For the next several weeks, I will be working through the proposal development process. I think it is first important to begin, well, at the beginning.
Nonprofit status can determine if and how you can apply for grant funding, federal or otherwise.
501 (c)(3) Charities: are charities under Section 501 (c)(3) of the tax code. Exemption status is given to charities that:
1. serve charitable, religious, scientific or educational purposes
2. ensure that no part of the income generated by the organization goes to the benefit of any one person
Donations to these charities ARE tax deductible.
501 (c)(4) Social Welfare Organizations: often called advocacy organizations; these groups are also exempt under Section 501 (c)(4) and given more lenient restrictions to lobby and take part in advocacy activities. Donations to these organizations are NOT tax deductible.
For more information, visit www.irs.gov/charities
Thursday: Types of Foundations
~Cheers!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Keys to Successful Fundraising
I am a big believer in peer-to-peer sharing and fundraising education. The following is taken from lessons taught by The Kaiser Institute. Perhaps some of the language is a bit euphoric, but the ideas stick. Building on the previous post, I think we can all be reminded to treat donors as friends and neighbors, not just pocketbooks...foundations included.
• Care about the person, not the dollar
• Enable people to become everything they have ever dreamed of
• Treat every relationship as equitable
• See things differently, a new mental vision
• Donors don't care what our needs are; we need to find the donors' "bliss" and translate into our needs
• Create space to open up conversation
• Be a good people developer; hear in them what they can't hear
• We must become the change we want to happen
• Think BIG, we miss great potential when we think so small
• The donors who have a vision make a difference
• Be creative in gift giving
• Shift Traditional Language (instead of steward, show gratitude; instead of prospect, good friend...)
Taken from "Understanding our Partners Lessons from The Kaiser Institute and Eddie Thompson".
~Cheers!
• Care about the person, not the dollar
• Enable people to become everything they have ever dreamed of
• Treat every relationship as equitable
• See things differently, a new mental vision
• Donors don't care what our needs are; we need to find the donors' "bliss" and translate into our needs
• Create space to open up conversation
• Be a good people developer; hear in them what they can't hear
• We must become the change we want to happen
• Think BIG, we miss great potential when we think so small
• The donors who have a vision make a difference
• Be creative in gift giving
• Shift Traditional Language (instead of steward, show gratitude; instead of prospect, good friend...)
Taken from "Understanding our Partners Lessons from The Kaiser Institute and Eddie Thompson".
~Cheers!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Can Money Really Buy Happiness?
Not exactly, but in a 2008 article written by Sam Kean for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, giving money instead of keeping it for oneself can boost happiness levels.
In research findings published in the journal, Science (March 2008), Elizabeth W. Dunn, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia noted that "behaving in a prosocial manner broadly speaking--whether it's holding a door open for someone with groceries or making a donation to a charity or volunteering for an afternoon at a school--all of those things are likely to benefit the well-being."
http://www.unitedwaysb.org/study%20finds.pdf
Everyone likes to feel as if their contribution matters. Your mission and your work can make people happy. Let donors and volunteers become invested in what you do and share their ideas and talents to better your organization. Cultivation at the most basic levels reminds us how Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs can affect the short and long-term potential of gift giving.
Organizations have the ability to positively or negatively determine the amount of happiness that is felt by funders. When deciding how to tailor stewardship efforts, it is wise to remember that there is always a human being on the other end of your transaction.
~Cheers!
In research findings published in the journal, Science (March 2008), Elizabeth W. Dunn, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia noted that "behaving in a prosocial manner broadly speaking--whether it's holding a door open for someone with groceries or making a donation to a charity or volunteering for an afternoon at a school--all of those things are likely to benefit the well-being."
http://www.unitedwaysb.org/study%20finds.pdf
Everyone likes to feel as if their contribution matters. Your mission and your work can make people happy. Let donors and volunteers become invested in what you do and share their ideas and talents to better your organization. Cultivation at the most basic levels reminds us how Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs can affect the short and long-term potential of gift giving.
