Fundraiser Ideas and Events » Grants

The Secret Source for Grant Money

FundraisingIP.com — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:23:22 +0000

The following is a guest post by Rachel Unell at GrantGopher.com – thank you for sharing this great source of grant money with us!

So often, nonprofit organizations are looking to “hit it big” with large grants from big, well-known foundations.

The competition for those grants is fierce and an organization can spend countless hours tracking and applying for these grants that they may have little chance of getting.

Instead, a tighter focus on a secret source of local grant money is a very effective strategy to pursue.

But what is this fantastic local resource? It’s your community foundation!

What is a Community Foundation?

A community foundation is usually a not-for-profit corporation set up to act as a manager for funds from multiple donors with multiple interests. Despite the number of donors and wide-ranging interest areas, there is a common theme – the funds are intended to benefit a specific geographic region.

Donors establish funds for a wide variety of purposes, ranging from scholarships, to benefiting specific charities, to supporting a particular cause. Other funds have been allocated for an area of interest (for example, animal welfare, community theater groups, or education), while other funds are for unrestricted grant making.

The real secret about community foundations is that they don’t often make big splashy announcements about their grant deadlines, and they don’t always make information about all the funds they manage obvious to the casual observer. But a little homework in this area can really pay off for your organization:

1. Let’s assume you are starting at the very beginning of your research. First, find your local community foundation. The easiest way to do this is through an internet search, just type in your city or county name, followed by the term “community foundation”.

2. Once you’ve located a foundation, first review their geographical area of concentration to make sure that your organization will qualify for funding. If your city or unincorporated region does not have a community foundation, your county most likely does have one.

3. Now that you’ve located a foundation and confirmed your organization is within their region of interest, review their grant deadline dates and funds. A community foundation can have several grant deadlines throughout the year. Usually there are at least two deadlines during the year for the larger unrestricted funds. Then there may be several other deadlines for the smaller, more specific funds. The key is that these deadlines are recurring, meaning that once you’ve identified the application dates, they generally hold true year after year so you can plan your grant application schedule accordingly.

If you are having difficulty determining what the funds are and when applications are due, first check the website site map. This is generally a listing of the pages on the website and should give you a pretty big hint about what pages will contain applications and deadlines. If you still can’t find the information, contact the foundation staff for assistance. They are there to help you and a little relationship building with foundation staff never hurts.

4. Now, as with all grants that you are applying for, review the guidelines and application very carefully. The smaller, specialized funds may have their own guidelines and application, so be careful not to assume that the general foundation guidelines also apply to the smaller funds.

5. Once you have zeroed in on the foundation and researched the funds and guidelines, you’re ready to start writing those applications. And get ready for another “secret” about community foundations – they usually offer free grant writing courses, to help you with their application and with your overall grant writing skills. What a great resource!

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By: Rachel Unell, Grant Gopher CEO. Drop by the GrantGopher website for the latest available grant announcements and free resources!

Fund Your Social Cause With The Pepsi Refresh Project

FundraisingIP.com — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:38:38 +0000

The Pepsi Refresh Project is an effort to change the world by providing funding to those who wish to make the world a better place. Through this project you could gain funding for your own social cause! Individuals, businesses and non-profits can participate.

What is the Pepsi Refresh Project?

The Pepsi Refresh Project is a year long campaign where money will be given to those individuals and groups that provide ideas for improving the world either on a local or more widespread level. Pepsi has pledged to put more than $20 million toward this project. The initial idea was to take money that could have been spent on Superbowl ads and instead re-channeling those funds to where they could do the most good. Seems like a goo idea to us!

How does it work?

The Pepsi Refresh Project is an online contest. Anyone who wishes to do so may enter their proposal online and a maximum of 1,000 such proposals are accepted every month. Assuming these proposals meet the given guidelines then they will be posted so that the public can vote on their favorites. This means that it is the public and not the folks at Pepsi who will decide which projects get the green light and the necessary funding. You could submit your own proposal and be in the running that easily.

This looks like a great opportunity for those who are looking to make a difference in the world. In one fell swoop you could come up with a concrete proposal for a project and possibly have it approved. You could instantly have the funding that you need to implement whatever changes you propose. Every month up to $1.3 million goes to the ideas that win in the categories of health, arts & culture, food & shelter, the planet, and neighborhoods & education.

Is it easy to win?

Your proposal will be competing with many others so winning is not easy. With a voting pool as large as those with internet access, you will need a large number of votes to win. You can work to get more votes by creating a proposal that people care about as much as you do and by using your social media accounts to spread the word.

We know, that’s easier said than done, but not impossible. Just look at the finalists from the past month at refresheverything.com. Plus, even if you lose you will probably have learned a whole lot about mobilizing social media and what works and what doesn’t.

