Fundraising
- Week 4 Readings
1) KEYS TO FUNDRAISING SUCCESS
2) THE ABC’S OF PROPOSAL WRITING : sections
3) AFTER THE PROPOSAL HAS BEEN SUBMITTED
4) TIPS FROM FUNDERS
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1) KEYS TO FUNDRAISING SUCCESS
Though many of these ideas seem pertain to grants from foundations,
the basic principles still hold true for other, less formal fundraising
methods. Even if you are holding a bake sale or asking your local
hardware store for in-kind donations, the keys to success are
the same--know your project, prepare a realistic budget, and
thank the donors!
SOME BASIC FUNDRAISING RULES:
1. Know your project inside and out. Be thoroughly familiar with
your group and the project, its mission or mandate, goals and
objectives, the benefits to the members and to the community,
the organizational structure, activity time lines, etc. (all
the work you did in Week 2)
2. Research potential sources of funding thoroughly. The internet
is the best place to start. Find out if they fund projects like
yours. Just because their published information indicates that
they might, things change year by year and this may not be reflected
in that information. Call them up and find out before you go
to the trouble of writing a long application. Some foundations
require a letter of intent (a brief description of the proposed
project) before they will let you apply. And some foundations
want you to speak to a grants officer directly or even submit
and outline of your proposal before you apply. Do not send a
generic, boiler plate, unsolicited proposal to a long list of
funders without first finding out if they are a suitable match
for your project.
3. Read the Instructions. When dealing with any funder, remember
to read the instructions carefully before applying. Simple as
it may sound, this advice is very important. Because grantmakers
receive so many applications, they are often quick to discard
those that do not comply with the instructions. Although the
remaining applications may not be the best of those submitted,
they have made it over that all-important first hurdle. Follow
instructions!
Repeat the funders words back to them. If they state that job
creation is a priority for them, then you had better have something
about how many jobs you will create. Funders look for this and
don’t mind if they find their own words in your proposal.
Just make sure you have tell them how you will accomplish your
goals (and theirs) in your own words.
And don’t be afraid to repeat yourself from section to
section, expanding as you progress. It shows consistency of your
project and ensures that the important points get across to the
grantors, who may not read every page of your proposal. You will
find that I have repeated many important things in this week’s
lesson, on the same principle.
4. Prepare a well thought out, thorough budget, but don’t
box yourself into a corner by excessive itemization. Always ask
for slightly more than you need--there’s always something
you didn’t foresee. But be careful about artificially inflating
your budget. Grantors make it their business to know how much
things cost and will see through $5,000 for photocopying--unless
your proposal involves creating a resource manual or large mail
campaign . Be sensible.
4. Ask for in-kind donations for items such as tools and seeds
from a local businesses. That way you don’t need to spend
the money that you raise on these items. Community-based businesses
are likely to be interested in your project and want to support
you but they may not be able to give you money.
5. Be creative! If a business that has nothing to do with gardening
wants to help, hold a community fundraising auction of donated
items. Don’t turn any donations down even if you can’t
figure out what to do with them at that particular time.
6. Submit letters of endorsement from community partners, well
known people or groups active in the community gardening field,
community leaders and activists, politicians supportive of your
project, and individuals and groups who have been helped by your
project or others like it.
7. Ask an experienced fundraiser or someone with similar skills
to read and comment on your proposal before submitting it. Ask
a friend or group member to double-check for typos and inconsistencies
and to make sure that you have included all asked-for appendices.
And double check your math!
8. Timing is important--willingness to contribute may depend
upon the ups and downs of business. Many funders have deadlines
for applications while others receive them at any time. Also
look to see what the timing is between submitting your proposal,
when you will be notified of acceptance and when you will receive
the money. Some have fast turn around times and others are very
slow--which could affect your start time and the eventual success
of your project. Waiting till June or July for garden start-up
money is VERY frustrating.