Organizations have the ability to positively or negatively determine the amount of happiness that is felt by funders. When deciding how to tailor stewardship efforts, it is wise to remember that there is always a human being on the other end of your transaction.
~Cheers!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Batter Up!
In these challenging economic times, the fundraiser, as I have found, is gaining more credibility and is in higher demand. With this comes the pressure to meet goals, engage new major donors and expand grant writing efforts.
Did I mention "challenging economic times"?!
The reality is that it is often impossible to start programs or expand old ones when you've let staff go, cut operating hours and grant funding continually decreases. I will not even mention the competition for available funding. Organizations must find ways to better the programs you have, modify plans for new ones and clean up old proposals (note: this should be happening anyway).
Give funders a reason to stay with you during a challenging economy. Make them a partner in your succcess. The best way to emerge on top is if funders and grantees work as a team. Don't make a new plan and then assume they still want to support you because "they always do".
Roll up your sleeves and fill out your roster. Then put on your jersey and show up for the game. Be ready for extra innings and look at creating an injured reserve list. It could be a long one.
When my brow gets little sticky, I find it helpful to look to wise old men (and women) for a slice of inspirational coaching.
It's okay to sweat, but please do it patiently and with purpose. Nobody wants to watch a sloppy game. You're not just selling seats for today's match-up, you want your funders to buy season tickets.
~Cheers!
Did I mention "challenging economic times"?!
The reality is that it is often impossible to start programs or expand old ones when you've let staff go, cut operating hours and grant funding continually decreases. I will not even mention the competition for available funding. Organizations must find ways to better the programs you have, modify plans for new ones and clean up old proposals (note: this should be happening anyway).
Give funders a reason to stay with you during a challenging economy. Make them a partner in your succcess. The best way to emerge on top is if funders and grantees work as a team. Don't make a new plan and then assume they still want to support you because "they always do".
Roll up your sleeves and fill out your roster. Then put on your jersey and show up for the game. Be ready for extra innings and look at creating an injured reserve list. It could be a long one.
When my brow gets little sticky, I find it helpful to look to wise old men (and women) for a slice of inspirational coaching.
"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success"
-Napoleon Hill
It's okay to sweat, but please do it patiently and with purpose. Nobody wants to watch a sloppy game. You're not just selling seats for today's match-up, you want your funders to buy season tickets.
~Cheers!
Orwell's Rules for Effective Writing
Aside from the great literary pieces that George Orwell contributed to the world library, he also shared a few of the secrets for effective writing that kept his work relevant. He often referred to his rules as "elementary" and urged readers to remember that you could follow each one and still produce bad writing. However, according to Orwell, your writing won't be as terrible as some of the passages quoted in his essay, "Politics and the English Language".
"...modern writing at its worst does not consist in picking out words for the sake of their meaning and inventing images in order to make the meaning clearer. It consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else, and making the results presentable by sheer humbug." -George Orwell
Orwell's rules apply well when writing a grant proposal. They can provide a much needed compass point when creative energy overtakes the purpose of your writing. It is our job as grant writers to interpret data, to tell a story, to evoke emotion and to make a compelling case for support. Creativity is the glue that holds it all together, but is not the theme of the writing.
1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
Orwell's original essay, "Politics and the English Language" was written in 1946.
~Cheers!
"...modern writing at its worst does not consist in picking out words for the sake of their meaning and inventing images in order to make the meaning clearer. It consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else, and making the results presentable by sheer humbug." -George Orwell
Orwell's rules apply well when writing a grant proposal. They can provide a much needed compass point when creative energy overtakes the purpose of your writing. It is our job as grant writers to interpret data, to tell a story, to evoke emotion and to make a compelling case for support. Creativity is the glue that holds it all together, but is not the theme of the writing.
1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
Orwell's original essay, "Politics and the English Language" was written in 1946.