What about transparency and fraud?

However, these kinds of contests also make their ways into the news when the companies behind them are being accused of fraud, like the Chase Community Project. You can also read about shady voting practices for the Pepsi Refresh Project on Beth’s Blog. If you want to hear it from an organization who actually participated in the Refresh Project click over to Modest Needs for their experience with this contest. (Select the September 2010 newsletter.)

Aside from all the bad press, these kinds of contests remain widely popular. Online charity contests are still relatively new and hopefully still improving! If you decide to give one of them a try, prepare to spend a lot of time getting people to vote and keep in mind what you are promoting: with the Pepsi Refresh Project you’d be promoting soda. You have to ask yourself if this aligns with your overall values.

What types of ideas are accepted?

While project proposals cannot contain profanity or advocate any one political party, they can be for any size project. Whether you want to create something as simple as a community garden or if you have a proposal concerning in-depth medical research, your ideas are welcome in this contest. Grants come in different sizes so all proposals are welcome.

The Pepsi Refresh Project may be a great opportunity to make your dream of a better world a reality. You can begin with the provided toolkit to help you present your idea.

How To Apply For The Google AdWords Advertising Grant

FundraisingIP.com — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:49:15 +0000

The Google AdWords advertising grant can be an excellent tool for certified non-profit organizations. The Google AdWords grant is an in-kind donation program awarding free AdWords advertising to select charitable organizations.

Currently about 4,000 organizations are enrolled in the program. The typical grantee in the Google AdWords program receives just over $300 worth of advertising on Google.com per month.

Non-profits can use their advertising account to increase traffic to their website, which will help with general outreach, announcing fundraising activities, and recruiting volunteers.

Eligible nonprofits include, but are not limited to, the following focus areas:

* Animal rescue & conservation
* Arts
* Disaster & relief services
* Education
* Environment
* Health
* Science & technology
* Voluntarism &community outreach
* Youth advocacy & programs

Ineligible nonprofits include, but are not limited to, the following concentrations:

* Commercial non-profits
* Credit-counseling services
* Mutual membership benefits (networking, professional, alumni, and other membership organizations)
* Portals and directories

Any sites with “political/lobbying content; religious content which proselytizes or discriminates on the basis of religion; Google AdSense; car/boat/real estate donation-focus; and entirely fee-based programs” are NOT eligible for the program.

What You Will Need To Apply For The Google Grant

Google has kept their Google Grant application process reasonably easy. To begin, non-profits groups will need to

* Meet basic requirements – namely, be designated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit group by the IRS; groups need to provide the 501(c)(3) certificate with their application to prove they are in fact a non-profit organization. Non-profit groups that are religious or political in nature, including groups whose mission is to lobby for political and/or policy change, are not eligible for the Google Grant. Google also restricts applications from groups currently participating in the Google AdSense program (note, however, that AdSense is a good revenue resource for groups that are not eligible for the Google Grant).

* Gather your documents – again, that all important 501(c)(3), the key to getting your application foot in the door. In addition, Google will ask you to submit sample advertising copy and keywords for your ads. Google will also ask your group to include a short statement outlining how your group will benefit from an in-kind donation of Google AdWords services.

With application requirements met, all that is left is to submit your application and wait to hear from Google.

If You Are Awarded A Google Grant

If your application is approved, Google will notify your group via email. Google reviews and selects Grant recipients once each quarter. It may take 3-6 months to find out if you’ve won a grant from Google. It is a good idea for groups to use this time to optimize their site and its message and promotions so that if an award is granted you will be ready for increased visitors, thereby making the most of each visit.

If you have never run ads via an online advertising program, make sure you educate yourself as much as possible beforehand. In order to take full advantage of your advertising grant, visit Google’s Tips For Success In Google Grants to learn about creating effective ads and selecting keywords.

Google Grants are awarded for a minimum of three months of free AdWords advertising. In the email, Google will provide instructions for setting up the account and give you an activation deadline – if your account is not set up by the deadline, your grant may be forfeited to another.

Google has gone to great lengths to provide the Google Grants to deserving non-profit organizations. Groups are enjoying increased traffic which translates into unsolicited donations, increased fundraiser sales, and increases in volunteer support. To be sure, the Google Grant is proving to be a very worthwhile time investment for successful non-profit applicants.

More details about the Google AdWords Grant.

Get $20,000 In Sponsorship Funding From Tom’s Of Maine

FundraisingIP.com — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:34:21 +0000

Tom’s of Maine (the company that makes the natural soaps, toothpastes etc.) is looking for applications for community involvement projects from nonprofit organizations.

The project application period starts on June 1, 2009 and ends on August 30, 2009. After this deadline a review panel will narrow down the applications to 50 finalists. The finalists will then be posted on their website so the public can vote for the top 5 projects that should be awarded funding.