9. Spread out your requests over several donors--don’t
put all your eggs into one basket. Most donors know that they
cannot fund all aspects of each project. They like to see other
funders and partnerships.
10. Make sure to thank your donors, both privately and publicly.
This holds true for a $20 private donation as well as a $20,000
grant. It is essential and will help to get repeat donations
in subsequent years. Some creative ways to publicly thank donors:
include their name on a sign, write a letter to the editor of
the local newspaper, create a certificate of appreciation for
hanging on a wall (especially good with store owners). For example,
if you hold a bake sale and couldn’t possibly thank each
person who bought a pie, then write a letter to the editor of
your paper, thanking all who participated in the event. They
will like it and it has the added advantage of making more people
aware of your project and need for funds.
11. Keep a scrapbook with media clippings, letters of support,
design drawings, photos, etc. Take before, during and after photos
of the site and give them to the donors. They like to see what
their money accomplished--and they’ll be more inclined
to continue the support.
12. If your proposal is not approved, ask the funder how the
proposal could have been better and try again, perhaps with another
funder or with the same one.
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2) THE ABC’S OF PROPOSAL WRITING
A. BEFORE YOU APPLY
a . DO YOUR HOMEWORK:
There are a lot of funding bodies out there--all levels of government,
large and small private & family philanthropic foundations,
corporate foundations. But don’t send out generic funding
proposals or letters of inquiry. Taylor your proposal to the
funder. Just about every granting organization has a website.
It is there that you will find everything you need to know
: who are the funders that might be a fit with your project,
their mission, aims,and focus, their granting process, deadlines,
past grant recipients and descriptions of projects funded,
probably even their proposal form.
Speak to other organizations who have received money from the
funder. Ask for tips in styles of approach that the funder might
like. Find out if they are a hands-on or arm’s length funder.
Depending upon your project, you might appreciate a funder who
sees themselves as your partner. The more you know about the
funder, the better they like it and the better your application
will be because of it.
b. LETTER OF INQUIRY/INTENT
Many funders do not like unsolicited proposals. They prefer a
a letter of inquiry to determine whether you and your proposal
falls within the their guidelines. In this case, an inquiry
letter is sent or they may prefer for you to contact a grants
officer by phone with the same intention. This should also
be on their website or you can call to inquire.
A letter of inquiry or intent is very succinct, and attachments
are not included. If the funder determines the group and project
fit within it's scope, you will be directed to submit a complete
proposal. If not, a decline letter is usually issued at that
time.
A letter of inquiry should have the following:
- Does not exceed two pages (one page is recommended)
- Includes funder's name, title, and address
- Is directed at the individual responsible for the funding program
- Provides a brief overview of the organization and its purpose
- Includes the reason for the funding request
- Includes the amount requested (if required by funder)
- Describes the need the project intends to meet (including target
population, statistics, example)
- Provides a brief description of the project
- Lists other prospective funders for the project
- Includes thank you and next step to be taken
- Includes name and phone number of contact at the organization
-Is signed by the person who can speak with authority on behalf
of the organization
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B. WRITING THE FUNDRAISING PROPOSAL
Fundraising proposals are all about imagining how things could
be better and how you would make that happen. No matter which
funder, all proposals are essentially the same, just the specifics
are different. But before you write anything, check to see if
your funder has a particular form or format they want you to
follow. It will still ask for these items, but perhaps with a
slight twist.
THE PARTS OF THE PROPOSAL
All fundraising proposals must contain the following: a. Cover
letter
b. The community need that you are addressing and why
c. Who you (& your group) are and why you have the ability
and credentials to take on the project
d. Your program’s goals and objectives and how this will
address that need
e. The project activities and a timeline to accomplish the goals
and objectives--be specific.
f. The project budget: what resources you need to make it happen
and how much it is going to cost, item by item as well as other
sources of funding, including in-kind donations
g. Future and other sources of funding (what you will do after
their money has run out)
h. Evaluation: what are your project’s deliverables (what
did you say you would do for their money) and what method will
you use to measure and evaluate the success (or failure) of the
program.
i. Attachments and appendices
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a. THE COVER LETTER
Cover letters are normally brief, just one page to introduce
the applicant and summarize the attached proposal. Never make
the mistake of stating the requested grant amount or some crucial
project detail ONLY in the cover letter--some foundations separate
the cover letter and attachments from the proposal itself during
the application review process. Do not worry if some sentences
from the full proposal are repeated exactly in the cover letter.
