Grant Writing 101  Paula Moore, Executive Director OSBHCN  Tammy Alexander, SBHC Consultant

Objectives for Participants Participants will be able to:  Identify funding resources  Discuss the importance of relationship building  Learn the fundamentals of grant writing, including rejection and acceptance protocols  Identify web based resources for grant research and writing  Understand letter proposal steps

Resource Development Planning  Your organization has a vision; your vision has a price tag;  Resource development follows your vision and work;  The work shouldn’t follow the money.

Grant Writing: definition  is the skill or practice of asking for money in the form of a “grant”  from a foundation, corporation, or governmental agency  by crafting a document (the proposal)  outlines the ‘how’, ‘what’, and ‘who’

Definition (continued)  part of a Resource Development plan  Membership dues  Special events  Direct Mail  Strategic Communications  Etc

“Grant” Definition  Exchange takes place  Someone (grantor) gives something away of value ($), and someone (grantee) does something in return for the grantor.  Obligation when you receive a grant

Who Can Receive a Grant?  “nonprofit”  “tax-exempt”  “charity”  All these terms describe an organization that has been formed for purposes other than profit and that the government (state and federal) recognizes this purpose.  501c3 status: most common - IRS

Fiscal Sponsorship  If an organization is new or does not have official nonprofit status  Law allows for organizations that already have the tax-exempt status to accept money on behalf of a group that does not have the nonprofit status  Called fiscal sponsorship!

Show Me the Money  Funder Categories:  Foundations  Corporations  Government

Show Me the Money  Proactive approach  Reactive Opportunity

Grant Funds Are For…  Project/Program Support: defined, beginning and end  Operating Support: for running your organizations including programs, office equipment, salaries  Capital Support: Bricks and Mortar- over time, renovations, major purchases  Challenge Grants: partial support while you are challenged to go find other $$

Success is more than the perfect application…  Research  Planning  Developing ideas  Understanding Funders  Marketing  Cultivation of the Relationship!  Ongoing Relationship

Funder Category: Foundation

Types of Foundations  ‘Typical’: most common, usually formed years ago by a wealthy individual, making it a private foundation. Board of trustees is not all family.  Publish guidelines  Look at most applications  Professional staff to assist you  Examples: Kellogg and Rockefeller

Types of Foundations  Family: majority of trustees are related to the foundation’s founder. 2/5 of all private and community foundations are run by families and account for 1/3 of all foundation giving.  Few or no paid staff, mostly family volunteers historically  Priorities change with generations  Helps to know someone  Review recent grant awards  Examples: Arthur M. Blank, Brown, Milken, Gates

Types of Foundations  Community: solicit support from a wide range of the public, multiple donors with specific interests in particular communities, creating different funds within the Community Foundation.  usually issues a Request for Proposal (RFP) or have formal guidelines. Funds could be from a specific donor or from their general endowment fund.  check for: donor-advised funding, RFP process, specific guidelines, and locality.  Examples: Community Foundation Silicon Valley, Oregon Community Foundation

Funder Category: Corporations

Corporations  Corporate philanthropy: giving away some of the profits for public relations and marketing. (1%, 2% and 5% Clubs)  Improves employee morale  Improves their image in the community  Improves their image with stockholders  Improves the communities where they operate

Corporations  Types of mechanisms for giving $$  Corporate Foundations  Giving Programs  Matching Gifts  Sponsorships  In-Kind Gifts

Corporate $$  Be aware of accepting money that might work against your image.  Corporations do not always target grants that parallel their own business.  Sponsorship requests are very specific and describe the demographics of event and benefits to the corp.  Free merchandise and loan employees.

Funder Category: Government  Local, state and federal $$  For the purpose of benefiting the community  Complete forms, not constructing a full proposal

Government  Federal Grants:  Formula: usually restricted to other governmental agencies; reimburse you for services you have already performed.  Project: competitive from around the country, very competitive, usually only funds ½ $$  Reimburses for actual $, not upfront like foundations  Reporting requirements are tough

Dramatic Pause

Never too much ….  Research  and then some more  Research

Getting Started  Do your research!  Make sure there is a match between their funding interests and your proposal.

Online Resources  Foundations:  Foundation Center- knowledge to build on  Subscription, CD-ROM, hard copy  Free Foundation Finder and Key Words  Offers tutorial on writing grants, budgets, etc.

Online Resources  GrantStation- your fast track to funding  Subscription, ‘area of interest’ database, free weekly funding update newsletter  Grant writing tutorial   free web-based grant-writing tools for non- profits

Online Resources  Grantmakers in Health  Includes no links to foundations  Links to studies that might help with your project  Helps grant makers keep in front of the curve on what needs to be happening out in the field to improve the health of people and the communities they live in

Online Resources  Oregon specific:  $175  lists of top grant makers by state  fundraising and grants directory – search by state  Oregon Community Foundation  Grant Makers of OR and WA  Forum of Regional Assoc. of Grantmakers

Online Resources  Corporations: foundations and giving programs  Can use the Foundation links to search out information on corporations  Corporation websites will generally not have their foundation or giving programs on the main website for the corporation

Online Resources  Government:  for locating agencies then searching for grants on specific website.  (200 hits for grants)  for locating grants by topic

Online Resources  Government  (Catalog of Federal and Domestic Assistance)  firstgov.gov (no help for business and nonprofits 

Online Resources  technology grants and information on other funders, as well as a newsletter

Website hint

Before going too far… Always check a website’s F.A.Q Prevents you from spending a lot of time reading about their programs and application procedures only to discover  you’ve missed the deadline  you don’t fit the requirements/geographics

The more you know… about the funder, its trustees, its giving patterns, and its interests … the greater your chances are of success

After the Research  Focus on the details…

Focus Why?  Helps eliminate funders with no interest in the specific program  Avoid false leads (discretionary)  Identifies restrictions How?  Read funders’ mission statement, guidelines, list of recent grants made, and program descriptions

Not too hot, not too cold, but just right  “Warming up” increases your chance for success

Cultivation of the Relationship  Cold calls to funders might work  Usually funders need to know you first

Most Effective Outreach  Most  Site visit with peer and nonprofit rep  Visit with peer and nonprofit rep  Phone call from peer or friend  Visit with nonprofit rep  Personal letter from peer or friend  Personal letter from organization  Phone call from stranger  Dear friend letter  Least

Should we ?

