zach sheets - chamber music · 2021. 1. 26. · flutist, duo axis z a c h s h e e t s chamber music...

Manager of Institutional Giving, CMCB Managing Director, [Switch~ Ensemble]

Flutist, Duo Axis

Z A C HS H E E T S

CHAMBER MUSIC AMERICA CONFERENCE: JAN 12, 2021

NAVIGATING THE GRANT-SEEKING LIFECYCLE

Zach SheetsManager of Institutional Giving, Community Music Center of Boston

Flutist, Duo AxisFlutist & Managing Director, the [Switch~ Ensemble]


Flutist, Duo Axis

Z A C HS H E E T S

AGENDAIntroduction1. Finding Opportunities2. Starting The Conversation3. Who We Are & How We Tell Stories4. Gathering Information5. FeedbackQuestions

For questions, please use the Q&A feature. We’ll pause for questions at the end of each section and CMA staff will relay selected questions.


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SOME DEFINITIONS

Individual DonationsIndividuals—who are typically well-connected and invested in community service—get to know about non-profits and the people who run them, and decide whether to make a financial gift.

Foundation GrantsIndividuals—who are typically well-connected and invested in community service—get to know about non-profits and the people who run them, and decide whether to make a financial gift.

Government GrantsIndividuals—who are typically well-connected and invested in community service—get to know about non-profits and the people who run them, and decide whether to make a financial gift.


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WHAT MAKES A GRANT?

Winning a grant can’t be achieved by wordsmithing alone

An entire ecosystem:• Effective Programs and/or work samples• Good Leadership• Financial Management• Supportive and Engaged Board of Directors

Having an advocate in the room when a decision is made is indispensable

Writing and wordsmithing are important, but today we will talk about the other stages of the grant lifecycle, like how to gather information and build relationships.


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1. FINDING OPPORTUNITIES


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RESEARCHING OPPORTUNITIES

Analysis of peers• Research your peers and peer agencies in your area: who’s funding them?

Be in the know (with as little manual effort as possible)• Subscribe to mailing lists from foundations, as well as opportunity aggregators (Philanthropy

News Digest, Fractured Atlas, etc)• Many grantors have a “sign up to receive updates on upcoming deadlines” option• Follow on Social Media

Research tools• Google• Candid, formerly know as the Foundation Center & Guidestar• Post-COVID, in-person Candid sites at libraries, etc: https://candid.org/find-us• ProPublica & State Attorney General Charities Registration (Form 990)


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Only 10% of US-based Foundations have a website

There is a lot of potential beyond what you can find on google!

However, it’s often not an accident if foundations makes themselves difficult to find: they might pre-select all their grantees and have little interest in receiving proposals

(Increasingly, small family foundations are converting their assets to Donor-Advised Funds, since they are cheaper and easier to maintain)

90% don’t havetheir own website!


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READING A FORM 990 (charities and nonprofits)Candid’s Highlights of IRS Form 990 is a great primer to start, but there are many online https://learn.guidestar.org/help/highlights-of-irs-form-990

READING A FORM 990-PF (private foundations)Candid’s Demystifying the 990 PF: https://candid.org/research-and-verify-nonprofits/990-finder/demystifying-the-990-pf

Form 990-PF | Key info:Front Page – Basic contact informationPart VIII (Part 8, page 6) – Information about Key Officers, Directors, TrusteesPart XV (Part 15, page 10-11) – Supplementary Information• If they accept unsolicited applications• Outline of the application process• List of grants made in that year

https://learn.guidestar.org/help/highlights-of-irs-form-990

https://candid.org/research-and-verify-nonprofits/990-finder/demystifying-the-990-pf

Sample Form990-PFPart XV (15)Pg 10-11


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2. STARTING THE CONVERSATION


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FOUNDATION PROGRAM STAFF

Program staff are invaluable to successfully navigating the grant process. (Think: our friends at CMA, Susan Dadian and Gargi Shindé).

They answer questions, get to know grantees, and give technical support for the application process. CMA has an uncharacteristically transparent process, but other funders often don’t.

Most importantly, program staff serve as the interface between a nonprofit and the trustees making funding decisions

Especially for 5- or 6- figure gifts, you don’t start with a “grant” but with a conversation

Today, we’ll talk about how to start and have that conversation


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TACTICS: INTRODUCTIONS

“I’ve reviewed the information on your website and I have a few more questions. Would you kindly be willing to…”

“I’ve researched the foundation’s history of generous giving with great interest, and I…”

“I learned about the foundation through X, who/which encouraged me to contact you…”

“From what I’ve read, I think we might be really aligned with your support areas, so I was wondering if you could share some time to…”

FORMULA: 1) I’ve spent time to learn about you, 2) I think you might be interested in our work, 3) Could we chat about a few questions…?