The first paragraph traditionally indicates why the project is
a good match for the funder's guidelines and refer to any relationship
with the funder (Did you meet with a program officer? Do you
know a board member? Did you hear a foundation representative
speak at a conference?). If applying to a company, you can indicate
how many employees volunteer for your organization or if an executive
serves on your board of directors.
The second paragraph should give a summary of the project and
the "ask amount," suitable for the program officer
to use in internal documents that list all pending proposals.
The third paragraph might note your enthusiasm for the project
and describe how other funding can be leveraged for this gift.
If appropriate based on your funder research, offer to host a
site visit or provide additional information or call the funder
in two weeks to check the proposal's status. Indicate the contact
person for the proposal, who might be different from the Executive
Director or Board President who signs the letter.
Some writers include an emotional story in the cover letter,
but unless you know that a small family foundation appreciates
a personal and dramatic appeal, keep the cover letter short and
to the point. Leave the stories and anecdotes for the proposal
itself.
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b. THE COMMUNITY NEED THAT YOU ARE ADDRESSING AND WHY
Needs documentation is the process of finding evidence of the
need in your community for grant funds. Needs documentation is
at the core of grant writing and is
a critically important section of the proposal. Information based
on objective research, not subjective impressions, should be
provided to justify the need or problem. (See Readings for Week
1 for some data)
A problem statement or needs assessment should meet the following
criteria:
- Describes the target population to be served
- Defines the community problem to be addressed and the need
in the geographical area where the organization operates
- Is related to the purposes and goals of the applicant (the
garden group’s goals--remember the mission statement and
goals from Week 2?)
- Is of reasonable dimensions - not trying to solve all the problems
of the world
- Is supported by relevant statistical evidence (also from Week
1)
- Is supported by relevant anecdotal evidence
- Is supported by statements from authorities
- Is stated in terms of the community’s needs and problems
- not the applicant's personal needs ( you may be writing it
because you need a job, but you can’t state that in the
proposal)
- Is developed with input from participants and beneficiaries
- Is not the "lack of a program", unless the program
always works
- Makes no unsupported assumptions
- Is as brief as possible
- Is interesting to read
- Is free of jargon
- Makes a compelling case
Additional needs documentation can be attachments to the main
proposal or they can be anecdotes within the body. In either
case, keep them short.
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c. WHO YOU (& YOUR GROUP) ARE AND WHY YOU HAVE THE ABILITY
AND CREDENTIALS TO TAKE ON THE PROJECT
In addition to convincing the funder of the extent of the need
for the proposed project, you must also demonstrate that your
group has the ability to complete the project and meet the deliverables.
This section describes the group and its members and the sponsoring
agency (if you have one) and your qualifications for carrying
out the project. It establishes your credibility. If yours has
previous history as a community group, the past programs and
accomplishments will be examined in light of how they addressed
community needs. If you are a new group, the abilities and experience
of your individual members will be important, as is the work
you have done to date in creating your organization (Week 2's
work). It is important to convince the funder that you are approaching
this project in a responsible and organized manner.
Many funders require that you be a registered charity or nonprofit
organization. Since this can be beyond the capacity of a neighbourhood
group that wants to start a community garden, it is often permissible
to partner with another group or organization with charitable
status. In this case, they act as the contractual partner and
are legally responsible for the deliverables of the grant. A
contract should exist between your group and the contractual
partner to ensure for most eventualities. It is important, when
seeking a contractual partner, that their mandate supports yours
and that you are not in competition for the same funder now or
for the duration of the grant. Many funders will not fund more
than one project from a group at a time. Others will.
