Grantwriting: Increasing Your Chances for Success

1. Grantwriting: Increasing Your Chances for Success Meredith Jones and Bethany Murray Maine Community Foundation March 25, 2006 Maine Community Foundation

2. With Our Thanks To David Rappoport, senior program officer at MeHAF whose PP we “borrowed” to develop this presentation Maine Community Foundation

3. Meredith Jones Bio • Vice president of program development and grantmaking services at Maine Community Foundation • Economic development: strategic planning, fund raising, grant writing (foundations and CDBG), program development and management, communications • Long-term care: training and communications • Political work: fund raising • Community development Maine Community Foundation

4. Bethany Murray Bio • Grants Assistant at Maine Community Foundation • College of the Atlantic graduate • Has worked with several grass roots and non-profit groups in eastern Maine • Grass-roots and political organizing • Was a part time grant writer before joining the staff of MCF Maine Community Foundation

5. MCF Commercial • Mission to strengthen Maine communities • Some discretionary, competitive grant programs (project grants and capacity-building grants) • Most assets in donor advised funds, scholarships and funds to support specific nonprofit groups Maine Community Foundation

6. Outcomes for the Day • Knowledge of resources available and how to find them • Clarity about elements of good proposals • Greater understanding of outcomes/goals/objectives and strategies • Greater understanding of budgets and how to develop them Maine Community Foundation

7. Brought to You in Seven Parts • Part I: Overview of where the money is (10 min) • Part II: Part II: Overview of foundations (10 min) • Part III: Resources available to help you find foundations (10 min) • Part IV: General tips for developing a good proposal (45 min) • Part V: Goals & objectives (5 min) • Part VI: Budgets (15 min) • Grant Review Exercise • Lunch; Wrap Up & Adjourn Maine Community Foundation

8. Our Approach to Today • Some talking at you • Some small group work and grant review exercise • Lots of questions (with a few answers) Maine Community Foundation

9. Getting to Know You • 15-second introductions: • Name, organization, grantwriting experience: A Lot, Some, or Little/None • What two things (count ‘em – only 2) do you want to know or be able to do at the end of this class Maine Community Foundation

10. Part I: Show Me The Money Who Has It Maine Community Foundation

11. Today’s Fundraising Climate • There has been a 16,000% increase in the number of non-profits in the United States since 1940. • There has been a concurrent dramatic decrease in public funding of non-profits during the last 20 years. • The competition for charitable dollars is intense. • Grantwriting is rarely the first or only fundraising tool that should be used (More than 80% of funds donated each year are given by individuals) • Foundation support is a fraction of total revenues for nonprofits • Have realistic goals and expectations. Maine Community Foundation

12. Foundations • Public and private (Public charities, private family foundations, corporate foundations) • Corporate Foundations: MBNA, UNUMProvident, Bangor Savings Bank, Bank of America, TD Banknorth, etc. • National (Ford Foundation, Surdna, Pew) • NE Region (Jane’s Trust, Cox Trust) • State (MeHAF, MCF, Stephen & Tabitha King, The Betterment Fund) Maine Community Foundation

13. How Foundations Work If you’ve seen one foundation you’ve seen one foundation! Wide variance in field but some commonalities exist: • Power (in a good way) • Rely on partnerships • Are successful because of relationships Maine Community Foundation

14. Corporate Support • Two buckets of money are available from most for-profit enterprises: philanthropic dollars and marketing dollars • Marketing budgets frequently larger than philanthropic budgets Maine Community Foundation

15. Individual Donors • Best prospect is current donor • MCF donor-advised funds Maine Community Foundation

16. For Most of You • Concentrate on local and regional funders • Conduct research Maine Community Foundation

17. Part II: Your Foundation is Your Friend Everything You Need to Know But Were Afraid to Ask Maine Community Foundation

18. Small vs. Large Foundations • Generally, two types of foundations: • Smaller “informal” foundations • Often small family or corporate • Generally have no staff, single staff or volunteer staff • Larger “professional” foundations • May be local, regional or national • Larger asset base (in relative terms) • Generally have program staff Maine Community Foundation

