WELCOME!
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About
Foundation, Corporate, and Government Grants,
featuring Betsy Baker
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Our Speaker
Betsy Baker, MPA
President of YourGrantAuthority.com
Author, Trainer, Coach, Speaker, Grant Writing
Consultant
Betsy is a regular presenter for the Foundation Center,
the Grant Professionals Association, the Georgia Center
for Nonprofits and United Way agencies and is a regular
contributor to Opportunity Knocks!, CharityHowTo and
CharityChannel.
Master's in Public Administration, Auburn University
Agenda
• Review of: ▫ Corporate Sponsorship ▫ Private Foundation ▫ Government Funding
• Critical steps to writing a winning proposal
• Resources to identifying grant funders
• Q&A
Corporate Foundations
• A corporate foundation is a charitable foundation which serves as a channel for
distribution of a firm’s profit for nonprofit activities
▫ The company-sponsored foundation often maintains close ties with the donor
company, but it is a separate, legal organization, sometimes with its own
endowment, and is subject to the same rules and regulations as other private
foundations
• According to the Council on Foundations, there are more than 2,000 corporate
foundations in the United States holding an estimated $11 billion in assets
• It serves as an expression of corporate social responsibility.
▫ McDonald’s – Ronald McDonald houses
▫ Boeing – Math education
▫ Target – Local schools
Corporate Foundations – What are they
looking for? • An opportunity to further their specific mission
• An opportunity to reach as many people as possible
• An opportunity to impress “branding” on the community they serve
• Get to know the company, their brands and their interest
• The “sweet spot” – where society’s needs meet corporate objectives
• Find information on the company’s website under “community” or “corporate citizenship”
Are you ready for Corporate Funding?
• Do you have an established marketing effort in place?
▫ Examples include: e-mail, a website, events, newsletters, conferences, television, radio and print advertising
• What do you know about your organization's demographics?
▫ Where they live? Whether they are young families, empty nesters, or teens?
• Have you worked with corporate sponsors before?
▫ Do you have testimonials from a corporate executives about the value of your organization? Do you feature those in press kits or other marketing materials?
Foundation Grants
• Also a nonprofit organization, a private foundation is usually created with a single primary donation from an individual or business whose funds and programs are managed by its own trustees (aka Board of Directors)
• Usually generates income by investment of its initial donation, often disbursing the bulk of its investment income each year to charitable activities – not from private donations
Two Types of Private Foundations
• Private operating – actually run the charitable activities or organizations they fund with their investment income
▫ Art museum – money is used for their own activities serving the public
• Private non-operating – simply disburse funds to other charitable organizations
▫ Family foundations are an example
Government Grants
• The U.S. government is not giving away free grant money!
• “A form of gift that entails certain obligations on the part of the grantee and expectations on the part of the grantor.” Jay M. Shafritz, American Government and Politics
• Obligations – Getting a government grant will get you loads of them and not fulfilling them will get you a load of legal troubles.
• Can apply for city/county, state and federal
What’s Expected of
Government Grantees • Project expenditures must be strictly accounted
for
• Granted funds must be spent or they go back into the Treasury
• Any project changes must be approved by the Program Officer (federal government employee)
• The project should be completed with apparent success
How to Write a Winning Proposal
• Meet funders objectives ▫ Different for private, corporate and government grants
• Review their restrictions and ensure you meet them
• Ensure your budget aligns with their guidelines
• Tell a good story
• Follow directions
• Timeliness – ensure your proposal is submitted on time!
10 Steps to Effective Proposal Writing
Step One: • Effectively state your organization’s purpose and
mission Step Two: • Show need for the work of your organization
▫ Demonstrating need is critical and is best illustrated
through relevant statistics of the problem and specific examples
▫ Should show why the organization exists, how they’re
meeting a need and the severity of the need
10 Steps to Effective Proposal Writing
Step Three: • Detail your organization’s expertise and experience
in helping solve the stated problem in your community ▫ What gives you the edge over competing nonprofits? ▫ Describe in terms of benefits, not features
Step Four: • Write clear and measurable grant objectives
▫ Describe what you want to specifically accomplish and how you will achieve those accomplishments
10 Steps to Effective Proposal Writing
Step Five:
• Determine how your staff will fulfill a grant project
Step Six:
• Write a detailed evaluation plan to measure your progress
Step Seven:
• Present your official request for funding for maximum impact
10 Steps to Effective Proposal Writing
Step Eight:
• Build an efficient project budget
Step Nine:
• Establish proof of community support
Step Ten:
• Include requested documentation and an engaging cover letter
Identifying Grant Funders: What are
you searching for? • Eligibility • Foundation’s Purpose • Funding Restrictions • What the Foundation Funds • What the Foundation Does Not Fund
Free Grant Funding Resources
• FREE Research – Foundation Websites • More FREE Research – Form 990’s (found on the
www.FoundationCenter.org website) – find who they’re funding
• The Foundation Center also produces The RFP Bulletin – send grant opportunities right to your inbox!
• Also register at www.NozaSearch.com for grant activity updates
• FREE continued…Chronicle of Philanthropy, www.philanthropy.com →Fund Raising Tab→ Guide to Grants→ Guide to Grants Database
• Also FREE – The Grantsmanship Center, www.TGCI.com → Funding Sources Tab → View top givers by state
• FREE – www.FundsNetServices.com – funding by category
Fee-Based Grant Funding Resources
• The Foundation Center’s Foundation Directory Online (FDO) – different subscription levels available
• www.GrantStation.com – offers member benefits including grant research opportunities
• www.BigDatabase.com – BIG Online – Their Grant Development Services offers products and services useful to a grant writer
Finding Federal Grant Opportunities
• www.Grants.gov – The Best Source! - sign up for daily announcements or search by agencies and programs
Questions?
Want a fr.ee rating system for your grant proposals? “Like” me on Facebook and receive a complimentary copy of my
Grant S.A.T. – a 75-item rating system that scores your grant
proposals before ever sending them out.
(Be sure to email me at betsy <at> YouGrantAuthority <dot> com so I can
send you the system.)
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Contact Information • Connect with Betsy on her website,
www.YourGrantAuthority.com or via email at
betsy<at>YourGrantAuthority<dot> com
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