Having said that, a proposal will often sink or swim based on
the need for the project and the project methodology, not on
the accomplishments of the overall organization. Therefore, don’t
make the mistake of devoting half of the proposal to the history
or previous programs of the group or sponsoring agency.
The qualifications section should meet the following criteria:
- Clearly establishes who is applying for funds
- Briefly addresses the rationale for the founding of the group
or the sponsoring agency
- Describes applicant agency's purposes and long-range goals,
or your group’s mission statement
- Describes applicant's current programs and activities
- Describes the community makeup
- Provides information and proof of the applicant's accomplishments
- Offers quotes/endorsements in support of accomplishments
- Supports qualifications in area of activity in which funds
are sought
- Describes qualifications of key members
- Provides other evidence of competence
- Leads logically to the problem statement
- Is as brief as possible
- Is interesting
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d. YOUR PROGRAM’S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND HOW THIS WILL
ADDRESS THAT NEED
This section of the proposal is a succinct description of what
the organization hopes to accomplish and how your goals will
address the need that you identified in the previous section.
You will have done this work when first organizing the garden
group--in the Readings & Assignment for Week 2 your group
wrote out a mission statement for the garden project. You have
also written up the group’s goals and objectives which
should support the mission statement. Be reasonable when selecting
your goals and objectives. Be sure that you can deliver them.
You cannot change the world, just a little part of it.
Program goals and objectives should meet the following criteria:
-At least one objective for each problem or need committed to
in the problem/mission statement
-Objectives are outcomes
-Objectives are not methods
-Describes the population that will benefit from the program
-States the time by which objectives will be accomplished
-Objectives are measurable and quantifiable (if at all possible)
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e. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES AND TIMELINES
This section describes the specific activities to be conducted
to achieve the desired objectives. Generally, a straightforward,
chronological description of the activities of the proposed project
works most effectively. You can even use a bar chart with a time
line but be sure to include enough information about each activity.
This section:
- Flows naturally from problems and objectives
- Clearly describes program activities
- States reasons for the selection of activities
- Describes sequence of activities and the length of time they
will take
- Describes who will be doing the activities
- Presents a reasonable scope of activities that can be accomplished
within the time and resources of the program
- Provides a timeline of activities and milestones for the deliverables
of the project
f. THE PROJECT BUDGET: WHAT RESOURCES YOU NEED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN
AND HOW MUCH IT IS GOING TO COST, ITEM BY ITEM
All proposals should include a budget which clearly delineates
costs to be met by the funding source and those provided by other
parties, as well as donations in-kind. Most funders will provide
you with the budget form they would like you to use. If not,
it’s best to use a columnar, bookkeeping format or Excel
spreadsheet format. (Unfortunately the limitations of the Community
Zero website do not allow me to format the sample budget below.).
Budgets should not be submitted in narrative form.
Depending upon the size of the project and the amount of money
you need, the budget will be more or less complicated than the
following information advises. In other words, if you are asking
for $5000, your budget will be a lot less complicated than if
you are asking for $50,000.
A project budget should be detailed, including all anticipated
revenues and projected expenses, including in-kind donations
of volunteer labour and things (see the Wish List and Resources
List from Week 3). Expenses should relate directly to the tasks
in your work plan. Show how estimates were made for any large
items (for example, if you are requesting $5,000 for tools, provide
details such as what the tools are and what they cost to buy
or rent)
All expenses to be covered by the granting foundation should
be clearly identified. Keep each source of funding and what they
cover separate from the items for this funder but show them all
in the same chart nevertheless. Funders don’t get jealous
if you have other sources of money.
When you list in-kind donations (volunteer hours, space, rent,
equipment) attach a dollar value if possible. The accepted average
value of volunteer hours is $12.00/hour. In-kind donations and
volunteer hours should be listed in a separate column from other
revenues.