19. The Philanthropic Divide • Grantseekers want general operating support. • Grantmakers want to make program grants. Why is that? Maine Community Foundation

20. What Foundations Think • Most foundations want to work with applicants in identifying good projects. • Foundations seek to be innovative but are also cautious. • They seek to use their limited resources effectively. • Widespread mission commitment and integrity. • Cultures, policies, procedures, and decision-making processes vary considerably. Maine Community Foundation

21. Part III: Finders Keepers Where to Find the $$$ Maine Community Foundation

22. Wishful Thinking • If you think a particular rich person or particular foundation ought to be giving you money, so do millions of other people! Maine Community Foundation

23. Maine Philanthropy Center • Directory of Maine Grantmakers (Maine Philanthropy Center) is the most important resource in Maine. • Publishes hard copy and electronic • (Tel) 207.780.5039 • Nonprofit memberships available: $50 - $250 • www.megrants.org Maine Community Foundation

24. Foundation Center Database • Foundation Center is primary U.S. philanthropy library • Foundation Directory Online and Foundation Finder • Large electronic database of grantmakers (local, regional, national). • Free access (by appointment) at Maine Philanthropy Center (MPC) and its affiliated libraries. • Internet access for a fee ($19.95 per month) or can be purchased on CD-Rom. www.foundationcenter.org Maine Community Foundation

25. Guidestar • 990s = non-profit and foundation tax returns. • May be only source of funding information, particularly for small foundations. • www.guidestar.org Maine Community Foundation

26. Other Resources • Maine Association of Nonprofits www.nonprofitmaine.org • Regional Associations of Grantmakers (RAGs) • Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (Grand Valley State University) Information on starting, running, and funding an organization www.npgoodpractice.org Maine Community Foundation

27. Research Tips • Search using many terms • Assess each prospect: • Does it fund in my program area? • Does it fund in my geographic area? • Do we meet other eligibility criteria? • Answer “yes” to all = key prospects • Call the funder Maine Community Foundation

28. Internet Sources • The Internet has become a very useful fundraising tool during the last few years. • Search to see who is funding others doing similar work • Challenges include: • Evaluating the quality of the information. • Finding what you want on complex sites (such as Federal agency sites). • Accessing busy sites during peak periods (such as Federal agency sites). Maine Community Foundation

29. Research – Public • Identify appropriate RFPs • Internet • Electronic and snail mailing lists • Professional publications • Assess each opportunity • Read RFP • Check web sites for related information • Assess competitive environment • Attend bidders’ conference (if possible) • Do likely benefits outweigh cost of application preparation? • Many foundations do not accept unsolicited proposals. If you feel they may be interested in you, put them on your mailing list for flyers, newsletters, etc. Maine Community Foundation

30. Part IV: Your Mother Was Right Secrets to Success in Grant Writing Maine Community Foundation

31. Tips For Successful Grantwriting 1. Interpret guidelines narrowly and conservatively. • “Gives primarily in Vermont” means “rarely gives outside of Vermont.” • Make sure your project is a good fit. 2. Check both what a funder says they fund and what they actually fund. • If there are one or two anomalies, ignore them. • If there are many, clarify their current giving interests with the foundation. Maine Community Foundation

32. Tips 3. Chain stores = small donations or in-kind 4. Generally, larger corporate gifts require: • Significant presence in your community (such as a manufacturing plant or back office location) or corporation is locally based or • Exceptional interest in your mission area and some presence in your community. Maine Community Foundation

33. Tips 5. Think of yourself as the funder 6. Know why foundations and corporations give money: • Public spirit • Recognition • Business locus • Fashion 7. Clear, concise, organized, simple, accurate, realistic: say it with no jargon in 25 words or less Be clear! Don’t insult your reader’s intelligence, but don’t assume he or she knows your mission area. Spell out acronyms Maine Community Foundation

34. Tips 8. Read and follow the guidelines 9. Your funder is your friend and you are each other’s customer. You have power! Don’t be afraid to ask questions. 10. Make precise statements and as appropriate, back them up with data. Compare: • “Last year, we served hundreds of developmentally disabled children.” • “Last year, we served 1,235 individuals between the ages of 10 and 16, or more than 27% of all developmentally disabled young people in Waldo County.” Maine Community Foundation

