Many small health centers simply cannot afford a full-time grant writer. The result is that their grant applications are often rushed, incomplete, and may not properly reflect the true benefit your health center would have on the people served by the grant to which you are applying.  This can be the Service Area Competition, a New Access Point, your Budget Period Update, a Capital Grant, or any number of HRSA incremental funding opportunities or private foundations. Every dollar is critical isn't it?

Unlike years past, today's Service Area Competitions (SACs) are not simply automatically awarded to the incumbent grantee.  They are competing competitions and there have been cases where incumbents lose out to other grantees wishing to take over or new grantees altogether with better grant proposals.  Care must be taken to carefully and completely answer the grant request including justification of the unique patient counts the project will care for before the end of the project period. 

While it is true that the history of conditions on the grant may not directly impact the successful awarding of the grant application, each grant application must clearly define and demonstrate how the grantee is in compliance with all  program requirements and how it will maintain this compliance throughout the period of the grant.  The application also must clearly demonstrate the unique benefit the grantee offers to fulfill the project at hand.

Equally critical are the Budget Period Updates (BPRs) required every year with the second year update being most critical as it will be used in the OSV that will follow.  Many health centers don't have the staff time to alot to this very important work.  FQHC Consultants can handle this for you on a project basis helping you align your grant with your strategic plan.  Your health center's financial picture is clearly defined to cast it in the best light.  The progress you have made is detailed along with specific issues that may be restricting or contributing to the success of your overall program and each individual sub-award.  Your zip codes are analyzed to ensure you are maintining a proper scope of project.  A survey of all areas of compliance is also conducted in an efficient manner that will address any items that might require additional work.