Foundation Board Leadership: A Closer Look at Foundation Board Responses to Leading With Intent 2017. BoardSource. Leadingwithintent.org. 2018.


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PHILANTHROPY DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

Two out of five—or 40%—of foundation boards surveyed reported not having any people of color on the board

Small family foundations have different realities of trustee composition. Even when they are excluded, 35% of the remaining foundations have all-White boards.

44% of Community Foundations have all-White boards

From: Foundation Board Leadership: A Closer Look at Foundation Board Responses to ‘Leading With Intent 2017’. BoardSource.

Foundation Board Leadership: A Closer Look at Foundation Board Responses to ‘Leading With Intent 2017’. BoardSource. Leadingwithintent.org. 2018.

FOUNDATION BOARDS


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3. GATHERING INFORMATION


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GOALS

v Apply for general support or a specific program?

v How much money to ask for?v Anything to mention or avoid?v What rubric is used for

evaluation?v How does the foundation define

its values and vision?

1) Make a good impression

2) Give foundation staff space to talk

3) Make note of how they think and talk about the foundation’s work

4) In-person > video > phone > email (email is a last resort)

INSIGHTS


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RESEARCH

Research the foundation and ensure you actually are aligned with their giving

Learn everything you can about the foundation so you don’t have any surprises(websites, search engines, and researching form 990’s!)

Learn about who you’re speaking to at the foundation

“Fundraising… it’s what your grandmother taught you, right? Say please. Say thank you. Keep your promises.” —Gina Gibney, Founder, CEO, Artistic Director, Gibney Dance

• Seniority• Responsibilities• Trustee or program staff?

• Focus Area• Background• Expertise in your work


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TACTICS: GETTING INFORMATION

Outline the conversation up-front to help put people at ease and clarify what you’re seeking.

“Thank you for sharing 30 minutes of your time today. I can start by telling you about Duo Axis and our repertoire, and then I’d love to hear a bit more about your work. Once we’ve done that, maybe I can ask you the questions I have and you can ask any you have of me?”

You can be candid and honest, but be careful not to make the program officer think you’re trying to get them to do your job for you. It’s not a game of “Go Fish”!

For example:“At CMCB, we have a broad ecosystem of programs that all face financial need. We’ve been assessing the focus of our proposal, and we’re wondering if anything stands out to you?”


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TACTICS: GETTING INFORMATION

“We have a number of ways we can frame our work, and after what we’ve shared today, I’m wondering if you could recommend the best way to… “

“We know you get hundreds of proposals, and we want to be sure we put our best foot forward before the trustees. Would you suggest…”

“I know some funders like X and some like Y. In your experience, do you and your trustees tend to have a preference?”

“We know a lot of foundations like to have X. That’s very understandable. Is that something you think would be a challenge for us, here?


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TACTICS: PIVOT

Lean into a “no” — it’s an application you don’t have to do!

“Would it make sense to consider this at some point down the road?”

“Some of our future plans include X. Do you think that’s something that would be more aligned with what you’re talking about?”

“Are there any other funders (or fellow nonprofits) you think we should know about?”

“Is there anything else we should know” (don’t talk until they do)

“Are there any questions you wish people like us asked people like you more often?”


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FOLLOW-UP

Later that day, send a thank-you note

When you submit your application, another thank-you note letting them know it’s in

Ask if they want to be kept on invitation or mailing lists

Once you get notification (award or rejection), be gracious, and consider asking for feedback

Double-check if they have a standing policy about this listed on their website


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GOALS

v Apply for general support or a specific program?

v How much money to ask for?v Anything to mention or avoid?v What rubric is used for

evaluation?v How does the foundation define

its values and vision?

1) Make a good impression

2) Give foundation staff space to talk

3) Make note of how they think and talk about the foundation’s work

4) In-person > video > phone > email (email is a last resort)

INSIGHTS


Flutist, Duo Axis

Z A C HS H E E T S

4. WHO WE ARE&

HOW WE TELL STORIES


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MAKING AN ELEVATOR PITCH

Be concise; name the value of what you do; align it with the interests of who you’re talking to. Practice, practice, practice! Consider trying it in front of trusted donors or board members.

Research as much as you can beforehand, and/or ask some framing questions(“Before I start: are you based in New York City? Do you know much about Music Therapy? Have you worked with many ensembles who play music by living composers?”)

Are you trying to 1) convince someone of the value of something, or 2) trying to explain why you stand out as the best at something you both agree is important?

