collaborative project, encouraging the library to look closer at Candid, Spangler said.

Spangler said Candid has webinars on its site and Youtube channel, and anyone with questions can also call the reference desk for assistance.

The library purchased Candid on an annual subscription, Spangler said.

“Many factors can contribute to a database’s longevity, including patron usage, the need for proprietary information and how the database orients to the library’s mission,” Spangler said. “We routinely evaluate if the digital resources we provide are proactively serving the community and adjust accordingly.”

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