Inquiring Minds Want to Know  Inquiry Letter (only after some cultivation)  Reference to newsletters or other materials or contacts you have given them  A request for info about their programs  General description of your project that shows a connection to the funder’s interest  Do not ask for money at this point  Contact information  Other?

More than a letter…  Calls: peer to peer always best  Have your talk ready – bullet points from the letter  Take notes  Be positive, even if this project doesn’t appear to be fundable, and keep the door open for future opportunities.

Let’s Do Lunch!  The purpose is to learn about each other  Get feedback on project or funding opportunities  Follow up with a call or note the day after your meeting – Thank You!

It’s Who You Know  Use your board, education and health partners and youth:  Find out who knows who  Keep track of possible connections and contacts  Encourage people to keep up on their contacts and relationships and encourage new ones

Components of a Proposal  Cover Letter:  State the purpose  Connect personally  Relate the proposal to the funder’s interest  Connect the request to past  Three arguments why $$  Contact information  Thank you for consideration

A better letter…  Know your audience- connect  Keep is simple to remember – key points  Who signs the letter – make it real  Personal and personality  Report past funding is applicable  Less than 2 pages  Ask for money

Components of a Proposal  Executive Summary:  More formal than the cover letter  Umbrella statement of your case and qualifications  Summary of the entire proposal (not of the entire organization)  One sentence description of program/project, including a moving or compelling statement of the difference the grant will make  1 page (truly just a summary!)

Components of a Proposal  Statement of Need:  Why this project/program is necessary  Use information from Needs Assessment or Surveys  2 pages

Components of a Proposal  Project/Program Description:  Nuts and bolts of how the project will be implemented and evaluated  High light Best Practices if appropriate  Why, how, who, benefits who, results expected  3 pages

Components of a Proposal  Budget:  Financial description of the project plus explanatory notes  Personnel, fringe, operating, other funding, in-kind,  1 page  Specific requirements from funder

Components of a Proposal  Organizational Information:  History and governing structure of the nonprofit; its primary activities, audiences and services  1 page

Components of a Proposal  Conclusion:  Summary of the proposal’s main points  2 paragraphs

Operating Support  Different than a “need’ request benefiting people  Customize for this request  Use an ‘outcome approach’ describing the effect of the organization, project or program.  List recent accomplishments

The bottom line…  Program staff and volunteers help with first draft  One sentence for the project/proposal  Need = mission = client needs  Readability of proposal (not too technical)  Realistic evaluation process  End with a compelling story and the ask

REMEMBER… Follow the the instructions! instructions!

Hint   Booklet that points out buzzwords  Buzzwords → NOT  Alphabet Soup → NOT

Wait for it, wait for it…  Proposal is out the door…call and make sure they received it  Ask for date to hear results, mark it down, follow up sometime afterwards if no contact  No further contact unless something has changed like pending funding is received from somewhere else

Dear John  Rejection  What now?  Follow up with phone call  Ask for feedback – never argue  + / - parts  Apply in the future? When?  Take notes  Persistence

Thank you! Make the Call  Call your contact  Ask for feedback Write the note  prompt, restatement of how the grant $ will be used  funder is receiving not benefit by making the grant (IRS)  Have board or staff write ‘thank you” later

One more option…  Slightly different than traditional grant proposal  Letter Proposals for Businesses and Foundations  Mini – proposal, more concise, fewer attachments

Letter proposal – 12 easy steps 1.Current date 2.Opening address – call and get specific name 3.Dear Mr., Ms., etc. ______ 4.Introductory sentences: 3 bullets, compelling and grab attention and disbelief 5.Introduce your organization in one paragraph: who where you are mission who you serve 6.State your organization’s problem, need, issues

12 easy steps (continued) 7.Beg the issue: emit gloom, doom, drama, and trauma about the problem in #6. 8.Connect the funder $$$/product to your need. 9.Ask: tell the reader how much the money or product will mean to who you serve. 10.Thanks in advance for their belief in ______ 11.Complimentary closing and signature: respectfully, with regards, etc. 12.P.S.: Add one final thought provoking sentence: …it will mean all the difference…

12 easy steps (continued)  Attach the following to a corporate letter request:  IRS 501(c)(3) letter  Financial statement (audited if available)  Board of directors roster  Information brochure or annual report  Used by Grant Writing instructor, Beverly Browning for over 10 years; write in less than 30 minutes; target 10 funders with at least a 30% return rate within days.

 If I only had… a brain a heart the nerve a grant a grant  If I only had… a brain a heart the nerve a grant a grant

Available CD ROM  Additional Resources  Grant Samples  Letters of Support Samples  Funders to Track Form  Grant Planning Table (Excel)  Writing a Grant Application (Community Tool Box guide)  Rating a Grantable Idea formula