Introduction to Grants Research

Introduction to Grants Research Associated Grant Makers A regional membership association of grant makers, made up of 126+ public, private, and corporate grant making organizations in Mass. & NH AGM’s Nonprofit Partners Program includes more than 900 nonprofit organizations AGM acts as a bridge of communication, interests, and understanding between the grant makers and the grant seekers. Resource Center for Philanthropy Access to AGM’s Grantmaker Directory & Foundation Directory Online Books, journals, reports on philanthropy, proposals, nonprofit orgs Hours: Open to the Public, Mon-Friday 12 – 5 pm Martha Moore 617-426-2606 x16 mmoore@agmconnect.org

Things you should know Lots of competition for grant $ Most funders fund locally – especially in NE Individual donors give much more than foundations ($229B vs. $39B) If you are not a 501(c)3 use a fiscal sponsor Best results come from knowing the foundation before you ask for $$ Connections count – use them! Education $4,944,387 22.8% Elementary/Secondary = 7%

Government Grants Federal http://www.grants.gov Look under Category=Education or under Dept. of Education State http://www.mass.gov search for “grants” Funding Update http://www.cityofboston.gov/intergovernmental/ weekly.asp Resources for Government Funding http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/2gov.htm Government/Business Grants Information http://www.proposalwriter.com/govtgrants.html

Basic Steps in Finding Funding Background Research Prospects Research Proposal Writing Follow-Up & Re-tooling

Background Research Your Organization Program/Project Expenses Mission statement Timelines Highlights Program/Project Specific goals Geography & populations served Impact statement Expenses Total Budget Project, program budget Human, non-human expenses Amounts funded by other grants, donations Evaluation

Prospect Research Establish your list of targets Match goals, geo-focus, pop-focus, timelines, and grants size Use multiple search strategies, angles Research each prospect, target in depth Website, annual reports, FC Foundation 1000 Which approach for which funder? Set priorities Closeness of the “match” Proposal guidelines Deadlines

FAQ’s Can I do proposals to multiple foundations at the same time? If I target multiple foundations should I ask for the full amount or a % of the total? What happens if more than one funder says Yes!

RFP’s The Foundation Center’s RFP Bulletin (http://fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/) AGM’s RFP Listing http://www.agmconnect.org/rfpdb/ City of Boston Funding Update Mailing List (join-funding_update@listserv.cityofboston.gov) Trade Association web sites Individual foundation’s web sites

Approaching a funder Letter of introduction Build Awareness Introduce your project, your organization Highlight the synergy between your goals & theirs Do NOT ask for funding Letter of Inquiry Engage their Interest A proposal in the form of a letter All of the above but outline your financial needs as well (broadly) Full formal proposal: common application, online application

Key Websites Associated Grant Makers and the Resource Center for Philanthropy www.agmconnect.org The Foundation Center www.fdncenter.org Info on Education Grants http://tiny.cc/aboutedgrants Boston Indicators Project [statistics on Boston and the region] http://www.bostonindicators.org Grantmakers in Education http://www.edfunders.org/knowledge/resources.asp Technology Grant News http://www.technologygrantnews.com/pages/sample-issue/funding-school-sample.html

Samples, examples Tips for Writing Government Grant Proposals http://www.proposalwriter.com/pointers.html Nonprofit Guides http://www.npguides.org/guide/inquiry_letter.htm Foundation Center’s List of Common Proposal Forms http://fdncenter.org/findfunders/cga/index.html FC’s Examples of Proposals http://www.fdncenter.org/getstarted/faqs/html/propsample.html AGM’s Guide to Grant Maker Research http://www.agmconnect.org/RCP/guide1.htm Grassroots grants http://www.josseybass.com/go/grassrootsgrants

Beyond the Proposal Invest the time in research Be organized Be ready with further details Send acknowledgements, even if rejected Keep them updated on major events Stay focused Don’t be afraid to ask questions Build the relationship, the partnership

Questions ????????