Consider what your own preoccupations and values might be, and how specific or in-common they might be with the program officer you’re speaking to.


Flutist, Duo Axis

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CULTURAL EQUITY

Philanthropy is often a reflection of a dominant culture. What values can we assume that we share? What “explanatory commas” do we have to make?

Cultural equity is the idea that arts organizations should champion and invest in artistic traditions that are as rich as the diversity of the communities they seek to support

So much of this work is about personal interactions: Who you know—and who’s in your network—matter a lot. As with many features of American life, unequal access tends to be particularly concentrated around race and ethnicity

If you’re advocating for funding in the halls of philanthropic power, you have a lot of power. How you talk about your work will have a significant impact.


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DATA FROM THE NYC CREATE CULTURAL PLAN

“According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, the largest percentage of the cultural community’s philanthropic support (42%) comes from individual donors.

Studies have shown that these resources go primarily to large institutions, following self-reinforcing patterns of social connection.”

Meanwhile a 2015 DeVos Institute of Arts Management study revealed that arts organizations whose mission is to serve people of color and low-income communities report a median of only 5% of contributed revenue from individual donors. These networks of big donors have often been unavailable to low-income communities.”

https://createnyc.cityofnewyork.us/the-cultural-plan/main/. Accessed May 14, 2020.

https://createnyc.cityofnewyork.us/the-cultural-plan/main/


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Schonfeld and Sweeney. Diversity in the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Community. Ithaka S+R. 2016.

For reference: U.S. Census data shows 33% of New York City’s population identifies as White non-Hispanic. People of color account for 67% of the general population and 85% of NYC Public Schools.

among 922 nonprofit arts and culture organizations in NYC


Primarily Artistic/FundraisingPrimarily Operational/Clerical


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WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?

Nonprofits are under tremendous pressure to keep their doors open.

Organizations that work with communities of color are more reliant, on average, on institutional and government support (remember: 42% vs 5%!)

Funders and nonprofits have an asymmetrical power relationship. A perverse "golden rule”: If you have the gold, you make the rules.

Prisoner’s Dilemma: If you’re the one who tells a funder what they want to hear, maybe you will be the one to get the grant

Ask yourself: Are you trying to make a bigger pie, or secure yourself a bigger slice?


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5. FEEDBACK


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FEEDBACK

Some funders have very professionalized feedback mechanisms—like CMA—and will affirmatively reach out to you to provide feedback.

Others do not customarily provide feedback as part of their process

Remember: the person you’re talking to may or may not have had a say in the decision

With more “professionalized” funders, consider asking for feedback not just on rejections but also on acceptances: also learn what’s working and what you should do more of.

Consider compiling qualitative feedback in a quantitative way: “60% of our proposals did not offer feedback, 13% commented on the weakness of our work samples, etc”


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GETTING GOOD COMMENTS

Many of the tactics from Parts 2-3 are analogous here as well: you’re just asking looking backwards instead of looking forwards (“we want to put our best foot forward…” “we want to make sure we make good use of the trustees time…” etc)

“Are there specific things you would recommend adjusting”

“Thinking ahead to applying in the future, is there anything you would suggest?”

“Was there anything that did stand out as a plus for the panel?”

“Was there something you noticed that united a lot of the proposals that were successful?”

Think: How to invite someone to be comfortable enough to say something critical?


Flutist, Duo Axis

Z A C HS H E E T S

QUESTIONS?

Contact: [email protected]


Flutist, Duo Axis

Z A C HS H E E T S

SOME FURTHER RESOURCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY

CreateNYC – NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs’ 2015 cultural plan: https://createnyc.cityofnewyork.us/

Ithaka S&R – the study underlying the CreateNYC plan: https://sr.ithaka.org/publications/diversity-in-the-new-york-city-department-of-cultural-affairs-community/

BoardSource: Leading with Intent – Support, training, education, and data gathering on nonprofit leadership: https://leadingwithintent.org/

The Foundation Center (now branded as “Candid”): Guide to Winning Proposals and the Foundation Directory Online – industry leading research tools and proposal-writing guidance: http://candid.org

Building Movement Project: Race to Lead – Advocacy for closing the nonprofit racial leadership gap: https://buildingmovement.org/our-work/leadership/race-to-lead/

https://createnyc.cityofnewyork.us/

https://sr.ithaka.org/publications/diversity-in-the-new-york-city-department-of-cultural-affairs-community/

https://leadingwithintent.org/

http://candid.org/

https://buildingmovement.org/our-work/leadership/race-to-lead/

zach sheets - chamber music · 2021. 1. 26. · flutist, duo axis z a c h s h e e t s chamber music...

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