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This week's tips:

Religous Giving in America

It might be faddish under the Bush administration to talk about faith-based partnerships; but for literally hundreds of years, churches, synagogues, and other religious institutions have been intimately involved in supporting the poor and hungry, advocating for civil and human rights, and employing the unemployed, among many other issues. Ever since I've worked with nonprofit organizations I've been engaged in the religious community, which I have come to see as one of the strongest and most credible communities in America. Religious institutions, if you understand them, can become one of your organization's strongest allies.

More than 45 percent of all charitable contributions made in America support organized religion. That amounts to about $75 billion in giving each year through faith-based and religious institutions with millions of these dollars coming back to support a wide variety of organizations in the form of mission and grant dollars. In the past decade, studies on religious giving have shown that if a person is affiliated and identifies with a particular religious community, statistically they will give almost three times the amount of dollars to a secular organization than someone who is not affiliated with a religious community. Clearly, this tells us that the best donors in America are part of these communities.

Your organization can "tap-into" religious communities to help recruit volunteers, use their facilities for meetings, raise money, get donated products and equipment, and obtain support that brings a "moral authority" to your causes and issues. These institutions are one of the strongest in America and can play a critical role in supporting your nonprofit organizations.

Although there are a number of levels within the religious bureaucracy ranging from the local congregations, to regional bodies, to the national offices, lets look at the ways you can get started at the local level first:

1. Build the relationship first, and then ask for money. Spend time getting to know the minister and some of the members of the congregation first before asking for money. Conduct an educational session for the youth or senior citizens on a Sunday to introduce your organization.
2. Attend a religious service to get a feel for the congregation's interest and meet some of the key lay and religious leaders.  Target a number of the largest congregations in your community and go to their services to get some background and knowledge of their cultures and traditions.
3. Distribute a list at your board meetings asking the members of your board, staff, and volunteers, to identify congregations in your community of which they are members. Start off with these congregations – have the board member or volunteer set up your initial meeting with the religious leader.
4. Women's groups are usually where the action and money are. The women of most congregations are the glue that holds the body together. Request an opportunity to speak at one of their weekly or monthly meetings and let them know of your issues, needs and ways they can help
5. Always collect email and snail mail addresses when speaking. Every time you have a chance to speak at a congregation carry along a sign up sheet requesting names, addresses and email addresses.
6. Invite a priest, minister, rabbi or key lay leader to be on your board of directors. It's important to have a few of these key people on your board so they can become your ambassadors in the religious community.
7. Try to give a sermon once a year at different congregations that focuses on your organization's current most important theme. This is a great way to get in front of hundreds of new people who could become potential supporters and volunteers
8. Write a short piece in the congregation's weekly bulletin about your organization and ask for volunteers. Each weekend, every congregation prints and distributes a bulletin with announcements. Use this vehicle to let people know of your needs.
9. Invite members of the congregation to conduct a tour of your organization, project, or neighborhood. It's important for people to experience first hand the work you are doing.
10. Target a reasonable number of congregations (probably less than five) that your organization is going to work on cultivating during the next year. Most Protestant congregations develop their budgets in the fall, while Catholic parishes develop theirs in the spring, so allow plenty of lead-time to develop the relationships and build the partnerships.  

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New Grant Opportunities

Skoll Foundation

Through its Social Sector Program, the Skoll Foundation seeks to make a meaningful contribution to the development of 21st century infrastructure for social entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and the social sector, both in the United States and internationally.

Through this program, the foundation will support the development of knowledge, tools, vehicles, pathways, and networks that meet the needs of social entrepreneurs, philanthropy, and the global social sector for information, resources, connection, transparency, and accountability.

Special emphasis will be placed on opportunities to support work that promotes understanding of, expands, or improves capital markets for social entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurship; advances knowledge and practices concerning social entrepreneurship and philanthropy; and enhances the accountability and effectiveness of social entrepreneurship, philanthropy, or the social sector on a systemic level.

For detailed information go to: http://www.skollfoundation.org/socialsectorprogram/

Rose Architectural Fellowships

A program of the Enterprise Foundation, the Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship is designed to promote architectural and community design in low-income neighborhoods. The fellowship fosters productive partnerships between architects and community development organizations and encourages architects to become lifelong leaders in public service and community development.

Fellowship applicants submit project proposals created in partnership with nonprofit community development organizations. Selected fellows are embedded in communities for three years, where they work with their sponsors and other professionals to complete full-scale projects that include design, building, and/or rehabilitation.

Each fellow receives guidance, support, and mentoring from local professionals. They also receive ongoing training from national experts, a $40,000 annual stipend, and a range of benefits, including healthcare.

Prior to application, both the architect and the partner organization must develop a document based on their shared vision and goals. As part of the application process, they must develop a proposal that highlights a three-year work plan with tangible, measurable objectives.

For detailed information go to: http://www.enterprisefoundation.org/majorinitiatives/rosefellowship/index.asp

RadioShack Neighborhood Answers Grant Program

The RadioShack Neighborhood Answers Grant program is designed to offer answers – answers that bring community impact through programs or projects conducted by local nonprofit organizations. Our program currently focuses on two areas: prevention of family violence/abuse and/or child abduction.

For detailed information go to: http://www.radioshackcorporation.com/cc/contributions.html

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)

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