Grant Writing for Beginners

Transcription

1 How to Win Foundation Grants: Grant Writing for Beginners How grants fit into a nonprofit's overall fundraising strategy How to identify funders that may have an interest in your activities How to assess your project s fit with a prospective funder s interests The standard sections of a foundation proposal Tips for increasing your chances for success. The best grantees know themselves, they know their organizations really well they have already done their homework to try to figure out what elements or parts of their organization might fit with what the foundation is funding. Latonya Slack, Senior Program Officer James Irvine Foundation The Word Woman LLC 1

2 Fundraising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. It is called fund development. Anyone have any ideas why it might be called development? Start with your project budget and develop a fund raising plan (ideally at least 3 to 6 months before the funds are needed) Your fundraising plan should be developed with these key considerations: 1. What you will need the funding for? 2. How much funding will you need for each item? 3. How much funding will you need in total? The Word Woman LLC 2

3 Fees for goods and/or services Individual donations and major gifts Bequests Corporate contributions & grants Foundation grants Government grants and contracts Interest from investments Membership dues and fees Sources for Project Budgets Federal, State and Local Government Grants, & Sponsorships Always restricted funding. Contracts Corporate and Private Foundations Grants & Sponsorships Can be restricted or unrestricted funding. Individuals (Internal and External) Donations & Fees Typically unrestricted funding. Our clients are suffering. GRANTMAKERS WANT TO FUND INNOVATIVE AND QUALITY PROJECTS THAT DELIVER DEMONSTRATED IMPACT. The Word Woman LLC 3

4 Collect Background Information You should have readily available background and supportive documentation about your organization and the key staff that will support the work to be funded: Your organization's mission statement A list of recent and relevant accomplishments A list of previous funders (amounts) and programs funded Resumes for key staff members Financial statements (Form 990 and most recent audited financial statements). Answer the funder s first question WHY? Identify the Need/Problem Funders are interested in innovative ways to eliminate needs (problems) substantiated by statistical data. Need Statement Examples: 1. Breast cancer kills. But statistics prove that regular check-ups catch most breast cancer in the early stages, reducing the likelihood of death. Hence, a program to encourage preventive check-ups will reduce the risk of death due to breast cancer. (Foundation Center) 2. New Mexico has the unfortunate distinction of having the third-highest rate of sex crimes percapita in the country.[1] Recent reports cited New Mexico s capital, Santa Fe, as having one of the highest incidences of rape per capita in the nation: 94 per 100,000 people, as compared to the national average of 36 per 100,000 people.[2] (Center for Nonprofit Excellence) [1] Grammer, Geoff. Center Strives to Raise Rape Awareness, The New Mexican. June 3, 2004 [2] City of Santa Fe Planning and Land Use Department. Santa Fe Trends Goals, Objectives, Outcomes Goal: A broad, general statement describing what your project will accomplish. Example: "The shelter s goal is to offer a safety net for women who are homeless and to help mitigate the factors that contribute to homelessness. Objective: A specific, measurable result your project will produce in a specified period of time. Example: "90% of shelter guests will receive one-on-one case management services in FY2014. Outcome: The actual result or consequence that will occur through achieving the objectives. Example: At least 25% of shelter guests will have achieved self-sufficiency and secured a home of their home. The Word Woman LLC 4

5 Who s Interests Match Your Project? Before preparing your grant proposal for your project, you must first identify prospective funders that are a good match for your organization, your mission, your project, etc. How might you go about finding grant funders to support your project? How might you determine if a grant funder is a good match for your project? A face-to-face meeting is ideal but not typically not an option. How might you initiate contact with a foundation? Strategies to initiate the cultivation process: Call the Foundation to make an introduction and gather information Send an Introductory or Letter of Inquiry/ Introduction (LOI) Add funder to your mailing list Attend funder-sponsored events Invite funder to your events Contacting Prospective Funders If a foundation publishes their phone number or address, contact them to: Introduce yourself Confirm your nonprofit/project is a good fit Get clarification no their application process Some foundations specifically say, Don t contact us. Honor that request. The Word Woman LLC 5

6 The Invitation to Apply Match based on funder s description of interests Positive Response to Letter of Intent (LOI) Conversation/Meeting withe formal invitation to apply Some funders will not specifically invite you to apply. They leave it to the applicant to determine their eligibility and fit. Standard Sections of the Grant Proposal Executive Summary/Abstract (1/2 to 1 page) Pull your reader in. Create a desire to read the full proposal. The Request Dollar amount requested Statement of Need/Problem Statement Get your reader concerned, worried, excited, or intrigued. Options Statistics national, local, etc. (make sure the data is relevant) Who is your client? Demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, income, etc.) Define the geographic area to be served (make sure its as narrow and descriptive as possible) Goals and Objectives Define goals (broad) and objectives (specific). Objectives are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable/Achievable, Relevant, Time bound The Word Woman LLC 6

7 Project Plan: Methodology/Approach Describe the methods, systems or services you will use to accomplish your objectives. Make sure your plan is feasible and logical. Describing the activities in chronological order is easiest. But if your project is based on a model, describe the model (graphic). Identify the supplies, equipment, resources you will use for your project, including who will perform specific tasks. Use descriptive language; draw a picture with words. Focus your details on your client and not your organization. Include the people who will implement the project in the project planning development process. Project Plan: Research and discussion Many discussions with key people involved in the project, program, etc. Clarify issues such as schedule, personnel, goals and objectives, etc. Clarify what problem(s) you will address. Gather statistical data and other support to substantiate your claims that the problem(s) exist. Grant proposal development is a TEAM SPORT! The bigger the grant, the bigger the team. Project Plan: Project Budget Your project budget should include the revenue and expenses needed to complete the project. Your project budget should include of ALL equipment, supplies, materials, personnel, and indirect costs needed to complete your project. Your budget should mirror (financially) your project plan. Your project budget may include items that a targeted funder will not support. The Word Woman LLC 7

8 Organizational Information Organizational history -- when and why was it established? Mission Statement/Statement of Purpose Where is your organization located? What type of organization? How is your organization staffed (volunteers, paid staff, etc.)? How is your organization currently funded (list types, amounts, and/or %)? What have you accomplished related to your mission and the proposed project? Evaluation How will you know when you have met the objectives? Evaluation methods: Pretest/post-test, Statistics, Questionnaire, Building passes inspection, licensing, etc. Future Funding How do you plan to fund this project next year? Ongoing funding needs, or one time request? Will your agency (or another source) fund later? Required Attachments A copy of your current IRS tax-exempt determination letter. Most recent audited financials and/or IRS form 990 Organizational chart Short biographies or resumes of key staff and volunteers List of current board members, including their affiliations/employers Current, dated Memorandums of Understanding or Letters of Support/Commitment from organizations or individuals that will be collaborative or cooperative on the project The Word Woman LLC 8

9 Congratulations on submitting your grant proposal! But that s not the end of the grant writing process!! After your proposal is submitted, confirm that is has been received. Some foundations will schedule a 'site visit' to tour your facility or meet with the project coordinator. Thoughtful planning and executing of the site visit is imperative -- as a visit typically indicates a real interest on behalf of the funder. Funder s Decision: Awarded or Declined Request feedback about your proposal's strengths and weaknesses. This information is not always available. STAY IN TOUCH!! info@thewordwomanllc.com Like us on Facebook at The Word Woman LLC 9