Rich Tips is a free electronic newsletter published by Richard Male & Associates (RMA), a nonprofit consulting firm. Please send any suggestions or comments to editor@richardmale.com.

Please give us a hand with our next Rich Tips issue on understanding the culture and strategies of small family foundations. Send your tips on this topic to editor@richardmale.com. Are there topics you'd especially like us to cover? Let us know!

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This week's tips:

Researching Funders Online

During the past 10 years we have seen a revolution in how non-profits research funding sources. You no longer have to carry around a five-pound grants guide (although, many people still like the print publications). Instead, with the click or two of a mouse, you can instantaneously research funding sources on the Internet.

In terms of speed and efficiency, as well as the quality of information, the Internet has dramatically enhanced our ability to identify and research potential funding sources. But it's important to view the Internet as a convenient and fun BEGINNING to your grant search rather than an end. Unless you're very careful about what you're looking for, you can spend hours upon hours in a circular search that produces few concrete results.

Although, the Internet can be contagious, addictive, and incredibly effective in researching potential grant sources, REMEMBER that you will never get a grant through the Internet. You still need the human touch in which you talk to the funders on the telephone about your organization, or visit with them in person. And, of course, you still need to write a letter of inquiry or a grant proposal to the funding sources. 

Some of the funding research web sites and databases cost money and will require a subscription, while others are free. To help you use your online research time wisely, we've compiled this list of our favorite funding research sites:

1.  Council on Foundations  www.cof.org — This is the trade association of about 60,000+ foundations across the country.  On the bottom left-hand side of the home page click on the Affinity Group Network Members link. The affinity groups are the sub-sector funders that identify themselves as supporting particular issues. Go into the affinity group that you are most closely aligned to and make a list of their members. These are the funding sources that you know are interested in supporting your causes.

2.  Guidestar www.guidestar.org  — This excellent web site lists the majority of the IRS 990 forms for both nonprofit organizations and private foundations and corporations.  The 990s will provide you with relevant information including staff salaries and grantees. Research the 990s on this site after you have found relevant funding sources.

3.  Independent Sector (IS) www.independentsector.org  — The IS is the national trade association for larger nonprofits, including many private foundations and corporations. The web site has many articles on public policy, lobbying rules for nonprofits, ethics, etc. It is worth you while to visit this site.

4.  Nonprofit Gateway www.nonprofit.gov  — Before President Clinton left office, he commissioned the development of this web site to help nonprofits manipulate the maze of government programs designed to support the nonprofit sector.  Over $500 billion per year of nonprofit funding comes from government funding. This is a good starting point for organizations wanting more information on government programs and activities impacting the nonprofit sector.

5.  Chronicle of Philanthropy www.philanthropy.com  — The Chronicle of Philanthropy is the "voice of the nonprofit sector" and comes out every two weeks. Within this newspaper is a section on the most recent grants.  This is the ONLY place that you can find the most recent grant listings for a select number of corporate and private foundations. For the current publication week, the database is free, but if you want to subscribe to the full database (well worth the cost) it's less than $70.

6.  Charity Navigator wwww.charitynavigator.org  — Charity Navigator is the only independent source that rates and evaluates nonprofits, United Ways and others with a four-star rating system. Check out organizations you have heard of to see how they compare to others across the country and in your community. The web site is also host to a number of well-written articles.

7.  Philanthropy Journal news@philanthropyjournal.org — This electronic newsletter is published weekly and includes many excellent articles and tips, and is well worth a subscription (especially since it is free). Use the email address above to subscribe.

8.  Grantsmanship Center www.tgci.com  — This for-profit group provides training sessions in grantsmanship all around the country, but also has a print publication with many relevant and interesting articles. 

9.  Hoovers  www.hoovers.com — Hoovers is one of the gateways to the business community. The general information on the web site is free, but for a fee you can also sign up for more sophisticated information. If you want to research a public company, use this web site to gather some basic information.

10.  National Council on Nonprofit Associations www.ncna.org  — This is the grassroots independent sector site, which is the trade association of all of the statewide nonprofit associations in the country. The site is a great source of interesting information impacting grassroots and mid-sized organizations.

11.  The Foundation Center www.fdncenter.org — This list would obviously not be complete without a mention of the Foundation Center. This is one of the most complete funding research resources on the Internet. There is a lot you can do here for free, but many of the more sophisticated search engines on the site are available for various fees. The Foundation Center also offer a variety of online and in-person workshops and classes.

Tips from readers:

From Kat Morgan, Hostelling International - USA : "Always check out their [the funder's] web site, investigate it, and any links and/or free publications on their site. I also usually go to the web sites of those they've funded previously."

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New Grant Opportunities

PETCO for animal welfare

Applications are accepted throughout the year.
The PETCO Foundation's mission is to support community organizations and efforts that enhance the lives of companion animals while strengthening
the bond between people and pets. The Foundation supports efforts
focused on reducing, rescuing, rehabilitating, and rejoicing in
companion animals, including shelters and humane groups that promote the adoption of cats and dogs; spay/neuter programs; groups that focus on
training as a means of preserving the human/animal bond; and humane
education programs and/or programs that bring animals to convalescent
homes, homes for abused children, assisted living centers, and
retirement homes. Local nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. are
eligible to apply.

For detailed information go to: http://www.petco.com/corpinfo_foundation.asp?cmLink_ID=hpap0005091304

The Norman Foundation

The Norman Foundation supports efforts that strengthen the ability of
communities to determine their own economic, environmental and social
well-being, and that help people control those forces that affect their
lives. Support is provided for efforts to promote economic justice and
development through community organizing; to prevent the disposal of
toxics in communities, and to link environmental issues with economic
and social justice; and to promote civil rights by fighting
discrimination and violence and working for equity. Current civil rights
priorities are education equity and criminal justice reform. Nonprofit
organizations throughout the Unites States are eligible to apply.

For detailed information go to: http://www.normanfdn.org/

The Nick Traina Foundation

The Nick Traina Foundation, founded by author Danielle Steel as a legacy
to her son who lost his life to manic-depression, supports organizations
involved in the diagnosis, research, treatment, and/or family support of
manic-depression, suicide prevention, child abuse and children in
jeopardy, and provides assistance to struggling musicians in the areas
of health and mental illness. The Foundation may give special
consideration to proposals that address manic-depression in children and
young adults.

For detailed information go to: http://www.nicktrainafoundation.org/main.htm

McCormick Tribune Foundation

For detailed information go to: http://www.mccormickmuseum.org/

Florida Hurricane Relief Fund

For detailed information go to: http://www.flahurricanefund.org/procedures.php

Federal Grant Opportunities (if any of the following grants sound appealing, please contact Mourene Tesler to learn more about the application procedure - mtesler@tcg-systems.com)

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None today.

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Other Announcements

CANPO Recruiting, Retaining and Motivating Quality Staff
Presented by Carol Barbeito, CLB & Associates

Learn to attain and retain quality staff by developing a human resource
management system. Use your mission as a motivator, establish an
organization plan to design your human resource system, develop the
human resource management system and the roles and responsibilities of
board, executive and key staff. This workshop is suitable for executive
and senior managers, new executives, emerging managers and board
leadership.

Thursday, February 10th: 1:00pm-4:00pm
University of Phoenix, 10004 Park Meadows Dr., Lone Tree.
Parking is available.
Beverages will be provided.

$35 member/FRIEND;
$45 nonmember.
Registration is required. Click here
< http://www.canpo.org/workshops_reg.cfm?id=4265 >  to register online.

For more information, contact Jennifer Smarr at 303-832-5710 x204 or
jsmarr@canpo.org.
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