The Fountain of Funding: Strategies for Securing Financial Support for your ProjectNovember 9, 2006Lynn Fisher, Associate Professor, Sociology/AnthropologyDeb Koua, Coordinator, Grants and ContractsPamela Salela, Coordinator, Central Illinois Nonprofit Resource Center, Brookens LibraryStacey Willenborg, Director of Development, Corporate/Foundation GiftsUniversity of Illinois at Springfield

Stacey Willenborg,Corporate and Foundation RelationsFind matchesConduct research on fundersSet-up and attend initial meetings Serve as a general resource to help you find funding

Proposal PreparationFaculty and staff know their projects bestTailor to your audienceUse your contactsTalking points are helpfulAsk for assistance

Deb Koua, Grants and ContractsServices provided by G&C OfficeIdentification of external funding sourcesInterpretation of sponsor guidelines and requirementsAssistance with all stages of proposal developmentOfficial submission of proposals to outside sponsors, including electronic submissions through grants.gov, Fastlane, Etc.Assistance with protocols for research involving human and/or animal subjectsAssistance with intellectual property issuesA webpage with links to relevant information, and downloadable forms

Where to look for fundingIRIS www.library.uiuc.edu/iris SPIN (coming in FY08)GoogleAssociation listserves, funder newsletters, etc.Grants.govColleagues

UIS Provost FundingSummer Competitive Scholarly Research Grant Program (SCRGP)Strategic Academic Initiatives Grant (SAIG) Program Collaborative Project Seed Funding (CPSF)Scholarly Presentation Support Program

UIS requirements for proposals & awardsAll proposals submitted to external sponsors by UIS faculty, staff and students require internal approval using the UIS Internal Clearance Form. All awards must be officially accepted by the campus, and must be signed by the proper authority.

Proposal Writing TipsDO:Follow directionsLearn as much about your funder as you canUse language that is simple and directRepeat the funders language back to themInclude tables, flowcharts and diagrams when they are useful

Tips continued ProofreadHave someone not familiar with your work read your proposalPrepare a detailed and justifiable budgetTalk to staff at the funding agency if possibleAsk for reviewer comments

Tips continuedDO NOT:Go over the number of pages allottedPad your budget with items that cant be justifiedAssume that reviewers are experts in your fieldWait until the last minute to write or to submitSend the same proposal off to multiple funders Get discouraged!!

Central Illinois Nonprofit Resource Centerhttp://library.uis.edu/findinfo/grants/index.html

Pamela M. Salela, CoordinatorBrookens Librarypsale2@uis.edu217-206-6783

University of Illinois at Springfield

AffiliationsFoundation Center http://foundationcenter.org PublicationsTrainingReference Guide for Researchers http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/guides/research.html

Donors Forum of Chicago Partner http://donorsforum.org

PublicationsWorkshops (Chicago)20% discount UIS

ResourcesDatabasesFoundation Directory Online campus only! http://fconline.fdncenter.org/ipl.plFoundation Grants to Individuals Online campus only! http://gtionline.fdncenter.org/ipl.phpIllinois Funding Source campus only! http://ifs.donorsforum.org/Campus Only! but VPN client

Reference MaterialsDirectoriesManualsBudget tools

Select Bibliography of DirectoriesDirectory of Research Grants AS911.A2 D5Annual Register of Grant Support: A Directory of Funding Sources AS911.A2 A67The Grants Register: The Complete Guide to Postgraduate Funding Worldwide AS911.A2 G734The Europa International Foundation Directory HV7 .I56

WorkshopsCommunityCourse specificFaculty/Staff

How to get your project funded (1 faculty perspective)Lynn Fisher (SOA)University of Illinois at Springfield

3 first steps in seeking external fundingDevelop a clear statement of project goalsFind a grant program with a mission closely matching your goalsDemonstrate that the project is important and present a workable plan

Finding the right funding sourceDevelop a clear set of goals and an ideal timetable for your projectConduct a wide search for potential funding sourcesBookmark IRIS and search often [auto-alert] http://www.library.uiuc.edu/iris/Take time to browse the web pages of many potential funding agenciesAsk colleagues in your fieldContact organizations who have already funded your work

Match potential sources to your goalsRead mission statements so youre aware of the types of projects typically fundedLook at titles & abstracts of previously funded projectsMake sure the cycle of application and award suits your plansContact the program administrator with a few sentences about your project, and ask if it is appropriate for the particular grant program

Writing successful proposalsCollect & read successful proposalsFollow program guidelines carefully Communicate the intellectual significance and broader impact of your projectDemonstrate that your plan is workable:Present preliminary results or highlight a previous projectClearly explain roles & expertise of project personnelGet feedback

What to do if your project is not fundedRead reviews carefully / ask for feedbackCommon problems:Project does not match grant program (topic, scope, type of award)More information needed to evaluate workability of plan (methods, budget, timetable, personnel)Be prepared to revise Add personnel? Clarify goals or methods? Explain significance more fully? Seek internal funding to develop preliminary resultsKeep trying

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