On their website they make it clear that they are looking for applications from all 50 states. The winners will be announced in November and will receive funds by the end of the year.

Click here for terms and conditions: TomsOfMaine.com

For an application go here: TomsOfMaine.com/community-involvement. You must submit proof of 501(c )(3) status on your application.

Good luck to all who decide to apply! Let us know if you get into the finalist round and we’ll be sure to vote for you!

Nominate Your Charity To Win A $25,000 Social Media Makeover

FundraisingIP.com — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:37:39 +0000

Maybe your organization already has a website, but you’re interested in using social media to help spread the word? Maybe you already have a Twitter and Facebook account, but you’re not getting the most out of twittering and facebooking?

At CommuniCause you can nominate and vote for your favorite charity that you’d like to see win the grand prize of a Social Media Makeover valued at $25,000!

A winner will be randomly selected from the top ten charities that receive the most votes. MindComet, the agency behind CommuniCause will provide the winner with expert consulting services to help improve their social media presence and fundraising outreach.

You can view the terms, eligibility and how to vote here: CommuniCause.com/terms
Apply through this link: CommuniCause.com

>> Deadline is July 31, 2009 <<

Guidelines For Using Grant Money

FundraisingIP.com — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:26:53 +0000

Congratulations! You’ve become the official recipient of a grant! Now what?

Well, the first thing to do, once you’ve received the money either in the form of a check or sometimes as part of a contract, is to write back to the grant foundation and thank them. The grant foundation will appreciate it and your group will be more likely considered for future grants.

The next thing to do is study the grant foundations reporting requirements carefully. Do they require follow-up reports? How often? Do you need to give back an itemized expense account of how the money was spent, or just a general project report? Are there deadlines you need to be aware of for turning in those reports?

Make sure those deadlines are met – it’s a good idea to keep the people that give you money happy and well-informed. Even if the foundation doesn’t require any sort of project report at all, you should still send one. People like to know that their $20,000 was spent properly and in the way they intended.

What If My Project Didn’t Receive Full Funding?

A more complicated situation arises when you receive part of the money you need for a particular project, but not the full amount you requested. In this case, you have three options:

First, you can try another round of grant applications, and see if you receive the full amount of funding needed for the project. Since most grants have a timeline, however, this option is not always available.
A second possibility is to try and complete the project on a lower budget. If you decide to go this route, you will need to contact the other foundations and explain that you will be attempting the project with a lower budget than initially anticipated, and why.
The final, and least desirable option, is to conclude that you, in fact, cannot accomplish the stated goal with the amount of funding. Either write the grant foundation and ask if your grant can be transferred to another project (be sure to detail fully and explain why you think their money should go to this project instead) or return the money to the foundation.

What If We Didn’t Get The Project Completed As Planned?

Another situation that can be difficult to foresee is what to do if you have spent all the grant money, but the project is not completed. Although this is unfortunate, it’s not impossible. You can write again to the foundations that funded you in the first place, and explain what has happened.

You kept good records, right? Be sure to explain where every penny went in this case, and why you weren’t able to accomplish the initial goals with the amount of money given. Or you can try for a second round of funding by applying anew to grant foundation (after reporting to the first foundations, of course), and posing this as a new project altogether.

No matter what you do, there is one cardinal rule: Keep records of everything, especially receipts. By doing so you will present yourself as careful and responsible, even if you end up having to go back and ask for more money again.

Saving Money During Tough Times

FundraisingIP.com — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:52:48 +0000

If your charitable organization is like many, contributions are lagging during this tough economic period. During times like these, it’s important to find ways to cut costs so that your organization can continue to provide its basic services on a smaller budget. Following are some ideas to help you save money.

Trim budgets
Take a look at your budget from last year’s events, and look for ways to cut costs. Consider, for example, hosting a dessert celebration rather than a full dinner. Or, consider increasing the cost of attendance to reduce the funds required from your operating budget.

Apply for grants
It costs very little to apply for grants from foundations who give regularly to non profit organizations. Research the foundations that have typically supported organizations such as yours and then research their grant requirements. Many simply require a grant request letter along with a copy of your 501c3 letter and your financial statements. If you spend your time wisely – applying only to those organizations that have shown a pattern of giving to causes like yours, you’ll find that this can be a simple way to bring in additional donations.

Hire a grant writer
Hire a grant writer who can create a template grant letter for you if you don’t have one. In many cases, one basic grant request letter can be modified over and over again for multiple grants. You can offer the grant writer a bonus (not based on grant monies), but it is considered unethical for grant writers to accept a percentage of donation brought in. (see comments)

Renegotiate with vendors
Go over your event items with your vendors to see if you can get lower prices. If your organization has grown since you last negotiated prices, you may be able to get a break simply because your attendance numbers have grown. If you can’t get lower prices from your current vendors, you might consider shopping around to see if it’s time to change vendors on some items.

