 |
|
What software do YOU use? Please fill out our sector study on the software programs you use to track your donors and grants. Click here (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=47507967964) to access the survey. We'll share results of the survey in a future Rich Tips. Rich Tips is a free electronic newsletter published by Richard Male & Associates (RMA), a nonprofit consulting firm. Please send any suggestions or comments to nicolle@richardmale.com. If you're in the mood for more Rich Tips, check out our archive! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This week's tips: Traits of a Great Grant Writer Many top-notch nonprofits don't hire grant writers, assuming their program officers or some other staff member can write the grant proposals. This is a big mistake. I've reviewed a number of proposals written by people in organizations who are excellent in programming, but terrible writers; yet, the directors have permitted these individuals to write proposals to huge foundations asking for enormous sums of money. Moreover, many of these individuals send out the proposal without ever having another set of eyes proofread the copy for mistakes. The mind-set is this: “it's my program, I know what we need, so I'm the best person to write the proposal.” WRONG. Sure, anyone can string words together, but not everyone can do this at a professional level. Grant writing is a skill just like volunteer management, program development, financial management, and so on. It's always possible to find yourself a great program officer who is also an excellent grant writer; but it's highly atypical. Grant writers are a rare breed that simply love to take ideas and weave them into an interesting “story” that markets the organization and sells the program or project effectively. Let's look at some of the traits that make a great grant writer: 1. Loves to write, and can write with passion: Most private sector grant proposals need to be written with passion; the program must come alive on the page. Great grant writers “get this” and are extremely effective at telling the story so that the reader feels he/she simply MUST fund this incredible program. 2. Clear and concise: All great grant writers know that each word has to fight for the right to be on the page. Sentences must be crisp, clear, and simple. 3. Limit the jargon: A great grant writer doesn't use jargon and flowery language (the tools of the writing devil); they know that this type of wordiness will only confuse the reader. 4. Strong knowledge of the organization and the issues: A great grant writer has a solid understanding of the goals and objectives of the organization and the issues on which they will be writing. If they don't, they won't be able to integrate ideas and the proposal won't flow correctly. 5. Process oriented: A great grant writer involves the staff, board members, and volunteers to obtain a diversity of ideas and opinions. The best ideas will likely come from the program officers who are directly involved in the program. After the grant writer gathers all the necessary “input” and materials from these various members of the organization, s/he can sit down and begin to pull it all together. 6. Listens well: This is a basic trait, but sometimes overlooked. A great grant writer spends a lot of time listening to and reflecting on the needs and passions of all of the people involved in the organization: staff, board, donors, constituents, and volunteers. 7. Follows directions: A great grant writer follows grant guidelines to the tee. 8. Good researcher: A great grant writer has some background in using databases, web sites, and search engines to research funding sources. They also know enough about grants to be able to recommend funding sources off the top of their head. And many times, they're responsible for determining how much money to ask for and whether there is a good "match" between the funding source and the organization. 9. Manage the grants process: A great grant writer knows how to develop a spreadsheet to manage the grant process so you will have a clear picture of the status of each proposal. 10. Writing samples: A great grant writer will come to a grant writing job interview with some samples tucked under his/her arm to present to you. Whether the proposals were a success is not as important as how well the narrative flows. As you review the samples, ask yourself: Is it interesting? Does it make sense? Are you engaged when reading the proposal? Do the objectives match the budget and dollars? Remember: the sample proposals s/he presents to you could very well be excellent pieces of work, but were not funded because of politics or timing. ------------------------------------------------------------- New Grant Opportunities Frank Annunzio Awards One $25,000 Frank Annunzio Award will be presented to an individual who is making a beneficial impact on society through talent, knowledge and determination in the Science/Technology field, and one new $25,000 award will be presented in the Alternative Energy Sources (AES) field. The purpose of the new AES award is to strengthen America 's energy security; environmental quality; enhance energy efficiency and productivity; and bring clean, reliable and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace for both consumers and industry. For detailed information go to: http://www.ccolumbusfoundationawards.org/ Gannett Local Community Grants The Gannett Foundation supports local organizations in communities where the Gannett Co., Inc. owns a local daily newspaper or broadcast station. Each local Gannett operation establishes its own priorities, depending upon local needs, and may have additional guidelines and restrictions. Recent grants were awarded to food banks, child care centers, school playgrounds, museum programs, health care and youth initiatives. For detailed information go to: http://www.gannettfoundation.org/GUIDELINES.htm#checklist Local Giving at Target Early Childhood Reading : The company funds programs that promote a love of reading or encourage children to read together with their families. The Arts: The company provides grants to make art exhibitions, classes and performances more affordable and accessible for families. Family Violence Prevention: Target provides funding for