West Texas Rural Philanthropy Days

Alpine, TXAdvanced Grantwriting Workshop

July 30, 2015

Rose Mary Fry, Degrees of Work(210) 508-5028

rmfry@degreesofwork.com1

Learning Goals• Provide an overview of the grantwriting

process• Identify relationship of community needs

and grants research• Learn 2014 Giving USA patterns• Discuss online grant search tools• Review components of a grant request• Learn components of a project budget• Discuss techniques to increase success

rate with grants

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I Need to Learn…

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1)

2)

3)

Components of a Grant Request

Community NeedPurpose of the GrantOrganization & Contact InformationGrant ApproachAudiencePartnersProject BudgetStaffSummary

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Community Need

Describe the community need behind the formation of your nonprofit organization.

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Organization’s NeedsOperating:

Project Grants & Cost:1)

2)

3)

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Grantsmanship: The Process

• Organizational Planning• Assessment of Capability…..Idea/Need• Project Development• Funding Research• Proposal Writing• Project Implementation• Project Administration• Project Evaluation

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Key Questions: Grantwriting

What are you trying to do?What is the purpose of doing it?What do you want to accomplish?How are you going to do it?When do you want to do it?Who is going to do what?Who else will be involved, and how?Where will you do it?What kinds of resources will you need?How much will it cost?How will you evaluate?

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Project Development Worksheet

Item Information

Problem What you see as the problem

Solution What you see as the solution

Goal What you hope to accomplish

Objectives Steps you will take

Method How you will solve the problem

Timeframe Start and end time 9

Other Planning StepsItem Information

Personnel Name of people, title, and role

% of Time How many hours will each employee work?

Cost Salaries and fringe benefits

Other Facility, equipment, space, supplies, travel, Internet, and phone

Cost10

The Search for Funding Options

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2014 Contributions: $358.38 billion Source

Source: Giving USA Foundation

2014 Contributions: $358.38 billion Type of Recipient OrganizationSource: Giving USA Foundation

General Overview of Funders & Interests

Foundations

Corporations

Individual

Government

Capital X Sometimes Major Donors

Endowment

Sometimes

Rarely Major Donors

Matching X X X

Operating Sometimes

X X X

Project X Cause-related

marketing

Sometimes

X

Research X Rarely Major Donors

Seed X Rarely Major Donors

Special Events

Rarely X X

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Foundation Funding: Worksheet

Description of the foundationWhat they fundPrioritiesWho they give toGrant amountsType of grantsRestrictionsDeadlinesHow to applySelection & notificationContact information

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Grant OpportunitiesResource Website

The Foundation Center

www.foundationcenter.org

Catalog of Domestic Federal Assistance

www.cfda.gov

Grants.Gov www.grants.gov

Office of the Governor

www.texasonline.state.tx.us.tolapp/egrants

TexasNonProfits www.txnp.org16

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Programs:

July 19, 2015

2,315 Federal Assistance Programs:Top Five Issuing AgenciesODepartment of Health and Human ServicesODepartment of the InteriorODepartment of AgricultureODepartment of JusticeODepartment of Education

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Foundation Center Online

Texas Cooperating Collection Sites

Amarillo Kingsville

Arlington Laredo

Austin North Richland Hills

Beaumont San Angelo

Dallas San Antonio

Edinburg Tyler

El Paso Victoria

Fort Worth Waco

Houston Wichita Falls 18

Information Source by Types of Funding Search

Search Strategy Resource

Subject search: health or medical funders

Foundation Grants IndexNational Guide to Funding in HealthGrants for Public Health & Diseases

Geographic search: community, state, regional, or national funder

Corporate Giving DirectoriesCooperating Collection Directories

Support search: capital, operating expenses, technical assistance, or seed money

The Foundation DirectoryDirectory of Corporate & Foundation GiversNational Directory of Corporate Giving

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Getting Ready for GrantwritingHistory of organizationOverview of communityPurpose: mission statementObjectives of the organizationBiographic information: Board, staff, & partnersCopies: bylaws, charter, IRS Letter of

