Grants and FoundationsStephanie MoranDirector, Community Partnership Center at Anderson University

Ann WilsonCo-Founder and Executive Director, The Levinson Center

Stephanie MoranDirector, Community Partnership Center

Role at Anderson University• Service engagement and service learning• Networking• Grant Support• Student Resource for 21st Century Scholars

Ann Wilson, Co-founder + Executive Director, The Levinson Center

Grant funding backstory• Executive positions at 3 nonprofits, all of which

regularly received grants• Executive position at a corporation that grant

funded• Currently, grant funds and mentors start-up

companies that impact local or global social or environmental issues

What about grants?• How many of you have participated in writing a

grant?• Was it difficult?• What were the challenges associated with the

grant?• How much time did you spend researching,

planning, collaborating, and writing the grant?• What type of assessment did you do?• What type of reporting did you do?

Grant Proposals and Opportunities

You may take advantage of grant opportunities in two ways:• Reactively: As a response to a Request for

Proposals (RFP)• Proactively: By searching for matches

between foundation guidelines and your nonprofit organization’s mission.

Grant Funders

Types of Grants:• Capital: funds for construction, acquisition, or

renovation of buildings• Programmatic: Funds to support staffing,

equipment, and other items that are necessary to launch a special project

• Operational: Funds to support ongoing operations, such as utilities, ongoing staffing costs, etc.

Let’s

Venture Capitalists as a new

Funding Resource…

Grant Rationale

• Projects must fulfill a genuine and pressing need• Projects that don’t address a real and pressing

community, state, or national issue are not fundable. They might be creative. They might demonstrate strong possibilities for collaboration with potential partners. They appear to address the priorities of a funder. But they will fall short unless the need is documented with supporting data.

• Programs must have potential for sustainability• You must be able to support the program after grant

funding runs out. If grant funds support a specific project, the project must demonstrate measurable objectives. Even specific projects must fit into the goals and objectives of sustainable programming.

Key Factors for Success

• Provides a creative response to a problem or need.

• Demonstrates potential for sustaining the project and its outcomes after the grant period ends.

• Includes most of the following:Strong data to support the projectA project manager with organizational accountabilityA history of fiscal responsibilityA response to a clearly identified need or a solution to a

stated problemCollaboration with others in communityEngagement with community in identifying the need/solutionA plan for sustaining the project or outcomes

Common Grant Applications• Executive Summary• Need Statement• Goals• Objectives• Timeline• Evaluation and assessment• Budget narrative• Budget• Organizational information Attachments –copy of tax status, Board of Directors, letters of support, annual report

Advantages of Proactive Grant Seeking• What programs you would seek funding support for if not

focused on the specific restrictions of a RFP/RFA? • Responding only to open RFPs/RFAs means your

organization is missing out on support from all of the funders that do not release formal RFPs/RFAs.

• Proactive Grant Proposals allow you to:• Focus on the ideal layout of your project/program• Create a true budget• Keep the project/program directly in line with the strategic plan

or mission/vision of your organization• Develop unexpected, and long term, relationships with new

funders

Advantages of Proactive Grant SeekingWriting the proposal first as a “boiler plate” and then looking for funders that have a mission/values similar to that of your organization and the program being proposed tends to do two things:• Lead to a higher success percentage for proposals that are

submitted.• Make the implementation of funded programs more seamless

for program staff as it is so well aligned with the strategic plan, mission, etc. of the organization.

Do continue responding to RFP/RFA’s, and consider being more proactive in your grant seeking as a way to cast your net wider in your search for support.

How to present proactive ideas to funders?Your proactive grant proposal is written. Now what?

• Seek the partners you want/need for your program. • Ask them for what you want and give them

clear deadlines.Research grant funders with relatable missions. Think creatively.• Build a relationship with them. Introduce

yourself.• Think beyond the money.• Don’t rely on only one funder.• Make sure your math is correct!• Find creative ways to cover operating

expenses.• Generally, don’t request more than 30% of

the project budget per funder.

What Grant Funders Are Looking For• Comprehensive, Integrated Approach• Strategically Prioritized – Not just a wish list• Well Thought Out Presentation – does the proposal

make sense?• Reflects a Natural Progression from Planning to

Implementation• Describes the Impact in a Comprehensive Manner• Project Shows Broad Participation• Need

(…Stay tuned; there’s more …)

What Grant Funders Are Looking For• Demonstration of Capacity and Ability to Succeed at

Project• Strong Local Commitment To, and Investment In, The

Project• A Strategic Plan and A Strategic Approach• Sustainability of Proposal• Is the Amount of the Request Reasonable?• Is this a Duplication of Service?• Accountability

(And if that’s not enough to consider …)

Other Points to Remember• Know your project and what you are proposing.• Keep excellent documentation throughout the

process• Be prepared to demonstrate that you are able to

manage all aspects of the project.• Build strong relationships within the applicant

organization, the community, and with the funder(s).

• Do your homework – ask for help when you need it.

• Identify unusual circumstances in your community that justify the need.

• Keep asking yourself: Why should we get funded?

Random and Final Thoughts From a Funder• Although there is a lot of forgiveness in terms of

writing styles, remember:• Punctuation, spelling, and typos matter (your proposal

represents you)• Say what you mean and keep it concise. No excess

wordiness, please!• If it’s not in the application, it cannot be considered

• In a nutshell, funders want to know:• Will this project make a difference?• How big a difference and for whom?• Can this organization actually make this happen?• How much do they want and how will they use it?

FINALTHOUGH

TS

A Couple More Thoughts• Maintaining a current relationship is as important as

developing a new one. Everyone wants to be a part of a winning team. Share the spotlight, and then celebrate the accomplishments, with all stakeholders, including the funders.

• And remember, the grant funder asks themselves not only what YOU get out of this, but also what THEY get out of it. It’s their money and their reputation on the line.

• Don’t waste their time with rambling, half-baked asks.• Let the respect you have for your organization, the

project, and the funder be reflected in the thoroughness of your planning and conciseness of your presentation.

And most importantly…

Funders don’t bite (usually)…

If they don’t know what you need, they can’t help you. And they want to help you.

MAKE THE ASK.