Budget expense information should delineate personnel costs (if
any) such as salary and benefit information, and non-personnel
expenses such as facility and site costs (rent/mortgage, utilities,
insurance, maintenance, taxes), equipment, supplies, fundraising
and outreach expenses (including printing, postage, etc.), meeting
or workshop costs, travel, administration/bookkeeping. These
should be reflected in both the expense and income columns. In
other words, what the item is, how much the item costs and who
is paying for it.
Sources of income should be listed separately because budget
sheets may be separated at the time of review. Sources should
be actual funders, not merely prospects. However, pending proposals
(ones that have already been submitted) may be listed separately,
if desired. Sources of income may include proceeds of fundraising
events, government funds, corporate/private grants, individual
donations, etc.
A budget should meet the following criteria:
- Tells the same story as the proposal narrative
- Is detailed in all aspects
- Includes project costs that will be incurred at the time of
the program's implementation
- Contains no unexplained amounts for miscellaneous or contingency
- Includes all items asked of the funding source
- Includes all items paid for by other sources
- Includes all volunteers
- Includes all consultants
- Details fringe benefits, separate from salaries
- Separately details all non-personnel costs
- Includes separate columns for listing all donated services
- Includes indirect costs where appropriate
- Is sufficient to perform the tasks described in the narrative.
SAMPLE BUDGET
This is just a sample budget, drawn from several funding experiences.
The dollar amounts are completely arbitrary and are not based
upon any particular project or current costs. I have not included
information in the TOTAL column, but you should. And my math
may not be perfect, so don’t try to catch me out ;-)
This is NOT the format in which you should submit your budget.
Your funder will most likely supply the format that they want
you to follow. Unfortunately the limitations of the CommunityZero
website do not allow me to format it in a chart or Excel. It
is best to start the budget on a separate sheet from the narrative
part of the proposal. Many funders have separate committees looking
at different aspects of the proposal.
Round out figures to dollars--no cents--and round up by $5 ($20
rather than $18), if sensible. Remember, if you get too specific
you will regret it later. Give yourself reasonable latitude but
don’t pad the budget.
Name of Project: COMMUNITY GARDEN : Start Up year 1
BUDGET ITEMS XYZ FOUNDATION OTHER IN-KIND TOTAL
PERSONNEL
- volunteer labour in-kind 200hrs@ $12/hr
- paid part time garden coordinator-- $20,000 Federal Job Creation
Fund
(if you are looking for a separate grant for this, list the name.
If it is in-kind--from sponsoring agency--list that)
SITE costs associated with acquiring the site, including fees
paid to govt. for title info, insurance, and rental of land,
if necessary.
-land rental $1/year
- water $5,000
-soil test $100 EQUIPMENT:
- Tools to buy $3000 (for 10 spades, 40 trowels, 10 rakes, 10
garden forks)
- Tools to rent $200-rototiller in-kind Jack’s Rentals
- Composter $15
- Picnic Table $45 Home Depot in-kind
- lawn mower $150 in-kind Jack’s Rentals $30/month x 5
months)
- Hose & sprinkler $100
- Storage shed $600
Wheelbarrow $75
MATERIALS
- Plants $1500 (Friends of the Earth Fdn)
- Seeds $500(Friends of the Earth Fdn)
- Soil $400
- Planters $600
- Amendments $300
- Lumber for gazebo $1000
- hardware $300
- Paving $1000
- Gravel $250
- Fencing $2500
- Paint $400
OUTREACH
- photocopying of flyers $50 in-kind The Agency
- design and artwork $500 in-kind The Agency
- Mailing costs $100 in-kind The Agency
- meeting & workshop expenses $600 in-kind The Agency
(ie. room rental, PA system, refreshments, etc.)