Trim your newsletter
If you’re spending money distributing a monthly mailed newsletter, consider moving your newsletter, and other communications vehicles online. The costs of maintaining a website are far less than that of sending out paper mailings. It’s also more environmentally friendly. Simply get your website going, and then use all your communications vehicles to let people know that you’re going online.

Consider joint fundraising ventures
Partner with a compatible organization to host a fundraising event. Of course, you’ll receive only half the contributions, but you’ll also incur only half the costs. Partnering with another organization can mean the difference between having the resources to host an event and not having enough resources. It can also expose your organization to other donors, and your partner organization to your donors, which can increase your both of your donor bases.

There are lots of ways to be creative and cut costs while keeping your important programs running. It requires a little ingenuity, but your organization can continue and even thrive during a down economy.

Doubling Your Organization’s Money through Matching Grants

FundraisingIP.com — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:18:13 +0000

Fundraising during a slowing economy can be especially tough. Organizations have to get creative in order to get the donations required to get their projects up and running or keep them going.

One way that many organizations have improved their fundraising efforts is through matching grants. Grant matching can be fun and can help reduce the amount any single organization or donor donates, making it more palatable to donors when times are tight.

What is a ‘Matching Grant?’

The basic idea of matching grants is to pair a giving organization, such as a corporation or foundation with an individual or group of individuals to double the donation. The amount of money raised by the individual or group of individuals is matched by the corporation or foundation.

For example, if your organization needs $25,000 toward a new piece of equipment, you might have difficulty finding one foundation or corporation to foot the bill for the entire amount. However, if you can find a group of individuals who will have a sale or car wash to raise part of the money, you can then pair them with a corporate donor who would match the amount raised by the individual’s event(s).

The concept works well because it allows individuals who might be very limited in the amount they can personally give to work on an event that will raise a significant amount of money, knowing that the funds will be matched. On the other hand, the corporation or foundation is happy to recognize the accomplishments of the individuals by matching funds raised.

This concept for fundraising has been used for many years, and in many different ways. Radio or telethons often have corporate sponsors, for example, who match the pledges for a given time period. Individuals call in to the telethon and pledge their amounts, and at the end of the specified time period, the corporation sponsoring the time period matches all donations raised during the specified time.

How do you set up this type of fundraiser?

If you’re interested in this type of fundraising for your organization, it’s fairly simple to set up. You’ll need to list your corporate donors to see who is on board, and the maximum amount they’re willing to match. This can be done through a letter campaign or by contacting them in person.

Next, you’ll want to contact your individual donors and let them know that you have corporate matching funds for any donations they might make. Encourage them to sponsor small events, like bake sales, garage sales or clothing consignment sales to raise their funds to be matched. Be certain to keep the matches one to one: once a corporate sponsor is paired with an individual donor, they should not be paired with another.

You can also set this up as a part of any ‘regular’ fundraising campaign, where you let individual donors know that their contribution will be matched.

Matching funds donations can be a great way to keep up the enthusiasm of your donors, and a great way to raise cash without over burdening any one group or individual. If you’ve never tried fundraising with this method, you might find that it’s just the jump start you need to bring cash in for your organization this year!

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What Grant Foundations Are Looking For

FundraisingIP.com — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:48:46 +0000

Obviously it’s impossible to make a blanket statement and say that “all grant foundations want x,” but there is one thing all foundations want to know: Can you be trusted?

If they can reasonably answer that question, “Yes,” then you will go far in the grant seeking process. If not, your application will likely be one of the ones that ends up in the circular file.

A large part of establishing yourself as trustworthy happens after you have received a grant. Did you spend the money as planned, or did you go off budget? Was the purpose for which the money was planned accomplished? A careful accounting of money spent will cement your reputation as an organization that is well-run and able to do what they say.

What are some other things grant foundations are looking for?

• Probably the most important point grant makers will consider is whether or not the problem or cause is a worthy one, in their view. Of course, one man’s worthy cause is another’s waste of time, which is where smart research on your part comes in. Discovering foundations whose stated aims are the same as yours is half the battle when it comes to actually getting grant money

• Grantmakers will also look at is whether or not you stand to be able to solve the problem with the proposed plan. For that reason, it’s important that your grant proposal or project be well-thought-out and carefully crafted to show that yours is the best way to solve teen pregnancy, or the spread of HIV, etc. In addition, you must be able to demonstrate that your organization can indeed achieve the plan you have set forth.

