For Grant Writers Only

A new networking site has been created for grant writers!

The For Grant Writers Only social networking site is the community complement to the soon-to-be-launched For Grant Writers Only website, a place for new and developing grant writers to learn from more experienced professionals. The community is hosted by Melanie R. Negrin, owner and managing director for Merocune Marketing and Public Relations.

Check out this awesome site and tell your grant writing friends! Kudos to Melanie for keeping us all connected!


~Cheers!

Local Foundations versus National Foundations: What Makes Sense?

I recently blogged about how community impact is dependent on the financial health of an organization. In turn, your organization's ability to win grant funding is dependent on the impact you have in your community, region or across the nation.

Take a look at where you are applying for funding and where grant funding is actually coming from. Is it mostly from a local foundation? A regional foundation? A national foundation? Likely, the answer is that you have a combination, with the greatest success coming from local funders.

The bulk of funding given by family and private foundations usually stays in the community where the foundation is located—even if the foundation supports “national” projects or has open guidelines for geographic limitations.

Sure, national foundations open the door for more money and exposure, but also for competition among worthy organizations. Most funders like to support projects in the communities where they have a vested interest, financially or otherwise.

Don't forget this is business, not just the "goodness in their hearts" driving the decision making.

Who should I send my proposal to?
Do your research by looking at the annual reports and 990s of the foundations that you think will support your needs. Where does the bulk of their funding go? How often have they funded projects in your community during the past 3-5 years? Did they fund similar organizations elsewhere in the country?

If your project only helps your local community: apply with a local funder.

If your project spans across a region or will make a national impact: apply with a national funder.

If your program is replicable outside of the local community: apply to local and national funder.

If your program can be a model in the region or in similar areas across the country: apply to local and national funder.

If you plan to share your program results through research initiatives, presentation or at national conferences: apply to both.

Remember: unless you have a one-of-a-kind project that reaches the entire nation, applying for funding in Oregon when you are based in Florida, is not a sure thing. Be realistic and find a solid local funder to support local projects and a sustainable national funder to support those on the regional or national level.

~Cheers

More Grant Writing Books

After posting the recent section on grant writing books, I reviewed some old notes and discovered a few additional suggestions that are worth sharing with the Savvy crowd.

Storytelling for Grantseekers: The Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising by Cheryl Clarke.

Winning Grants Step by Step 3rd Edition by Mim Carlson

Demystifying Grant Seeking by Larissa Golden Brown

These books are recommended readings by The Fund Raising School.

The Grant Savvy world was created to share knowledge, resources and inspiration. Starting today, a new “grant writing book” will be recommended every Monday for Savvy readers.

Enjoy!

~Cheers!

Top Ten Reasons Grants are Declined

"The organization does not meet our priorities."
Research thoroughly before applying.

"The organization is not located in our geographic area of funding."
Get the guidelines before applying, or at least check GrantSeeker.com or your grants guide.

"The proposal does not follow our prescribed format."
Read the application information very carefully and follow it exactly.

"The proposal is poorly written and difficult to understand."
Have friends and experienced people critique the grant before you submit it.

"The proposed budget/grant request is not within our funding range."
Look at average size of grants of the funder.

"We don't know these people. Are they credible?"
Set up an interview before submitting the proposal and have board members and other funded organizations help you establish a relationship and give you credibility.

"The proposal doesn't seem urgent. I'm not sure it'll have an impact."
Study the priorities and have a skilled writer do this section to make it "grab" the funder. Your aim is to sound urgent, but not in crisis.

"The objectives and plan of action of the project greatly exceed the budget and timelines for implementation."
Be realistic about the programs and budgets. Only promise what can realistically be delivered for the amount requested.

"We've allocated all the money for this grant cycle."
Don't take this personally. It is a fact of life. Try the next grant cycle. Next time, submit at least a month before the deadline to give ample opportunity for questions and a site visit.

"There is not enough evidence that the program will become self-sufficient and sustain itself after the grant is completed."
Add a section to the proposal on your plans for self-sufficiency and develop a long-term strategy.

Adapted from California Grants Guide, Grant Guides Plus, 2000.

~Cheers!

The Role of the Grant Writer

The role of the grant writer is different for every consultant and organization, but some fundamentals should remain intact to provide a solid foundation for success.

Below is the link for the entire article: "The Grant Writer: Coach, Collaborator, Project Development Specialist". The original post provided only an overview of the best pieces. Enjoy!

The Grant Writer: Coach, Collaborator, Project Development Specialist

~Cheers!

Grant Writing Books

Professional development and continuing education are keys to being a strong and sustainable grant writer. Below are a few of my favorite books that I return to often to jumpstart my brain and energy. The content is mostly basic, informative and adaptable.

Webster's New World Grant Writing Handbook by Sara Deming Wason

Achieving Excellence in Fund Raising by Hank A. Rosso & Associates and Eugene Tempel, Editor

Perfect Phrases for Writing Grant Proposals by Dr. Beverly Browning

How to Write Fundraising Materials That Raise More Money by Tom Ahern

~Cheers!

Community Impact of Transparency

What is the relationship between a financially healthy organization and the community impact on people?

Personally, financial stability can open doors and support our ability to achieve goals such as buying a home, going on vacation, or sending children to college.

The same holds true for a community-based organization. What is your organization's health and how does this translate to your abilty to serve the community and receive funding requests?

The better your financial health, the more stable you become and the stronger impact you can have on the people you serve.

Measuring your health and impact is necessary for many reasons, but it can have significant bearing on your ability to demonstrate your needs in a proposal. Do you have diverse funding sources? What do you operating reserves look like? Do you encourage financial literacy among your staff or is the accounting department the only one who understands it? Do you use realistic assumptions to support your budget?

Equally important is your ability to share who you are. Do you post your information online? Do you send your annual report to donors and grant makers? Do you post your IRS determination letter and 990s on your website?

Bottom line is that a healthy connection between governance, planning, programs, evaluation and finance is really what financial leadership means. Transparency for donors, funders, volunteers, board memers and those you serve is crucial.

Grant makers want to see that you can pass the written, verbal and financial exam before they will fund your program. Evaluation measurements and logic models are parts of the proposal process that reflect this idea. It's nothing new.

Your organization's health creates not only stability, but flexibility to move with the changes in the economy. Funders want the strongest players on their team and need to know you have a plan to share with the people who support you.

Refer to places such as GuideStar to learn more about becoming financially healthy as an organization.

Clarifying Nonprofit Transparency (great new blog!)
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits

~Cheers!