- Garden sign $500
- website design services $500 (in-kind R&B Design)
- domain name fee $100
RESOURCES
- gardening books $500 in-kind private donation
- gardening magazines $300 in-kind private donation
PROJECT EVALUATION
- cost of designing and implementing survey $500 in-kind The
Agency
- printing/copying $150 in-kind The Agency
OTHER
specify
TOTAL EXPENSES $16,241 $21,500 $7,195
(per column)
REVENUE List amount received from each funder separately:
-Grants from other funders –– (Rotary Club, United
Way, etc.)
-Fundraising Revenue –– (bake sales, fundraising
dinners, events, etc.)- Other -Revenue –– (membership
fees, etc.) - In-kind Revenue, including labour from volunteers
( figured @ $12.00/hr
Federal Job Creation Fund: $20,000 for salary of part-time garden
coordinator ( I should have broken it out to include the benefits,
etc.)
Friends of the Earth Fdn grant pending $1500 for plant material
Bake sale $250
Auction $1000
Garden membership 30 members @ $10 each $300
In-kind:
In-kind volunteer hours 200 hrs @$12/hr $3600
The Agency -in-kind donation of admin. and office costs, postage,
printing, mailing, phone ...etc.--you get the picture
Jack’s Rentals...
TOTAL REVENUE FROM IN-KIND AND OTHER DONATION SOURCES $___________
AMOUNT REQUESTED FROM XYZ FOUNDATION $______________
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g. FUTURE AND OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING (what you will do after
their money has run out)
This section describes a plan for continuation beyond the grant
and/or the availability of other resources necessary to implement
the grant. Is the project sustainable without more funding--if
so, how have you ensured that it will be; if you need more money,
do you have a future fund raising plan?
The section on future funding should meet the following criteria:
- Presents a specific plan to obtain funding if program is to
be continued
- Describes how maintenance and future program costs will be
covered (if applicable)
- Describes how other funds will be obtained, if necessary, to
implement the grant (include individual solicitation efforts
specifically aimed at this project)
- Includes list of other funders approached on behalf of project
(name of funder, date of proposal submission, amount requested,
current status)
- Has minimal reliance on future grant support from this same
funder
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h. EVALUATION
Proposals must include a plan for determining the degree to which
your objectives are met and the methods are followed. This section
is extremely important as funders pay particular attention to
evaluation methods since they need help determining whether a
proposed project represents an intelligent investment for them.
They want any project with which they are associated to succeed.
The evaluation section should meet the following criteria:
- Presents a plan for evaluating accomplishment of objectives
- Presents a plan for evaluating and modifying methods over course
the program
-Tells who will be doing the evaluation and how they were chosen
- Clearly states evaluation criteria
- Describes how data will be gathered
- Explains questionnaires to be used
- Describes the process of data analysis
- Shows how evaluation will be used for program improvements
- Describes any evaluation reports to be produced
Indicators of success are concrete & tangible measures that
tell you how you will determine if your project is successful.
These may include measures with numbers, such as how many people
took part, or it may be the completion of a project or a shift
in people's opinion or behavior, depending upon the goals you
have identified for the project.
For a grant to fund construction of a community garden, this
section can be as simple as stating that you will prepare photographic
documentation (before, during and after) as proof of the garden’s
growth, along with any media stories about the garden, workshop
flyers, interviews with gardeners. But if your mission statement
includes more extensive and lofty goals, such as improving people’s
health, then your evaluation deliverables will also be more extensive.
Include the timeframe for the implementation of each component
(i.e. # of weeks, months, etc.)
The granting process does not end with the submission of the
piece of paper to the funders. You are responsible for whatever
deliverables you set for yourself in the proposal--so be realistic.
For example, if your goal is to improve participants health through
dietary improvement, you will have to document how many servings
of vegetables they eat before the garden starts, during the season
and after the garden is finished for the season. You’ll
also need to know information about their health before, during
and after --how much exercise they got/get, how often they visit
the doctor, etc. Some of this can be anecdotal, ie. ask them
how they feel since being involved in the garden and some will
have to be more specific with data to back it up.