• An additional question grantmakers must consider is whether or not you can reasonably expect to achieve the goals with the budget you have proposed, and whether or not this is cost-effective or unreasonably lavish. Keep this in mind as you put together a budget for your grant proposal.

• Are there any other foundations in the area doing the same work as you? If so, make sure you address that particular issue in your grant proposal: Why should they give money to you and not to one of the other organizations in your area? What do you do that no one else does? Whatever you do, don’t pretend the other organizations don’t exist—it’s like ignoring the proverbial elephant.

• Alas, there is often still some “who you know” element to foundation money raising. Although you can rant and rave about how it’s not fair, the smarter thing to do is find out if you do in fact have any connections through staff, friends, or acquaintances to any board members or trustees of foundations. If you do, it can do nothing but help.

Remember, sowing seeds of faithfulness now with money you receive will reap you a harvest of grants later on.

Five Tips For Grant Writing Success!

FundraisingIP.com — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:05:28 +0000

The following is a guest post by Miranda Ash who is a Grants Fundraiser for Music In Hospitals. Thank you for the tips Miranda!

As the economic downturn begins to bite charities and NGOs, the need to approach trusts and foundations for support is increasing. Grants fundraising takes persistence, determination, imagination and creativity! Here are my top five tips to writing successful grant proposals:

1. Do your homework

These days most Grants research is conducted online and you can’t always be sure that the information is correct. Check several sources for the most up to date contact information. There are a number of online databases available e.g. Guidestar.org, or Trustfunding.org.uk in the UK, where you match your criteria against a list of funders. Whilst these databases don’t hold information for every trust or foundation, they offer a great place to start. The databases are usually paid subscription services and the costs are not always appropriate for smaller charities with limited funds. If this is the case, contact your local Community Foundation who will be happy to run a search for you.

All too often charities miss out on funds because the grant writer failed to read the funder guidelines carefully – so make sure you read and re-read guidelines to ascertain eligibility.

2. Pick up the Phone

Take the plunge and pick up the phone! A huge part of grants fundraising is about nurturing relationships with your funders and this begins with making contact. A friendly conversation to establish whether or not your project is of interest begins the relationship and starts the application process off on the right foot. And, if you find out you’re not eligible then the phone call has saved you time! Be wary because some funders do not welcome phone calls and may prefer correspondence by post instead.

3. It’s all in the cover letter!

The cover letter is probably the most important part of the proposal as it’s the first bit of paper the funder will glance at when they open your envelope. The letter should introduce your charity, summarize your background, the project, how much funding you are requesting and provide compelling reasons for support. No more than one page.

4. Word crafting

Grants proposal documents come in all shapes and sizes, but following the ‘less is more’ principle means that you shouldn’t use more than 3 to 4 pages of printed text. Add a cover sheet which includes the project title and perhaps a photo or two illustrating your work. Make it look thoroughly professional!

The document should reiterate the charity background, beneficiaries of your work, monitoring and evaluation tools, research, details about how your charity is funded, specific project details (including a budget) and show your contingency plans. Use sub-headings and format the page appropriately. Include feedback quotes from recent projects as these will add credibility to your proposal.

Craft your words carefully. Much of your ability as a grants writer is about word crafting – painting a picture without waffle!

Above all, keep your proposal SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based.

5. Check, check, and check again

Once you’ve finished writing, print the document and read it through several times checking grammar, spelling and content. It’s always helpful to ask another person to review the document as a fresh pair of eyes will often spot gremlins!

Whilst these tips are by no means exhaustive, they will help start you on the road to grants fundraising success. Happy writing!

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About Music in Hospitals
Music in Hospitals is a charity which was established in 1948 and our mission is to improve the quality of life for adults and children with all kinds of illness and disability through the joy and therapeutic benefits of professionally performed live music in hospitals, hospices, day care centres, special needs schools, nursing and residential homes throughout the UK. In 2008 we celebrated our 60th Anniversary.

All concerts are given by small groups of professional musicians who are selected by audition for their high standard of musicianship, communication skills and breadth of repertoire enabling them to relate to each member of the audience, whatever their age, illness or disability. Our musicians’ sensitive approach and wide repertoire enables them to respond to individual needs and to encourage audience participation, making everyone feel the music is especially for them.

Music in Hospitals has received the CLASSIC f M’s Red ƒ award in recognition for its outstanding contribution to music.

For further information, please contact
Miranda Ash
Grants Fundraiser
Miranda@music-in-hospitals.org.uk
Tel. +44 (0)1932 260810

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Free Software For Your Non-Profit

FundraisingIP.com — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:30:08 +0000

If you’ve been considering filing for 501(c)(3) status for your group, but are still hesitating, here’s another good reason not to postpone it any longer:

If your group has current 501(c)(3) status (K-12 schools also qualify), you’ll be eligible to apply for free software donations from Adobe. (Fees apply.)

