GRANT WRITING FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE CHECKBOOK O C T O B E R,

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1 GRANT WRITING FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE CHECKBOOK O C T O B E R,

2 OVERVIEW OF FOUNDATION GIVING IN MINNESOTA Grantmakers contributed 27 percent of total charitable giving in Minnesota in Foundation and corporate giving in the state totaled $1.41 billion. Minnesota is home to 1,500 active grantmakers And it s only going to increase: Assets grew more strongly than did grantmaking in Minnesota foundation assets increased 3.8 percent to nearly $16.9 billion in 2010 from $16.2 billion in 2009 Giving in Minnesota 2012

3 READINESS FOR FUNDRAISING

4 READINESS FOR FUNDRAISING The conversation before the conversation: (or are we ready to do this?) 1) Where are we in our life cycle? 2) Are we confident in our programming? 3) Is our board ready and on board? 4) Are we ready to tell the world? 5) Why do we want funding? (trick question)

5 READINESS FOR FUNDRAISING 1. Board of directors 2. High quality programs and product 3. Institutional Case for Support

6 CASE FOR SUPPORT A Case for Support is quite simply the most important document your organization will ever write. It is both the cornerstone of any fundraising campaign and the portfolio of your organization s amazing achievements. It is the key document you will need to have in place when you set out to raise funds to meet your mission during annual campaigns, to fund capital campaigns or to state endowment needs and make requests for significant gifts. In addition, it will be your resource document when it comes time to write proposals and grant applications George Stanois An internal case is like a database you use. Refer to it when you need to write letters, grant proposals, pitches, brochures, newsletter articles and such. Tom Ahern A good case makes your life easier Mary Jones

7 THE CASE FOR SUPPORT Problem What are the needs you are meeting Solution What is the impact our organization has in our community Why us? Institutional Capacity What makes us different Why now? Sense of Urgency

8 THE CASE FOR SUPPORT Common pitfalls: 1) Insufficient environmental scan The Narcissus principle 2) Overpromising / Underpromising The Goldilocks principle 3) Mistaking correlation for causation The cum hoc ergo propter hoc principle

9 MAKE IT HUMAN They say people give to people but that doesn t mean YOU. It means your audience, your clients, your students. Draw a connection from the funder to the recipient. Storytelling and the importance of bringing it to one person- use a quote, tell a story, illustrate the power of the organization Donors don t give to and organization, they give through an organization. Tom Ahern

10 EXECUTIVE CASE One two page document Succinct, compelling summary of the Institutional Case for support. Inviting, engaging, emotionally gratifying. No jargon Intended for external audiences Make it human

11 READINESS FOR FUNDRAISING 1. Board of directors 2. High quality programs and product 3. Institutional Case for Support 4. Development Plan

12 DEVELOPMENT PLAN Goals by Income Category Income Categories FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 Projections FY 2013 % of income FY 2013 Actual Individuals Corporations Foundations Federated Campaigns (United Way, etc.) Government Fundraising Events Fees Other/Misc income TOTAL

13 DEVELOPMENT PLAN Strategic Goals Sample (begin with up to 3 strategic goals. Not more than 5.) Areas of Focus Measurable target By when Process/System Team Leader Barriers to complete goal 1 New Individual donors Increase # of donors giving at $250+ by 50 December Personal meetings with donors of $100-$200. Personally invite long-time donors at $100-$200 to visit programs & special events. Fund dev chair & dev director 2# New Institutional donors 3 Board giving goals (total) Communication goals 4(monthly - and print) Increase number of Foundations, Corporations, supporting us 100% giving = $12,000+ Monthly enews. Update website with new information monthly. December by June 30 annually enews - begin by June Website updates - starting next month. Four times the number of prospects as expected donors Dev. Chair or Board chair solicits PR & Comm committee to meet with staff and tighten down timeline and assign tasks. Dev Dir Dev chair PR & Comm chair & dev associate Acknowledgement/thank you/recognition 5strategies Thank you letters to all donors. Phone calls to all donors $100+ Starting immediately Letter sent within 1 week. Calls made within 3 days dev admin staff with community vols

14 READINESS FOR FUNDRAISING 1. Board of directors 2. High quality programs and product 3. Institutional Case for Support 4. Development Plan 5. Prospect Research

15 SOURCES OF IDEAS Like organizations annual reports Foundation Center Guidestar Rumors and innuendo

16 IS IT A FIT? Questions to answer Do they fund like organizations? Do they fund at an appropriate level? What is their corpus? How much do the give away annually? What is their timing? Does it work for us? What are their goals? How does funding your organization meet those goals?