parenting education, crisis nurseries, family counseling, after–school programs, support groups and abuse shelters. For detailed information go to: http://target.com/target_group/community_giving/local_giving.jhtml The John Hope Franklin Dissertation Fellowship This fellowship, named in honor of a distinguished member of the American Philosophical Society, is designed to support an outstanding African-American graduate student attending any Ph.D. granting institution in the United States , in any field of knowledge. There is no restriction on where the fellow resides. For detailed information go to: http://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/johnhopefranklin.htm MacArthur Foundation Grantmaking Programs The foundation provides support in four broad areas: Human and Community Development - supports the development of healthy individuals and effective communities. Grantmaking strategies focus on neighborhood development, regional policy, improving public education, early education and care, juvenile justice, mental health policy and selected research topics related to program interests. Global Security and Sustainability - focuses on international peace and security, conservation and sustainable development, population and reproductive health, human rights and new governance arrangements to address the economic consequences of globalization. General program - makes a limited number of grants in support of projects that advance the broad purposes of the foundation but do not fall within the confines of other programs. MacArthur Fellows - awards five-year unrestricted fellowships to individuals across all ages and fields who show exceptional merit and promise of continued and enhanced creative work. For detailed information go to: http://www.macfound.org/programs/ American-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Prizes The American-Scandinavian Foundation will award the 26th annual ASF Translation Prizes in the fall of 2005 for the best translations of poetry, fiction, drama or literary prose written by a Scandinavian author after 1800. The prizes are for outstanding English translations of poetry, fiction, drama or literary prose originally written in Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swedish. For detailed information go to: http://www.amscan.org/translation.html Arthur B. Schultz Foundation Funding priorities: Wildlands Conservation Disabled Recreation Disabled Mobility International Microenterprise Global Understanding For detailed information go to: http://www.absfoundation.org/program.html Ameren Corporation Charitable Trust The Ameren Corporation Charitable Trust provides support for services to youth and the elderly, education and the environment. Requests for support should be made to Ameren office in your service area. For detailed information go to: http://www.ameren.com/Community/ADC_CM_NonProfitGrants.asp The Advancing Colorado's Mental Health Care Project Advancing Colorado's Mental Health Care is a five-year, $4.1 million joint project of the Caring for Colorado Foundation, The Colorado Trust, The Denver Foundation and HealthONE Alliance. The project will provide support to human services agencies, mental health care providers and others to improve the integration and coordination of mental health services in Colorado communities. To be considered for funding, proposals must be submitted to TriWest, the Project Coordinator. A statewide video conference applicant briefing will be held 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on May 6, 2005. If you have questions, contact Jenna Ichikawa, Project Assistant for TriWest at 303-544-0509 ext. 4. For detailed information go to: http://www.thecoloradotrust.org/index.cfm?useAction=Grantmaking.FundingOpportunities Fujifilm Corporate Giving Program The goal of the Fujifilm Corporate Giving Program is to enhance the For detailed information go to: http://www.fujifilm.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/AboutGiving.jsp
Federal Grant Opportunities (if any of the following grants sound appealing, please contact Mourene Tesler to learn more about the application procedure - mourene@richardmale.com) None today ------------------------------- Conferences, Workshops, and Other Announcements Mobilizing Resources for Your Organization: Strategies to Succeed in the Current Economic Climate, May 24-26 in beautiful Missoula, Montana. IF YOU THINK your organization is forever doomed to dependency on public dollars, join us for this one-day seminar to separate the myth from the reality of fund-raising. There IS money your organization is eligible for and there are 'smart' ways to find, secure, and administer it. Richard Male will be joined by a panel of diverse funders who will tell you what gets their attention and what puts them off when approached for money. MOVING TOWARD LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SUCCESS is a challenge for any nonprofit organization in today's economic climate. Small, relatively unknown organizations such as many CILs and SILCs, face even greater hurdles. Fortunately, there are tremendous opportunities to leverage public and private resources, including funding for advocacy, if you know where to look and how to proceed. This seminar will give you the tools to do just that through a step-by-step approach to planning, implementing, and succeeding in resource development. LEARN HOW TO • Capitalize on current funding trends among private foundations, corporations, government, religious funders, philanthropic trusts, and individuals • Identify fundraising approaches compatible with your organization and local situation • Establish relationships with funders before asking for money • Ask for money in ways that make it clear who you are and what you would use the funding for • Stay true to the mission and philosophy while fostering growth Go to http://www.richardmale.com/press.htm for full details on the workshop. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Feel free to forward this email to a friend. **To unsubscribe to this newsletter, please send an email with the words "Unsubscribe Rich Tips" in the subject line to nicolle@richardmale.com . ***To subscribe, please send an email with the words "Subscribe Rich Tips" in the subject line to nicolle@richardmale.com .
|
|||