Adobe creates and distributes such great programs as Dreamweaver, Photoshop and Illustrator.

Adobe’s North America Software Donation Program is managed in partnership with both Gifts In Kind International (for K-12 school) and TechSoup (for non-profits).

All product offerings are subject to availability, so place your request soon!

Available products:

Application Suites

Macintosh Products

Individual Products

To find out if your group is eligible for free Adobe software, click here.

TechSoup doesn’t just handle Adobe Software donations, but is also partnered with Microsoft, Symantec, MYOB, several online services and many more!

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Understanding The Grant Application

FundraisingIP.com — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:44:35 +0000

You might have already had to answer the following question when you applied for non-profit status. However, instead of just copying the same answers into your grant application, take a second look and see if you can’t possibly tweak or update this information. Maybe your organization has grown considerably or maybe your board has new ideas for your group. In any case, consider that this time you’re answering these questions for a possible grant making organization or foundation.

Who are you?

Tell them a little about your group or organization: What do you do? Why do you do it? Who do you do it for, and how long have you been doing it? Do you have a mission statement, and a vision? How big is your group, and where is it currently located? If your organization is just one of several in your area dealing with the same problem or cause, explain how you are different, or how you work together with the other groups in your area to communally solve the problem.

What is the problem?

Here is where you paint a picture of the need for the grant founder. Keep things easy to understand and do not go too deep into details, unless requested. Try to position your group as experts in the particular problem posed, and keep your description of the problem scale to the solution you will propose (e.g. describing the problem as “the end of the world,” and proposing the solution of: a new library in town).

What are you going to do about the problem?

This is where you really need to shine if you expect to receive the grant. Give a good summary statement of how you and your organization will solve the problem posed, and then go on to give details. How will you ensure success for both project participants, and the goals of the project overall? If you have people already lined up for the project, it’s a good idea to name them and attach resumes if you have them. If you painted a picture of the problem for them above, you need to actually put them in the room on the day your project is taking place for this part of the application.

What is your goal?

The outcome of impact of a particular project or grant is often difficult to predict, but most foundations will want you to do so anyway. Use optimistic and detailed language, without making it sound too over the top. If you don’t achieve the desired outcome in society, it’s highly unlikely the foundation will come back and ask you why not—there are too many possible causes.

How will you judge if you solved the problem?

Also known as “evaluation,” you should include the criteria for evaluation in your initial grant request. Be sure to also include funding for it in the budget, if it will cost money.

No grant proposal is complete without a budget.

Creating a budget shouldn’t be taken lightly and, if your group has little or no experience in this field, could be a good reason to hire a grant writer, or sign up for a grant writing workshop. A basic budget has “expenses” and “income” columns. The expenses column can be further subdivided into “personnel” (all salaries and wages paid), “direct project” (which will be incurred only if you do the project), and “overhead” (which you will have to pay whether or not you do the project—things like rent, electricity, and so on).

Sometimes you may have to submit additional information, such as a copy of the letter certifying your 501(c)(3) status for example. Be sure to supply all information and the supplementary documentation requested in order to give your group the best chance at qualifying for that grant!

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To Use Or Not To Use: Grant Writers

FundraisingIP.com — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:39:57 +0000

In the world of grant-writing, there are good reasons and not-so-good reasons to hire a professional grant-writer. Take some time to evaluate whether or not it makes sense for you to hire one.

Teach Your People How To Fish

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This is also a good way to approach grant-writing proposals. Unless you anticipate receiving a grant that will sustain your organization for the remainder of its lifetime (not likely), grant-writing will be needed again and again.

If you’re just starting out, hiring a grant-writer is not a bad idea because you need someone to teach the basics, like how to put together a budget and frame your organization’s needs in a way that will appeal to foundations. What’s important, however, is that you have at least one member of your organization (two or three would be better) to walk alongside the professional grant writer, watching everything they do and preparing to do it themselves one day. That way, at some point, you can tell the professional his services are no longer needed, and the staff of your organization can take over the responsibilities of writing regular grant proposals.

Get To Know The People That Know The People

Although its true that foundations fund causes and organizations that are in line with their stated purposes, it’s also true that many organizations receive grant applications do so solely on a recommendation-only basis, or at least that recommended applicants stand a much better chance.

Say, for example, a foundation receives 800 applications for a grant of 2 million dollars, all of which are in line with the foundation’s mission. Joanne in pre-screening needs to reduce that list to 15 organizations for the board to consider. How does she do it? One way is to look at groups that have come to the foundation from sources she trusts – like recommendations.

