Funding Your Fatal Vision Investment: 4 Sources to Consider

Find support in bringing Fatal Vision’s educational tools to your educational program.

Fatal Vision’s drug, alcohol, and traffic safety educational tools are a fantastic investment to increase engagement and learning retention about these issues in your community and schools. However, we do understand that securing funding for these products can be a challenge depending on your program’s budget and size. 

That’s why our team has put together these potential sources of grants and funding you can pursue to help bring Fatal Vision products to your program. 

Our customers have found success in partnering with these funding sources to address community issues such as traffic safety, substance abuse, and underage drinking — we hope they can be a valuable source to your program as well!

Grant resources

Your program may be able to secure funding or a grant from federal, state, and local organizations. Examples of these organizations include:

• Police Grant Help
• The Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)
• Highway Safety Association
• Government Grants – U.S. Grants 
• The U.S. Department of Justice: Office of Justice Program (OJP) 
• National Institute of Health: Central Resource for Grants and Funding Information 
• Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country
• Grants.gov
• Allstate Foundation
• Find Your State Highway Safety Office 
• USA Grant Applications 
• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
• First Responder Grants
• Candid — The Foundation Center
• Council on Foundations – Community Foundation Locator
• Indian Highway Safety Program

Civic organizations

Local chapters of civic organizations often provide donations to support community educational and safety initiatives. 

Approach civic organizations in your area, including the Lions Club, Elks and Moose Lodges, VFWs, and American Legion Posts, to see if they make such donations and would be willing to contribute to your program.

Local businesses

Local businesses are often a great source of funding for education and community safety programs. Reach out to local insurance companies, car dealerships, restaurants, casinos, and other businesses to see what requirements they have for the educational donations they make. 

You can even reach out to larger chains, like Target and Walmart, that often have charitable programs championing various local organizations and causes.

Distribution of drug seizure funds

Your local law enforcement agencies may have policies to redistribute drug seizure money or funds from state-run liquor stores to local groups that address community safety issues like drug use, drunk driving, and traffic safety. 

Visit your local agencies’ websites or contact them directly to see if they have a fund redistribution program you can apply for.

Tips for securing funding

Now that you’ve identified some potential sources of funding, it’s time to reach out to them to see if they’re willing to partner with you to bring Fatal Vision products to your program. 

Here are a few tips we recommend as you begin the process of securing grants or funding:

1. Do some additional research. This list of funding sources is meant to help kickstart your search for funding, but it’s not an exhaustive list of potential sources. Do a bit of research on your own to look for other grants or local organizations that may be willing to contribute and to ensure that the sources we list above would be good partners for your program’s goals and setting.

2. Explain your request thoroughly. The organization you’re reaching out to may not be familiar with your program or Fatal Vision products — be sure to clearly state the reasons why you’re requesting funding and how you’ll use the funds if you receive them.

   Talk about your long-term goals for the Fatal Vision programs, how the products can benefit your program, and exactly how the funds will be put to use. (i.e., “We will use these funds to purchase two Fatal Vision® Community Event Packs that will help increase awareness and prevent alcohol abuse and driving under the influence. We plan on using this kit in our educational program and throughout the community at events like fairs, National Night Out, school field days, and more.”)

3. Understand the guidelines. Every grant or funding source will have different guidelines or stipulations for donating to your program. Research these or talk with the organization before you apply to make sure you’re able to meet these guidelines.

   For example, if a local business donates to your cause, will they expect their logo to appear on any banners you put up at community events? Does a federal grant require you to use the funds in a specific way? Get to know these guidelines inside and out before you apply for funding.

4. Build community support. Before you submit your funding request, share it with others in your community to see if they have any input. Perhaps another local educational program has won grants in the past and can give you some pointers. You might even realize someone in your school or agency is involved with one of the organizations you’re applying to and can put in a good word. The funding you’re requesting will help everyone in your community, so it doesn’t hurt to get your community involved!

5. Get comfortable with rejection. You likely won’t win every grant or funding request you apply for — this is normal! We encourage you to apply for as many potential funding sources as you can anyway. You may even be able to receive some feedback on how you can improve your proposals going forward.

We hope these ideas and tips for securing funding for your educational program can help you as you begin the process of investing in Fatal Vision products. We look forward to working with you to bring your innovative, hands-on educational tools to your community!

If you have any questions for our team, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help!