~Cheers!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Grant Writer: Coach, Collaborator, Project Development Specialist
"Proposal writing represents the last phase of thoughtful project development. The process generally includes a team of people and starts with an idea that will enhance current operations or address a specific financial need required to augment the operating budget. Either starting point for an idea must link seamlessly to an organization’s mission and strategic long-range planning objectives. To effectively launch the project, the grant writer must be fully versed in these fundamental aspects of the organization.
The grant writer can be a staff member on the development team, an external consultant, or the person who will manage and direct the project. No matter who takes on this task, a unique combination of qualities and skills is needed to be successful. " by Noël Appel
One of the biggest challenges that I face as a grant writer, especially as a grant writing consultant, is finding my best role within an organization. Do I lead the project, do I just write and deliver the final product? Then the question becomes, do I coach the team I am working with? Do I consider myself as part of this team or am I an external resource? What is within my scope?
A while back I read an incredibly insightful paper written by Noël Appel. She clearly addresses the many hats that a grant writer is given and describes how to wear each one best. I will work in the coming days to post the entire paper.
About the Author
Noël Appel: Director, Foundation Relations, Fairfield University has more than 25 years of writing experience. She develops projects and proposals to private foundations and manages Fairfield’s Trustees Advisory Council. She has served as the Director of the Westchester/Putnam School-to-Careers Partnerships for the Southern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services. She has a BA from Fairfield University, in English and studied abroad at the University of London. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the American Association of Grant Professionals, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and CASE (Council for the Advancement of Secondary Education) and the Westchester and Connecticut Chapters of the American Society of Training and Development.
Ms. Appel's expert voice speaks well to the positon that I often find myself in as a grant writer.
The grant writer can be a staff member on the development team, an external consultant, or the person who will manage and direct the project. No matter who takes on this task, a unique combination of qualities and skills is needed to be successful. " by Noël Appel
One of the biggest challenges that I face as a grant writer, especially as a grant writing consultant, is finding my best role within an organization. Do I lead the project, do I just write and deliver the final product? Then the question becomes, do I coach the team I am working with? Do I consider myself as part of this team or am I an external resource? What is within my scope?
A while back I read an incredibly insightful paper written by Noël Appel. She clearly addresses the many hats that a grant writer is given and describes how to wear each one best. I will work in the coming days to post the entire paper.
About the Author
Noël Appel: Director, Foundation Relations, Fairfield University has more than 25 years of writing experience. She develops projects and proposals to private foundations and manages Fairfield’s Trustees Advisory Council. She has served as the Director of the Westchester/Putnam School-to-Careers Partnerships for the Southern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services. She has a BA from Fairfield University, in English and studied abroad at the University of London. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the American Association of Grant Professionals, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and CASE (Council for the Advancement of Secondary Education) and the Westchester and Connecticut Chapters of the American Society of Training and Development.
Ms. Appel's expert voice speaks well to the positon that I often find myself in as a grant writer.
Grant Writer’s Role as Project Development Specialist
"Once the project team has been expanded to include the appropriate internal and external partners, it is time to move beyond the conceptual phase of the project and into the articulation of the actual project. This process includes defining the project goal, anticipated outcomes, budget, and implementation timeline. At this stage, the grant writer works with the project team to articulate a clear and concise project goal with a series of anticipated outcomes. The achievement of the project outcomes is delineated through action items listed in the project timeline, tying seamlessly to implementation costs.
The use of various basic tools can be very helpful during this phase of the project design process. The grant writer can create a budget and project timeline templates for use with each project team. The project timeline provides information about the implementation activities, responsible staff, and timing for each action item. This form can be used as a handout in a planning meeting and helps to focus all of the participants on the scope of what is being proposed. Additionally, a budget template can be used in the same manner to help the project team consider staffing, materials, travel, marketing, equipment, and other costs associated with a project’s implementation. The resource package for this phase of the process can include a budget summary page that provides an explanation of the kinds of line items often included in a project budget. Use of sample budgets and project timelines from previously funded projects can effectively illustrate what these documents should contain.
As a project development specialist, the grant writer should make recommendations related to the appropriate use of external staffing resources. Designing an assessment framework for a project should be considered as an integral part of the project design process."
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