Determination, audit report, and financialsAudience: age, sex, race, economic status,

health, geographic service area Target populationDescription of services currently provided

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Getting Ready…Description of Projects/Activities

◦ Qualifications◦ Copies of job descriptions◦ Salary information

Sources of RevenueOperating BudgetFacility InformationLong Range Plan & Strategic PlanEvaluation DataAccomplishmentAnnual Reports

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Format for Grant Request

• Research on corporate or foundation website whether a letter of inquiry is required

• Check whether proposals are accepted• Determine if required forms are

provided or if nonprofit can submit its own grant form

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Overview of Grant Request

1. One-page summary of grant request

2. Background information3. Summary of proposed

project4. Support material

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One-Page Summary

• A concise one-page summary of the issue, need, and your proposed solution

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Background Information

Name and purpose of organizationSummary of organization’s activitiesList of board and staffFinancial information: budget, balance

sheet, and revenue sourcesCopy of IRS Letter of DeterminationSigned statement: use of funds must match

with 501(c)(3) purposeLetter of approval from Executive Director

and/or Board President

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Summary of Project ActivityNature of problem Identification of needProject goals and objectivesPlans for the project administration and operation Plans for evaluation of impact and success of projectProject budgetFunds received or pledgedOther funding sourcesNature and source of long-term funding

commitmentsSpecific information requested from the fundersPhotos, diagrams, or other descriptive material if

requested

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Support Material• Letters of support from local authorities• Letters of support from affiliated

national organization or key partners• Names of individuals backing project• Bibliography of research studies or

reports justifying community need

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Checklist for Budget Preparation

• Tells the same story as the grant narrative• Outlines as much detail as possible• Contains no unexplained amounts for miscellaneous or

contingency• Includes all items asked about by funding source• Includes all items that will be paid for by other sources• Includes all volunteers• Details fringe benefits separate from salaries• Includes all consultants• Details non-personnel costs separately• Identifies indirect costs where appropriate• Includes administrative fee

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Valuation of In-kind Contributions

• Personnel services: Volunteer time; rates consistent with individuals paid for similar work

• Donated Supplies: Fair market value at time of donation

• Donated Equipment: Fair market rental at the time of donation

• Loaned Equipment or Space: Fair rental value at time of donation

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Tips for Winning Proposals

• Do your research and planning• Verify your project aligns with funder’s capacity

and areas of interest• Remember the community need for your project is

the basis of the request• Follow the funder’s specific application guidelines• Be specific and use supporting data and numbers• Capture the human element of the project• Show funders how their gifts will help solve issues• Check for logic flow, clarity, numbers, and typos• Review by a third-party for clarity• Submit to the correct person on time

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If Your Grant Does Not Get Funded

• Reread your proposal and identify weak points• Contact funding source for feedback• Remember funder may consider a future grant• Identify other funders and rework your proposal• Take feedback and develop a stronger proposal• A “no” today can become a “hello” and “yes”

tomorrow

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Common Reasons Why Proposal are

Declined Problem has not been documented properly Problem does not seem significant to reviewer Client groups have not been involved in the

planning and project goals Proposal is poorly written; hard to understand Proposal objectives do not match objectives of

funding source Project budget is not within range of funder Proposed program has not been coordinated

with other organizations doing similar work

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Web Resources• Association of Fundraising Professionals,

www.afpnet.org

• Foundation Center, www.foundationcenter.org

• GrantStation: www.grantstation.com

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Book ResourcesO Axelrod, Terry, Raising More Money, a Step-

by-Step Guild to Building Lifelong Donors, Raising More Money Publications, 2001

O Seltzer, Michael, Securing Your Organization’s Future, A Complete Guide to Fundraising Strategies, The Foundation Center, 2001

O Teitel, Martin, Thank You for Submitting Your Proposal, A Foundation Director Reveals What Happens Next, Emerson & Church Publishers, 2006

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SummaryO The importance of a clear

community needO Thorough research for corporate,

foundation, or public grant sourcesO Logic flow of grant and grant budgetO Clear and concise writing

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