As part of our forecasting process, LA n Sync scans more than 45 federal agencies as well as the most recent federal budget for grant opportunities and new federal money. We also receive information about grant opportunities through its network of partners.

All of this information is aggregated on the Grants Forecaster and disseminated to the community at large. LA n Sync serves as an information hub for grant opportunities, making it a unique one-stop community resource.

LA n Sync believes that sharing ideas and building relationships produces more than good grant applications. The relationship building that comes from these conversations lays the groundwork for future successes and active collaborations.

By supporting collaborations and partnership building at the community level, we are able to bring a broader range of voices to the table. This leads to more natural and spontaneous collaborations within the community, and serves to reduce isolation within issue areas. It also improves knowledge sharing and governance on regional matters.

LA n Sync works with its grantees on an individual basis to determine if their applications might benefit from strategic cross-sector partnerships, and then helps develop and strengthen these partnerships to produce strong and competitive collaborative applicant teams.

To stimulate investment in the region, LA n Sync regularly hosts dialogues with national leaders across all levels of government and models innovative programs that can be replicated beyond the Los Angeles region.

In 2015 LA n Sync hosted the National Resource Network, a coalition of experienced consultants who work in partnership with the White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities.

Prior to that, we hosted Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and 40 key cross-sector leaders for a roundtable discussion on the educational needs of the region. This meeting was a collaborative effort with First 5 LA, the LA Partnership for Early Childhood Investment, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Advancement Project, and the White House Domestic Policy Council.

LA n Sync has also supported delegations from Los Angeles to travel to Washington, DC, to build dialogue with elected officials and educate them on the pressing needs of the region. On an ongoing basis, we keep these officials informed when submissions from Los Angeles are being considered for funding, so they can raise awareness and advocate on their behalf.

Grant Management

Once an applicant has been selected to receive LA n Sync’s support, we assign a grant manager to be the liaison for the lead applicant during the grant application process.

The grant manager works closely with the grant applicant to determine the type and scope of assistance needed to increase the viability and competitiveness of the funding application.

Grant Writing Support

LA n Sync recognizes that the success of a funding application can rest on the applicant’s effectiveness in creating a powerful narrative. Without this, an applicant can be disadvantaged, no matter how good their programs and services.

To address this need, and the need for other kinds of support in the grant writing process, we have curated a vetted list of highly skilled grant development professionals who specialize in designing, formulating, preparing, and submitting major funding applications. LA n Sync works with its grantees to pair them with the most effective consultant(s) for their project.

Letters Of Support

LA n Sync validates the applications it works on by providing a letter of support. This letter is numbered for authenticity, and bears the LA n Sync seal. It represents not only the endorsement of LA n Sync, but also that of its full list of cross-sector key partners as co-signatories.

We also work with applicants to seek specialized endorsements from additional sources. For instance, when LA n Sync supported the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition in applying for a Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing grant, we secured letters from key business organizations throughout the state.