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Can someone help me find grants (private and government) for a new nonprofit social services business?

I am wanting to open center in the Dallas area that assits those with disabilities, especially mental health and mental retardation, apply for Social Security Disability (SSI/SSDI) at all levels including the initial, appeals, and the ALJ level (Administrative Law Judge for SSA). Also, I want to include services such as employment assistance for SSA's "Ticket to Work" program, as well as assisting clients with navigating through the complicated Medicare A-B-D, and Medicaid (QMB) programs. If I am a NEW BUSINESS wanting to start up, are there grants available to get started???

Public Comments

1. You have a lot of work to do BEFORE you start soliciting funders. You need to get a very impassioned group of people together who support your idea and will provide some start up funding and serve on the board of directors, you need to get letters of endorsement from existing organizations saying this program is needed, you need to have data that shows your target group is in need whatever service it is that you want to provide and that they are not served otherwise, you need to have profiles of your staff showing they have experience and expertise, and you need to have a draft of what your first year's budget would look like (what expenses you expect to incur, what you expect to pay staff, etc.) Also, contact the Dallas Center for Nonprofit Management http://www.cnmdallas.org/ They can help you with finding funders and completing the necessary paperwork to form a nonprofit. Also see: Starting a Nonprofit Organization http://www.managementhelp.org/strt_org/strt_np/strt_np.htm (one of my favorite resources) Starting a Non-Profit Checklist- The Things You Must Do to Start a Nonprofit Organization http://www.ctnonprofits.org/pages/NonProfitResources/StartNonProfit.asp Starting a Nonprofit Organization - How to Start a Nonprofit http://nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitbasics/ht/startingsteps.htm How to Start a 501c3 Nonprofit Organization http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-501c3-Nonprofit-Organization