James Barrett, KCARD’s grant facilitator, took some time to answer a few questions about himself and KCARD’s Agribusiness Grant Facilitation Program.
Q: What is your role at KCARD?
As the Grant Facilitator, I help connect you to funding opportunities that are appropriate for your needs, guide you through the application process, and assist with grant recordkeeping and reporting services.
Q: How does KCARD assist during the grant writing process?
While some grant applications are less than 3 pages in length, others can easily exceed 50 pages. I’m here to make either go smoothly. This process will often start with a meeting in which we do a full walk through of the application process, ultimately breaking the application down into tasks. Doing this allows us to create a timeline that fits within the grant deadline. Once you begin performing the tasks, you can reach out to me at any point with questions. When you have a rough draft complete, I’ll review it, make notes, and often suggest edits. Then I will send my notes and edits back to you for completion of the final draft. Once you have a final draft, I will review for completeness (making sure you answered all the questions and checked all the appropriate boxes), spelling, and grammar.
Q: What are three things someone should keep in mind when looking for funding?
Keep records. Specifically, keep good production/operation and financial records. Most grantors will want to know a little about your past and a little about your projected future – keeping good records allows you to provide them with both.
Before you begin searching for funding, have projects in mind. Ideally, these are projects that you plan on starting in 6-12 months, regardless of whether you receive grant funds.
Know that no one opportunity will cover all your needs. Funding is a puzzle; we put the pieces in place as we find them. We’ll keep you up to date on grants as they become available if you join our Funding Matters email list. Join here: https://mailchi.mp/kcard.info/subscribe-to-email-list2020.
Q: When should a business contact KCARD for grant or funding assistance?
Any stage is appropriate to reach out to us. Certain grants target certain stages of growth, and we can help determine what opportunities are out there for you.
Q: Do applicants have to pay for your assistance during the grant process?
Due to financial support provided by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, we can provide assistance, at no cost, to Kentucky farmers, businesses, and organizations who are applying for grants. If you receive a grant, we do provide fee-based reporting and recordkeeping services.
Q: What is a common question you are getting now?
We always have a lot of people interested in learning about funding programs and how to apply. Because of this, we host annual funding workshops every Fall. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re moving these workshops to a webinar series. To learn more about how to pursue grants, join us for our Funding Your Farm and Food Business webinar series every Thursday beginning October 8, 2020, through November 5, 2020, from 10:00am-11:30am EDT. To register, click the link here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Lfts4eb9Q1aUHKPwj_Smsg. If you can’t join us during the webinar, we will be archiving the videos so you can watch them when it is convenient for you.
Q: Which Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese is your favorite?
Norwood – the sweet and nutty flavor along with the crystalline texture have me drooling just thinking about it!
To learn more about the Agribusiness Grant Facilitation Program (AGFP) or to connect with James regarding your interest in applying for funding, contact us today at 859-550-3972 or via email at kcard@kcard.info. You can also reach out to James directly at jbarrett@kcard.info.