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i. APPENDICES AND ATTACHMENTS
Some attachments are recommended in all proposals, while others
may be included at the author's discretion. The funder may also
ask for specific items. Double check to insure that you have
included everything. Make sure you submit the number of copies
of your complete package that they ask for (this is usually in
the very beginning or very end of their guidelines or information
for applicants--if you haven’t read the form completely,
you can easily miss it.
Generally funders will look at only one or two articles/endorsements
so carefully select the best recent ones to submit. Letters of
support can come from other organizations whose mandate is similar
to yours or whose mandate your project will support, from local
politicians, community leaders and people who have been helped
by the project or by similar ones if yours is not yet in existence.
Letters from people add an intangible quality to your application.
They paint a picture of the problems in a way that dry statistics
cannot. If a parent of a child in your garden, for example, tells
you how helpful your efforts have been, ask him or her to write
you a letter. Don’t wait for a grant application to ask
for a letter. The parent won’t be as enthusiastic and you
might forget who gave you the compliment.
Do a favour to the people you are asking for letters of support.
When you first ask for the letter, inquire if it is all right
for you to write a draft of the letter for them which they can
then put into their own words. Most will welcome this. In the
draft, outline the main points of the proposal and why they and
their organization support it (e.g. it will be good for the community,
it supports their work, etc.) Include the name and address of
the funder and don’t forget to send them a copy of your
proposal and the budget. Remember to thank them, whether or not
you get the money.
Appendices may include:
- Verification of tax-exempt status (if applicable)
- Names and affiliation of officers and Board of Directors members
(if applicable)
- Financial statements for last completed fiscal year (audited,
if available)
- Partnership agreement between your group and other partners/
the contractual partner
- Current general operating budget and special project budget
(if applicable)
- List of clients served (if appropriate)
- List of other current funding sources
- Biographies of key personnel (only if requested)
- Articles/endorsements (no more than two unless specified)
- Organization's by-laws
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C) AFTER THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED
You followed the rules, filled out the forms, and submitted your
application. After a long nail-biting period, finally you hear
the results. There are three possible outcomes, denied (oh despair!),
approved with a lesser budget, or approved (hurray!). What should
you do in each case?
- DENIED: Bite your tongue. Avoid the temptation to lash out
at the funding agency. Remember, it’s likely that you will
seek funds from them again in the future. At some point, call
and ask for some time to speak with the person that reviewed
your application. You want to find out why you were rejected.
It’s one of several reasons: your agency or your project
were deemed ineligible for funding, you failed to document the
need, your project was not considered to be an effective response
to the need, or you simply ranked just out of the money.
If you were considered ineligible, look elsewhere. You are wasting
your time with this program. If you didn’t make the case
for having a severe need, ask what measures you could apply to
your client population to prove the necessity of the funds.
If the agency agreed that you showed need, but didn’t solve
the problems that you found, ask how you could design a more
effective program. If the agency liked your proposal, but simply
ran out of money, ask what happens next. In some instances, the
funding agency sets up a "pipeline" for projects that
finished just below the level of funding. If funded projects
fall apart, money might be freed up to move down the pipeline
to fund more proposals.
- APPROVED FOR LESS MONEY: A bittersweet victory, you’ve
been funded for less than you requested. The first temptation
is to make do with less, but ultimately this is a losing proposition.
If your original budget was accurate, and you received less money,
something has to give. You need to achieve less, use a different
method of addressing the problem, take more from somewhere else
in your agency, take more time to find more money, or decline
the grant altogether. The one thing you don’t want to do
is sign a grant agreement for a project that you can’t
complete with the allotted funds.
- APPROVAL: Total victory, congratulations! As difficult as it
was to get here, now the real work begins.
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HOW TO KEEP THEM COMING BACK
The first thing to do, along with cashing the cheque and lifting
a glass of bubbly with your group, is to write a thank you letter
to the funder. Then announce it to the community, perhaps as
a press release or letter to the editor of a local newspaper,
in your agency’s newsletter, etc. Keep that letter and
include it in the first report to the funder. They like to be
thanked publicly and they like as many people as possible to
see that they are doing good. Share the credit. Include the names
of any supporters in your press releases. This includes volunteers
and agencies that provided contributions of labour or materials.
