Federal Way workshop walks nonprofits, small businesses through 'grant sleuthing'

Federal Way — Collaborative Partners Initiative presenters Angela Silva and Arianna Garfellow led a standing-room workshop in Federal Way that walked local nonprofit and small-business representatives through practical steps to find and pursue grants, including which databases to use, how to check eligibility and when to consider contracts or procurements instead of grants.

The workshop aimed to demystify searching for funding and to give attendees tools and next steps. "The prize is finding some money for your organization," Arianna Garfellow, senior grant writer at Collaborative Partners Initiative, told the group. Presenters recommended using grant databases, setting alerts and building a deadlines calendar to avoid missing short windows.

Why it matters: local nonprofits and small businesses often rely on external grants and contracts to operate programs and services. Presenters emphasized that grant searches and applications are competitive and that organizations should plan to apply to multiple opportunities, track deadlines and assemble required paperwork in advance.

Presenters and recommended tools

Angela Silva, presenter with Collaborative Partners Initiative and a former grants-office director at MultiCare Health System, described practical search tools and how to choose among them. She noted Collaborative Partners Initiative is "celebrating our 4th year in business this month," and framed the session around three steps she called "treasure maps," "decoding clues" and "X marks the spot."

The presenters spotlighted several databases and resources: Instrumentl (a higher-budget, feature-rich research and tracking tool), GrantWatch (presenters said it is affordable at about $199 per year and includes small-business and nonprofit listings), GrantStation, Foundation Directory Online and the federal portal grants.gov. They also urged attendees to check local resources including the Washington Department of Commerce, King County Library System databases and a state procurement site known as WEBS (Washington's Electronic Business Solution) for contracting and bid opportunities.

Arianna explained database tradeoffs: Instrumentl produces consolidated data (including IRS Form 990 details and funding history) and offers tracking for projects; GrantWatch and similar services surface many opportunities at lower cost but may require more manual digging. The presenters encouraged attendees to "set up alerts" so new matches are emailed rather than relying solely on Google.

Eligibility, timeline and paperwork

Presenters stressed the importance of eligibility checks — geographic limits, recipient type (nonprofit, small business, local government), budget size requirements, audit demands and matching-fund conditions — before investing time in a full application. They advised compiling commonly required documents (board lists, IRS nonprofit verification, tax returns, staff resumes, invoices and annual reports) so applications are not stalled by missing paperwork.

Arianna cited survey data from the Grant Professionals Association to frame expectations: organizations that submit three to five applications typically get at least one award; submitting more increases odds of success. Presenters warned about strict deadlines and varying cutoff times (some funders use midafternoon deadlines, others 11:59 p.m.) and recommended setting multiple reminders and a grants calendar.

Local and private funder examples, small-business resources

Presenters named sample funders and programs relevant to the area: Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) mission-based grants (typically $20,000 to $100,000 and often requiring a lead applicant plus partners), corporate opportunities such as Comcast RISE and Aetna small-business grants (presenters said those programs sometimes distribute roughly $10,000 awards), and Women’s Net (a recurring program that has awarded a roughly $25,000 prize). They also noted tribal, foundation and corporate philanthropy can be found either directly on funder websites or through the databases discussed.

For businesses pursuing contracts rather than grants, presenters recommended registering in the state WEBS system and using Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) and the Association of PTACs (APTAC) for help. Local business supports mentioned included the King County Small Business Accelerator, SCORE mentors and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) office in Tacoma; presenters named Frank Boykin as the MBDA project director for the region.

Audience questions and practical concerns

Attendees raised practical hurdles: finding reliable grant writers, sustaining programs after COVID-era funds end and coordinating partnerships between small businesses and nonprofits. One audience member identified herself as Jan Barber and said she was "a member of the Federalway Lions Club," noting the complexity of sponsorships and past donor conflicts. Another attendee identified only as Cheryl described her organization’s work: "we actually do diapers and adult incontinence products. We have a diaper bank." A commenter who said they do grant writing part time described working at "a $61,000,000 organization nonprofit that focuses on mental health and substance use disorder" and noted concerns about post-2025 funding cliffs.

Presenters recommended practical next steps: interview and vet grant writers carefully (look for portfolios and grant wins), consider affordable freelance marketplaces such as Upwork for less-experienced freelance writers, look for student projects or local college programs for assistance, and do not rely solely on AI tools to complete narrative responses. "AI will write a grant for you, but AI is not good at answering the grant questions," a presenter said.

Follow-up and next session

Presenters invited attendees to return for follow-up workshops on related topics. "Next week we'll be here same place, same time Thursday 6 to 7:30 and we're going to be talking about navigating post grant success," Arianna Garfellow said, signaling a planned session on reporting, compliance and donor/funder stewardship. Presenters also said they would email slides, sample funded proposals and QR codes to the audience and encouraged signing up for alerts from databases and agency newsletters.

Ending

Presenters closed by urging attendees to diversify funding sources — grants, contracts, sponsorships and donor strategies — and to build simple systems (alerts, calendars, document folders) that make grant hunting repeatable rather than ad hoc.