17 CULTIVATING PROGRAM STAFF Squirrel or Bigfoot? Website is often a clue Plan your approach Allow ample time , follow-up phone call Gentle persistence is necessary Talk. And listen Have an elevator speech; not a novel Not a good fit = don t bother Playing chicken on the request amount

18 DO YOUR HOMEWORK 1. Read the website, understand mission and priorities. Mission and Meaning The mission of the Otto Bremer Foundation is to assist people in achieving full economic, civic and social participation in and for the betterment of their communities. Our mission is based on the intent of our founder, Otto Bremer. His vision and longstanding commitment to communities during and after the Great Depression are carried forward today through our work in the places that are homes and neighbors to Bremer banks. We strive to help build healthy, vibrant communities-- communities where basic needs are met, mutual regard is prized and opportunities for economic, civic and social participation are within everyone's reach. Go to Guidestar and review the 990; find out how their dollars are distributed

19 DO YOUR HOMEWORK 2. Read the guidelines carefully. Eligibility Grants are made only to organizations whose beneficiaries are residents of Minnesota, North Dakota or Wisconsin, with priority given to communities that are homes and neighbors to Bremer banks. Grants are generally restricted to organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and to governmental entities. The Foundation does not make grants to individuals. Grant Application and Review Our grant application consists of three parts: a cover sheet, a narrative and attachments. The Foundation accepts applications on a continuous basis; previous Otto Bremer Foundation grant recipients should review our one-grant-at-a-time policy before submitting an application. For Bremer Communities in North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Greater Minnesota: Complete proposals must be received by: For consideration on: Wednesday, February 5, 2014 Thursday, May 22, 2014 Wednesday April 9, 2014 Thursday, July 24, 2014 Wednesday, August 6, 2014 Thursday, November 13, 2014

20 DO YOUR HOMEWORK Check the annual report and 990 to find out how giving guidelines play out in the real world.

21 GRANTWRITING

22 NOW WRITE! Use the funder s application form Use your Case (use the summary for an LOI) Use their words Stick to the format and the word limit Be succinct, be human Think about POETRY

23 A FEW WRITING TIPS: Show, don t tell Do review the final draft proposal with lead program staff Don t freelance and fund something program staff can t execute Do explain how your project will meet the funder s objectives

24 BUDGETS $$$ Clear budget narrative Typical categories Last year and current YTD for organization if possible Clear and understandable program budget. Don t forget benefits, reasonable overhead and fixed costs.

25 TAKE A BREATH Set it aside. Give it a day. Get a fresh set of eyes. Print (if possible), and review it again. Submit

26 THE SITE VISIT Have the right and right number of people in the room Be respectful of time including your own Don t guess. Don t free-lance. Ask questions Make it a win/win Try not to stress Follow up

27 DECISION TIME If they fund you: Yay! Say thank you, send a thank you/acknowledgement letter, report promptly, send stories, keep them in the loop. If they do not: What could we have done to make our proposal more competitive?

28 DONOR CYCLE Identification Identification Stewardship Research and Cultivation Research and Cultivation Solicitation Solicitation Stewardship

29 EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GRANTMAKING* Should we hire a grant-writer? When is the best time of year to submit an application? Is name-dropping helpful? Should I invite a board member to the site visit? * but were afraid to ask

30 EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GRANTMAKING* The answer: It depends One you know one foundation, you know one foundation. * but were afraid to ask

31 REAL WORLD MISTAKES (MARY) Mistakes I made last week: Not letting a key staff member know we d gotten an important grant Mistakes I made last month: Not communicating enough with the program officer for a foundation before submitting a proposal (TWICE) Not starting the year with an annual development plan Underask ing Overasking

32 REAL WORLD MISTAKES (DOMINIC) Mistakes I made last week: Assuming constants in a world of variables. Mistakes I made last month: Wrong organization, wrong day.

33 RESOURCES Tom Ahern at Ahern Communications Ink Lori Jacobwith Guidestar Foundation Center Foundationcenter.org Council on Foundations (and Minnesota Council on Foundations) Includes Minnesota Giving Report SOFII