Funding That Fits: Locating Opportunities �Aligned to Your Projects
State Budget Department�Grants Management Office
Mark Gordon, Governor | Kevin Hibbard, Director
Dru Palmer, Grants Integration Manager
Christine Emminger, Administrator for the Grants Management Office
Diana Cabriales, Deputy Administrator for the Grants Management Office
June 22, 2026
Session Objectives
Follow the methodology used by the Wyoming Grants Management Office to conduct a grant opportunity scan
Identify strategies for developing grant research “buzzwords” to use when conducting grant research
Utilize grant research tools to create and log buzzwords and capture relevant grant opportunities
Grant Research Methodology
What is Grant Research?
Definition:
Grant research is the process of systematically identifying and evaluating funding opportunities that align with your organization’s mission, project funding needs, and capacity
Advantages of Proactive Research
Better Application Development: Identifies opportunities before a deadline forces compromises
Stronger Project Design: Allows scope, budget, partnerships, and outcomes to be shaped with funding criteria in mind
Increased Competitiveness: Identifying a grant opportunity from a past cycle can allow you to prepare for the next cycle in advance
Supports Long-Term Strategy: Builds a pipeline of viable opportunities instead of one-off, last-minute applications
GMO’s Grant Research Steps
Step 1: Determine Research Strategy
Step 2: Develop Search Keywords, or “Buzzwords”
Step 3: Perform Grant Research
Step 4: Create a List, or an “Opportunity Scan”
Step 5: Assess Grant Fit
Step 1: Determine Research Strategy
Some questions to consider when developing a research strategy include:
Defining your research focus helps you zero in on grants that are relevant to your project and on track to being a strong fit
Know Your Research Scope
Back to the Basics: What is a “Grant”?
It is also important to know the nature of your funding need:
A legal instrument of financial assistance… the principal purpose of which is to… carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of the United States and not to acquire property or services for the entity’s direct benefit or use.
Definition of a “Grant” from the Uniform Guidance
Step 2: Develop “Buzzwords”
Definition:
Buzzwords, or keywords, are commonly used by both funders and grant researchers to describe and identify a funding opportunity.
As a grant researcher, you can develop keywords that will help you locate relevant funding opportunities.
Step 3: Perform Grant Research
Primary Sources for Grants:
Search Strategies:
Identify eligibility criteria to narrow results
Filter by funding entities and funding types
Use relevant keywords
Grant Search Engines
Wyoming Grants Connect Hub
Find via Internet Search:
“Wyoming Grants Connect Hub”
Grants.gov
Tip: Sign up for Grants.gov funding or search notifications
Step 4: Create a List of Opportunities
As you conduct grant research, keep a running list of opportunities with important details.
An “Opportunity Scan” is the GMO’s method of capturing the results of our grant research.
Example Opportunity Scan
Scan the QR code to access GMO’s Opportunity Scan template!
Step 5: Assess Each Grant’s “Fit”
The grant research process will likely yield a long list of potential funding opportunities.
The next step is narrowing the list by assessing each grant’s fit, looking at factors such as:
Alignment with Goals and Funding Needs
Requirements (e.g., Match, Timeline)
Necessary Approvals
Capacity
Eligibility
GMO’s Grant Fit Assessment Tool
The GMO created the Grant Fit Assessment tool to help organizations assess a grant opportunity and determine the extent to which a grant is a “good fit” for its specific project or program
Scan the QR code to access GMO’s Grant Fit Assessment tool!
Buzzword Development Strategies
Broaden the Scope of Your Buzzwords
Tip:
Develop buzzwords for all of the activities and outcomes associated with your project.
Ask yourself:
Look beyond the obvious buzzwords for your project
Research Consideration
Search for Funding Outside Your Sector
Tip:
Explore funding opportunities outside of your industry and not just with the funders you are already familiar with.
Ask yourself:
The best funding opportunities for your needs may live outside your core mission area
Research Consideration
Thinking Outside of Your Sector
Scenario: The program manager for a juvenile detention center wants to hire new staff, make improvements to the facility, and start a new diversion program.
Thinking Beyond the Obvious Buzzwords:
Understand Who Will Benefit
Tip:
Many programs are designed to serve specific communities. Incorporate search terms that describe the population and area that will be served by your project.
Applying the Concept:
A workforce development program that serves adolescents in a rural area may use the terms such as “youth”, “opportunity youth”, “disadvantaged“, “underserved“, and “rural”
Funding may be geared towards the population and locale that will be served by the project
Research Consideration
Use the Funder’s Own Language
Tip:
Take note of terms that you see repeatedly in Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) and use them to search for additional funding opportunities.
Applying the Concept:
A job training program is often referred to as a “workforce development” program amongst federal funders.
Many funders use consistent language in their NOFOs to describe their programs
Research Consideration
Planning vs. Implementation Funds
Tip:
Search for terms such as “planning”, “plan development”, and “assessment”, depending on what project activities still need to be completed.
Applying the Concept:
A community needing a paved multi-mile walking and biking path to connect a new area of economic development to a transportation center may identify grants to plan the development of the walkway before implementing construction
of the path.
Depending on where you are in the project process, you may need to search for different types of grants
Research Consideration
Activity: �Develop Buzzwords & Conduct Grant Research
Activity
Activity: Using the Grant Research Process template, individuals or teams will:
How it Works: Individuals or teams may choose to complete the activity based on a real project or a hypothetical project for
practice and discussion.
State Budget Department�Grants Management Office
Email: sbd-grants@wyo.gov
Website: https://sbd.wyo.gov/grants
Kevin Hibbard, Director, Wyoming State Budget Department
Christine Emminger, Administrator for the Grants Management Office
Diana Cabriales, Deputy Administrator for the Grants Management Office
Email: dru.palmer@wyo.gov
Dru Palmer, Grants Integration Manager
Governor’s Office�Grants Management Initiative
Hagerty Consulting, Inc