Strive Conference,September, 2012

Money Matter$:

Building a Funders

Collaborative

Money Matter$

Planning is only as good as its implementation! Investing in plan

implementation is critical to success!

Without the resourcesyour projects may notsucceed.

Our goal is to share some strategies to help build your success.

Literacy Funders Network

The LFN is an affinity group of COF Our mission is to promote improved literacy We are a peer learning network of and for

foundations and provide webinars, annual symposium, coaching and information dissemination

Our network of funders all support local and statewide lifelong learning literacy coalitions

It’s Time to Start Blowing!!

1. Begin to Win strategies2. Sustain to Gain strategies

Begin to Win

With great demand for scarce resources we must:

Understand the funding landscapeDevelop a Funding AnalysisBuild a Funders CollaborationMaximize the

existing pieAll steer in the same

direction

What is a funders collaborative?

How to get startedFunders briefingsCollaborative structureCatalytic funding

Begin to Win

Seek organizational and programmatic support?

Leverage public and private resources

Infuse collective impact strategies

Develop relationships that are broader than just funding

Build a coordinated fund development plan

Creating Resource Collaboration

Sustain to Gain

Build your community dashboard with funders

Develop return on investment strategies

Create public/private partnershipsCoordinate with local government Encourage civic engagementMaintain relationships/partnershipsPractice the rule of the seven thank

you’sGive away ownership and credit as

often as possible

Funding Lessons Learned

Columbus, OHDallas, TXNew Haven, CTPractice the nine month rule!

Be Fearless

“Looking back we found we were most successful when we were fearless – when we explored and experimented – and the least successful when fear or caution became a dominant driver of decision-making.”

(The Case Foundation)

To be fearless means …

…setting audacious goals, acting urgently and boldly, being unafraid of risk, being willing to strike unlikely alliances, and accepting the possibility of failure while pressing forward.

It does not mean…

Reckless abandon, foolhardiness or arrogance, or presuming we have all the answers!

Be Respectful, Appreciative and

Aggressively Persistent

The Gulf Coast Funders Collaborative

Development of the collaborativeStructureResourcesEngagementFollow upSustainability activitiesLong term funding

The Trull Foundationestablished in 1948

Matagorda CountyPalacios, Texas (pop. 5,000)

Gail Purvis, Executive Director

Colorado, Wharton & Matagorda Counties

Average

70% Children on

Free and Reduced

Lunch

25% Children are

Below Poverty Level

Gulf Coast Foundations Collaborative Members• The George Foundation – Richmond• Gulf Coast Medical Foundation –

Wharton• M.G. & Lillie A. Johnson Foundation

–Victoria• Mary Louise Dobson Foundation –

Wharton• Matagorda Co. Community Fdn. –

Bay City• Stanzel Family Foundation –

Schulenburg• The Trull Foundation – Palacios• Conference of Southwest

Foundations

Gulf Coast Foundations CollaborativeSupport for Tri-County Coalition:

Support Individual 501c3 Organizations in Coalition

Foundation Membership on Coalition Board

Convening Meetings for Updates on Coalition‘s Progress/Needs

Coalition Executive Director Salary Support

i3 Innovations Federal Education Grant Matching Funds

PartnershipsAre Essential!FoundationsSchool Districts

United WayCounty/CityNon ProfitsMore…….

Thank You

ForYour Hard Workand

Caring!

What would you like funders to understand about your needs?

Questions?