Once your organization has gotten on a few of those shortlists, you can actually continue reapplying on your own, without the help of the professional grant writer, because he has already given his recommendation. Don’t be confused by professional grant writers that promise millions of dollars through esoteric “connections.” Chances are the more free money is promised, the less likely that connections only are required (at least legally) and that you are about to get taken for a ride.

Are You Having One Of Those Weeks?

Sure, you should have seen this coming. Yes, you could have planned better. But nevertheless, there are four grant proposals due this week and all of them are half-finished. Better to hire somebody to help than to miss a valuable opportunity at earning some cash, and let all the work done so far go to waste. Just remember next time to set your goals more realistically when it comes to completing tasks for the grant applications, and don’t be afraid to involve co-workers.

Asking for money is a major part of what non-profit and educational organizations do, and even to a lesser degree, small businesses. Accept it, and learn to do it well.
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Finding The Right Grant Opportunities For You

FundraisingIP.com — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:29:15 +0000

With a shrinking base of foundation money to draw from and more and more organizations looking for grants, it’s essential for organizations to make sure they spend their time wisely, targeting grants they are actually qualified for. Not every grant is right for every organization, and vice versa.

Which One Are You?

There are grants out there for small businesses, non-profit organizations, educational grants, even grants for folks wanting to attend college. The first step is narrowing down which one of these categories you qualify for, and it’s not as easy as it sounds.

For example, a small Christian school would seem to qualify for an educational grant, except that many grants have a “no-religion” clause, meaning that they don’t give money to anybody that has anything to do with religion, whether it’s Buddhism, Hinduism, or Christianity. In this case, the school in question might be better off looking at grant opportunities with Christian foundations, or educational ones that don’t have a non-religious limitation.

Get Online…With People

Although it’s possible to do your research online, sometimes the best resource when seeking grants for your organization is other people. Why? Because the reality is, grant foundations tend to support organizations they have been associated with, or that they have had recommended by someone they know. It’s just safer that way for them.

If someone the board trusts has been to your organization and seen the work you do and believes in you, that person will be a better asset to your grant-making application process than if you had sent in 100 grant applications to foundations you picked out of a hat. So, ask around: is there anyone in your organization who knows somebody who might know somebody? Of course, it’s never a bad idea to do a little research online and see if there’s anybody looking to give money to organizations like yours.

What Do You Want To Do With The Money?

Probably 90% of all grants awarded are for one of two possible purposes: operating grants or project grants. They are what they sound like: an operating grant is to help with operating costs, and a project grant is designated for a specific project. In general, operating grants are harder to come by and harder to get, as well as being much more flexible in terms of how the money can be spent.

Foundations generally award these to organizations they have been working with for some time, and who they trust to handle the money properly. Project grants, on the other hand, are much more common, and usually require an accounting of the money at least beforehand, if not before and after. With a project grant, the grant-making foundation will also want to see tangible results for their money, as in: “How will you know if you’ve achieved your goals?”, and, “What will change in your community as a result of this project?”.

As a rule, get as much information as you can about a grant foundation before you begin the application process, because each foundation requires its own, slightly different set of information, and each grant requires hours and hours of preparation. Once you’ve gotten it down to the ones you’re definitely qualified for, it’s time to decide whether or not to use a professional grant writer.

For a list of grant opportunities, visit the Foundation Center.

Raise Funds For Yourself?

FundraisingIP.com — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:39:24 +0000

Maybe you’ve been raising funds for your kids school, cancer research programs, or other good causes for quite some time, but now you find that you need some financial help yourself. Maybe you’ve lost your job or had your hours cut back. Now what?

The only thing that can help long term of course is a steady stream of income from a job, or you own business. But, is there something you can do short term to tide you over the worst?

Personal Bridge Grant

Dr. Keith P. Taylor, President and founder of ModestNeeds.org has recently announced a new type of grant…

“…that can’t come soon enough for people who’ve recently lost their jobs.

In light of the current economic crisis and the ever-increasing number of layoffs every month, we’ve just launched an exciting new “Bridge Grant.” With it, we’re inviting newly unemployed people to apply for short-term financial assistance as a way to ensure that they survive those very precarious first 90 days of joblessness.”

ModestNeeds.org is known for issuing small grants to people who find themselves in financial hardship through no fault of their own. The Bridge Grant is an extension of that, hoping to offset the hardships of sudden income loss. To see if you’re eligible, read more about it here.

Grant for your non-profit

Maybe you’re running a non-profit and the economic downturn has caused you to lose supporters and donations; ModestNeeds.org can help here as well, with their Non-Profit Grant. Get more information on the Non-profit grant and all other grant types and eligibility requirements.

Do you have any suggestions on how to raise funds for yourself? Do you know of any internet resources, or resources in your area, that might help others who find themselves in the same predicament? Please let us know in the comments section below!