35. Tips 11. Slick doesn’t count 12. Call if you’re unsure of something. Don’t assume. Funders cannot read minds. 13. Accurate budget; in-kind support a good thing (more about this later) Maine Community Foundation

36. Tips 14. Do your homework: Know whether or not others are doing something similar and help the funder understand what’s unique about you 15. Do exactly what the funder asks in exactly the manner the funder asks. Maine Community Foundation

37. Tips 16. If you’re successful, thank the funder 17. If you were not successful, call and find out why. Remember that foundations receive far more proposals than they’re able to fund and just because you didn’t get funding doesn’t mean the project is not worthy. 18. Use any opportunity you have to develop a relationship because in the end, people give to people Maine Community Foundation

38. Application - Overview • The most common form of grantwriting for most non-profits. • Applications are generally short (3-5 pages), sometimes in letter form. Maine Community Foundation

39. The Application • Cover Letter • Title Page • Summary • Introduction/Problem Definition and Need/Corporate Resume • Goals and Objectives/Program Activities/Timetable/Future Plans • Facilities and Equipment:/Staffing and Administration • Evaluation • Budget Maine Community Foundation

40. Part V: Primer on Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Indicators Maine Community Foundation

41. Why Evaluate?? • Evaluation is a tool for learning • Evaluation can be a tool for sustainability and growth • Evaluation is a tool for accountability Maine Community Foundation

42. The Five Key Concepts • There are five key concepts in outcome-based evaluation: • Goals • Objectives • Output • Outcome • Indicators Maine Community Foundation

43. Goals • A goal is a broad statement of policy. Generally, goals are ambitious and may not be fully achievable. However, they must still be realistic. • Goal (Good): To help individuals with diabetes to better manage their disease. • Goal (Bad): To end world hunger. Maine Community Foundation

44. Objectives • An objective is a specific, measurable outcome achieved in a definite timeframe. • Objective (Good): During FY 2004, to improve diabetes self-management among 20% of clinic patients. • Objective (Bad): To help patients manage their diabetes better. • Not specific and no time-frame. Maine Community Foundation

45. Output • Output = The amount of effort expended by the agency -- the goods and services produced. • During FY 2004, all clinic patients will receive individual counseling regarding disease self-management and five diabetes awareness educational presentations will be given. Maine Community Foundation

46. Outcome • Outcome = the actual result of the agency’s work -- its impact on its clients or community served. • 20% of client patients will exhibit improved control of their disease. Maine Community Foundation

47. Example I • NON-OUTCOME BASED PERFORMANCE MEASURE • During FY 2001, Homeless Services, Inc. will distribute 2,000 sandwiches at its soup kitchen. • This is output. It does not measure the program’s impact on people who are homeless or hungry. It measures the agency’s effort. Maine Community Foundation

48. Example II • OUTCOME-BASED PERFORMANCE MEASURE • During FY 2001, will improve the nutritional status of 25 people who are homeless as measured by assessments conducted at the beginning and end of the fiscal year. • The outcome (nutritional status improvement) is measured by an indicator (two assessments). This measures the program’s impact on clients. Maine Community Foundation

49. The Relationship is Linear! • GOAL: To help individuals with diabetes to better manage their disease. • OBJECTIVE: During FY 2002, to improve diabetes self-management among 20% of clinic patients. • Activities: regarding disease self-management and five During FY 2002, all clinic patients will receive individual counseling diabetes awareness educational presentations will be given. • OUTCOME: 20% of clients will exhibit improved control of their disease. • INDICATORS:During FY 2002, 20% of clinic patients with current HbA1c levels >9.5% will reduce HbA1c levels to <7.0%. Maine Community Foundation

50. A few words about logic models…… • A logic model is an illustration of the flow of materials and processes to produce the results desired by the organization or program. • The model can be very useful to organize planning and analysis when designing the organization and its programs or when designing outcomes-based evaluations of programs. • It can also be useful for describing organizations and programs (for example, in grant proposals). Maine Community Foundation