private partners working with corporations and foundations
TRANSCRIPT
Private Partners
Working withCorporations and Foundations
Foundations & Corporations
Order of Events Background Strategy Leads & Activity How CS4Ed can help
Joe Walters, Ed.D. [email protected] (781) 396-4029 (Massachusetts)
Foundations & Corporations
Value in funding from private sources credibility visibility flexibility
support innovation address unmet needs
(even if dollar amounts are small)
Foundations & Corporations
+++ Caution +++
Follow the rules the Station has procedures but new opportunities?
Clear with schools may have rules too may not be able to receive funds?
Assets
Your PBS Station is recognized brand reliable organization that delivers quality trusted leader in the community one dedicated “good work” but also a national presence
PBS/TeacherLine is quality product innovation new opportunity
Assets
Your school partner provides direct service to community needy, dedicated, reform-minded
Combination national presence, visible, celebrated, and rooted in
the community well-known local service provider with documented
needs and a valued mission
Strategy
Doing “good work” in the community
Through quality organizations and educational leaders
Working in partnership with other educators and with local funders
Local Funders
Foundations & Corporations
Many Varieties
MissionEducation, among other “causes”
AreaLocal … regional … national
SizeSignificant dollars … small awards
LeadershipProgram officer … advisory committee
ProcessFormal applications … informal letter
But, Who Are They?
Leads Names, contacts, URL
Qualified mission region size leadership process
But, Who Are They?
CS4Ed Database Names, contacts, URL
But… Mostly national foundations
fund nationally Large regional foundations
fund in a specific region
Expanding the database to local funders national foundations with specific localities
The Challenge
Lots of local knowledge required No economy of scale
each organization is unique (even for national corporations with local
funding committees)
So, we can do the leg work, but…
Following the Trail
Foundation Database “Nashville TN and Education”
Result = Frist Foundationgrants to PENCIL Foundation
Following the Trail
Frist Foundation www.frist.org
Projects in Nashville Mostly in the arts
PENCIL Foundation
Following the Trail
PENCIL Foundation …established in 1982 by Nashville business and
community leaders who recognized the need for community involvement in public education. Our mission is to link community resources with Nashville public schools to help young people…
Math Partners program
Extensive corporate sponsorship
Following the Trail
PENCIL Foundation fund raising is a full-time job
http://www.pencilfoundation.org/donors
Following the Trail
Is Frist Foundation and PENCIL a useful lead?
Or is this trail unhelpful, or too well-trod, or misleading and distracting, or politically risky, etc?
Feedback -- give and take list of leads feedback
Telling a Story
What’s the Story?
Pay for Subscriptions for PBS/TL?
Must match the mission of Foundation
Sounds like something School Department should pay for…
Story: A Project
Partner with school reliable, but needy
Motivate the Project pilot program of innovative technology special attention to underserved students addressing needs of ELL part of School Reform initiative
Doing “good work”
Story: A Project
Justify PBS/TL in that project flexible, just-in-time, reaching the hard to
reach
Value to community leadership, innovation serving needy kids dissemination: glory to funder
Give project a name?
An Illustration
Urban school Poor test scores in math Not meeting AYP Some excellent leaders
Young, inexperienced staff high turnover they need help
District struggling to find a new approach
The Project
Pilot innovative online training Target PBS/TL math courses
Face-to-face sessions with mentoring
Evaluate impact demonstrate innovation
Roll out to more schools go after federal funding
Another Illustration
Broad math reform initiative
PBS/TL math courses for key teachers one component supporting school change face-to-face as well as on-line content
Evaluate impact analyze math test scores over several years
Report to Community
Scale of Costs
The Budget 3 Courses for XX Teachers $10,000 Facilitator on-site $3,000 Evaluate $4,000
Total $17,000
Now What?
You have your project “story”
You have a list of potential funders foundations local corporations individuals
Next: Build Relationships
Often funding is not about proposals, but about trust
Get to know the people at the Foundation who make decisions
Building Relationships
Funder’s job: to give money away responsibly must find good projects identify reliable organizations
keep up-to-date on research in the field (s) must show results, build portfolio
You can help them
Building Relationships
Strategy Phone calls & correspondence
School and need Talk about project
Host topical meetings Research on education, technology, media Discussion of professional development Innovations
Introduce your “project” when appropriate Introduce school leaders
Building Relationships
A reminder PBS/TL is recognized brand
quality, reliable organization trusted educational leader one that does “good work”
Talk with them about your Project not about funding all in service of helping them
Finally, the Request
Respond to funder’s request
Write a formal letter
Submit a formal proposal
Finally, the Request
Narrative Describe the need Outline the solution
Management plan Budget Evaluation and Dissemination
Data and glory to funder
Finding those Contacts
Contacts
Select a Foundation read the mission
pinpoint its funding region
analyze other projects they have funded
identify a key contact
Link to Medtronic Foundation
Activity
Use Handout
Qualifying Contacts Read the Mission Pinpoint the funding region Analyze other funded projects Identify a key contact
Brainstorm a project and partner
Working with CS4Ed
Working with CS4Ed
We can… Provide white papers (proposal language) Participate in informational meetings Furnish “expert” resumes as needed Conduct or manage evaluations
Working with CS4Ed
We can also furnishes leads in your region qualified to some extent
You make suggestions we check background, etc
Concluding Thoughts
Take a long-term view time and effort as investment in future
Keep this in perspective not the primary funding focus but an important supplement
Value in private funding visibility, credibility, flexibility