To stretch your dollars as far as possible, get advice and tips from blogs in AllTop’s Frugal News category, FrugalDad.com, or FrugalBlog.

Google Grant: Free Advertising For Non-Profit Organizations

FundraisingIP.com — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:40:18 +0000

Google is showing that they care about bettering the world we live in by offering a grant program for non-profit organizations, the Google Grant.

The Google Grant is a program which provides free Google AdWords advertising for selected non-profit organizations. The Google Grant is an easy way to significantly increase traffic to your non-profit group’s website which will help increase your support for your group, solicit donations, and/or increase sales of fundraising items.

Who Can Apply For The Google Grant

Google has, of course, set limitations on which groups are eligible to receive the Google Grant. Google has made a strong attempt to improve quality of life through their program while remaining neutral on the issues. Groups are encouraged to apply for the Google Grant if they meet the following qualifications:

Group is not of a religious nature
Group is not political in nature (this includes groups whose primary focus is political lobbying aimed at political or policy change)
Group does not currently participate in the Google Adsense program (earning money on their website from Google ads)
Group maintains current 501(c)(3) status (assigned by the IRS)

The Google Grant is only available to recognized non-profit organizations with current 501(c)(3) status. If your group does not yet have recognition as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, you must apply and obtain such status from the IRS before you can apply for the Google Grant.

The Google Grant is available in several countries worldwide. Applying in the United States is fairly straight-forward and is dependent on the above mentioned 501(c)(3) certification. Application requirements vary by country.

Getting Ready To Apply For The Google Grant

Google recommends that applicants familiarize themselves with the Google Adwords program before applying for the Google Grant. Each applicant is expected to submit sample ad copy and keywords with their application (which Google staff will help edit if accepted). Google supplies links to the AdWords program to help applicants learn more, so that they in turn can optimize their ad keywords and ad copy for their application. Google states on their website that groups are most likely to be successful in applying if they have taken the time to familiarize themselves with the AdWords program and communicate that understanding to Google during the application process.

Any group that enjoys 501(c)(3) status in the U.S., and who meets the eligibility guidelines as set forth by Google, stands to benefit greatly from the free advertising offered by Google. The potential for traffic generation can bring very significant numbers of visitors to your site through the donation of this proven service.

Grants: Find Free Government And Foundation Money For Your Non-Profit

FundraisingIP.com — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:44:56 +0000

Many groups, businesses, and agencies – governmental, corporate and private – have money they are just waiting to give away to the right non-profit recipient. Locating and applying for monies from these organizations is a great way to get free money for your non-profit.

Free Money For Non-Profits – The Search Is On!

Finding sources of free money for non-profits starts with research; unfortunately, there’s no way around this time-consuming process, but there are sites and resources that can help, and the return is well worth the effort.

Research for free money for your non-profit should start either at your local library or online (or both). With the vast outreach and current, updated information available online, this is often the best place to focus your research attentions.

Online you can access government agencies, corporate websites, private foundations and charitable individuals, and portals, databases, and clearinghouses for grants for non-profit organizations.

There are many such websites, but the following are a good place to start:

The Foundation Center FDNcenter.org
The Foundation Center offers a wealth of information on finding and applying for grants and offers links to directories of corporate and foundation funding sources. In addition, the Center offers worksheets, training, statistics, and a copy of the “Common Grant Application” that many funders use in their application process (or at least use something very closely related).

Philanthropy.com
Philanthropy.com publishes the online “Chronicle of Philanthropy”; the site is mainly an informational resource. They also offer a Guide to New Grant Programs and a guide for established grant funders. Both are useful tools for assessing and choosing the most appropriate grant opportunities for a given non-profit organization.

Government Agencies
State and Federal government has moved online, and so, too has their grant announcement and application procedures. Online is the best way to access government grants in a timely manner. Visit the site of the Department that oversees groups and functions of your type for a start (for instance, if you want to fund education for inner-city preschoolers, start at the Department of Education.

You may also want to visit the Grants Page on Jason Dick’s blog at ASmallChange.com for some unusual grant opportunities.

These resources will get you a good start toward locating prospective sources of free money for your non-profit group. In addition, you can utilize the services of Foundation Grant Databases and search within a range of subjects and interests to return targeted results that will most closely match your organization, needs, and goals.

As a last tip, look for multiple sources of free money for non-profits to increase your chances of success. Many of these funders receive hundreds or thousands of applications, and securing grant money is a combination of blanketing enough funding options and making a clear, convincing application (that arrives on time!). To be sure, this increases your work load plenty, but the best free money awards go to those who are persistent, and if you look hard enough, you are sure to find some excellent sources of free money for non-profits that will be happy to lend to your cause.