One of a series designed to aid community leaders, cooperative extension agents, local government officials, and others in their efforts to gain external resources needed to support local efforts in rural development, this handbook addresses three basic problem areas: gathering information on rural development needs of a community; locating funding sources to help meet the community's rural development needs; and presenting information in a clear, concise, and persuasive manner to state, federal, and foundation funding sources. Part I discusses documentation and funding problems and blockages in presentation. Part II gives a broad introduction to types of information most common to proposals for federal grants and programs related to human services. Part III discusses presentation of data by written or oral summaries and through use of visual aids, including a detailed description of visual aids preparation. Part IV looks at federal funding sources of currently existing programs, sources of information on those programs, and some sources of non-federal funding. Part V stresses the importance of understanding government organizations and the regulations which govern them and furnish sources of information. Appendices present a select bibliography on federal, regional, state, and local government, and a list of local level resources. (CM)