The granting process does not end with the submission of the
piece of paper to the funders. You are responsible for whatever
deliverables you set yourself in the proposal and for reporting
your progress to the funders and to your community & partners.
Keep the funding agencies informed about your progress. Even
if quarterly reports aren’t required, they are a good idea
and can be simple, if more is not required. You want the funder
to feel involved as the project goes along. Most funders will
require a more extensive final or yearly report. Make sure that
it is submitted on time and that it includes the evaluation information
as stated in your proposal and include photos of before, during
and after, as well as any media stories about the project, flyers
for workshops, a photo of the garden’s sign with the funders
name in a prominent place, etc. Many funders like to include
photos of projects in their annual report or hang them on their
walls, so take lots of photos. Take a basket of freshly harvested
veggies to the local store that donated tools; fresh cut flowers
to the woman who gave you a $100 cheque, etc. Remember, you may
be approaching them again in the future
Maintain accurate financial records. Many grant source require
an audit at the end of the project. Don’t be afraid of
the auditor, they should be viewed as an expert consultant hired
to help you keep your books. Of course, you have saved every
receipt!
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4. TIPS FROM FUNDERS
“
One of the most common misconceptions among grant seekers is
that the proposals they have submitted are read in full by the
committee or board that makes the ultimate decision on grant
requests. In the vast majority of foundations, this is untrue –– what
the committee or board receives and reads is a funding document,
written usually by the lead program officer for the grant request.
The funding document is typically a summary of the proposal received
from the applicant, written in a standardized format, that gives
the committee or board essential information about the request
and makes the case for appropriating funds for that request.” –– Joel
J. Orosz. Senior Program of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The
Insiders Guide to Grantmaking: How Foundations Find, Fund, and
Manage Effective Programs, 2000
- When explicit application guidelines are published by the foundation,
carefully follow the instructions. If outlines or a series of
questions are provided, follow the indicated order, answer each
section, and avoid evasive language.
- Before mailing, ask someone else to help you double-check that
every required attachment is included.
- Do not send the same generic boilerplate proposal to a random
list of foundations. Always tailor the proposal and the specific
budget request based on extensive research into the foundation’s
priorities.
- Use declarative rather than conditional verbs. Avoid the words
if, could, and might. Instead, boldly declare that the gift will
create a positive outcome.
- Shorter is better. Keep your prose tight and the details condensed.
Never exceed the recommended page length or fiddle with margins
to squeeze in more words. Foundation officers are buried in paperwork,
so make your proposal an easy read.
- Document the “need” or “problem” on
multiple levels. If space allows, provide a recent national statistic
with the source identified by name or title and date. Next provide
a statistic related to your geographic region or town.
- When submitting a proposal to a corporation, use language describing
an investment, rather than a gift. Be more explicit on the benefits
for the company, such as visibility through press releases or
naming opportunities.
- An effective proposal describes a program for change, not a
list of wants. Your organization must have a detailed plan that
describes exactly where you are going and exactly how you will
get there. Be specific about broad goals, measurable objectives,
and quantified outcomes.
- Severity of Need: You have to show that your community needs
the program. This need must be more severe, in quantifiable terms,
than the need of other communities competing for the funding.
If you receive a grant, the funding agency is going to have to
defend their decision to all the applicants that were denied.
They do that in part by showing, with hard numbers, how you documented
a greater need.
- Consistency: Is your application logical from start to finish?
Are there gaps where you have outlined a problem but given no
solution?
- Cost Effectiveness: Your proposal must efficiently use the
grant dollars that you are requesting. Many funders look for
a low cost of "deliverables" from the applications
that they award.
- Your application must also be in line with what the agency
typically awards. If their average grant is $5,000, your $200,000
request won’t be considered favorably.
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