Seeking Grant Money Today

National Council of Nonprofits Declares 2012 the Year of the Nonprofit Video - Why Take Note? See...

2012-01-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

The National Council of Nonprofits has called 2012 'The Year of Nonprofit Video' - See Nonprofit Knowledge Matters 2012 - Year of Nonprofit Video

Crowd sourcing is a recently popular mode to raise funds online in which many different nonprofits describe themselves to the public (who votes for which organization should receive a grant) and often the organizations describe themselves through the medium of video. In recent years Pepsi has offered nonprofits the chance to do this. My thought on crowd sourcing? It is not good fundraising for any nonprofit. For more on my thoughts on this see Is Crowd Sourcing A Viable and Sustainable Way for Nonprofits To Raise and Retain Support? No.

Specific to the web and grants, for nonprofits, see my post How Your Nonprofit's Website Can Increase the Grants Your Organization Raises

Have you never seen a webinar or online video (it's alright to admit it - not everyone has), or are you not clear how an online video would help any nonprofit? Then see You Tube's (the per-eminent location online for all web video - including nonprofit organizations' videos (fundraising or otherwise)) free, one minute and fifteen second You Tube video explaining what a web video can do for nonprofits at The You Tube Nonprofit Program

Grants for LGBTQ Youth Who Have Transformed Their Experiences With Bigotry and Discrimination Into Something Good To Improve the Community

2012-01-30T09:28:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post.]

Deadline: February 29, 2012

Nominations of LGBTQ Youth Activists Invited for Colin Higgins Youth Courage Awards

A program of the Colin Higgins Foundation, the Colin Higgins Youth Courage Awards annually honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, queer, and questioning youth who have transformed their experiences with bigotry and discrimination into opportunities to inspire others by taking action, rallying support, building community, and working to change the systems and institutions that impact their lives.

Unlike scholarships based on grade-point average or written essays, the Colin Higgins Foundation looks to communities across the United States to nominate and lift up LGBTQ youth activists who inspire them and play critical roles in their schools, organizations, and community spaces.

Nominations should describe obstacles the nominee has faced due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, how the nominee has overcome these obstacles through community-level activism for LGBTQ rights, and how the award could transform the life of the nominee and help them achieve their dreams.

Nominees must be 21 years of age or younger and must be U.S. citizens. Self-nominations are not accepted.

Three award winners will be selected to receive $10,000 each. Awardees also will receive an expense-paid trip to the 2013 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Creating Change Conference.

Complete program guidelines and nomination forms as well as information on previous awardees are available at the Colin Higgins Foundation Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

What Are Endowments or Endowment Funds And Does Our Nonprofit Need One? Probably...

2012-01-23T11:26:00.000-08:00

Nonprofits raise endowment funds (usually a larger singular amount of money that is raised and then sits over a large amount of time in the organization's bank or other financial institution of its choosing to earn investment capital), in order to have a nest egg sitting in the organization's back pocket because an endowment fund (once in place) provides that nonprofit with many different smart and even strategic benefits.

In "The Nonprofit Handbook Third Edition Fundraising" the author, James M. Greenfield, defines an endowment (also called an endowment fund) as, "...funds permanently set aside by a not-for-profit organization to fulfill a designated purpose....Endowment funds are invested and generate income to to support the charity's mission. Endowments establish quality and permanence for the charity. The income can be used to offset funding shortfalls caused by unforeseen economic events. Endowments can be board-designated funds set aside for future financial needs." (Page 93). (I explain in detail the meaning of this definition, below).

To understand how acquiring an endowment fund goes, let's say, for example, that you and I work together, in their fundraising office, for St. Paul German Historic Stein Collectors Association (SGHSCA), a Minnesota nonprofit. Our local organization is entirely volunteer run, has existed for over fifty years, and annually, the board and our executive director plan out SGHSCA's coming year's organizational operating budget; year long fundraising plan; and each individual fundraising event's plan, operations, and budget. As such, the organization's leadership and volunteer staff know what our expected expenses are, how we will pay for those expenses in the coming year, how much we expect to raise from which types of fundraising events (and when those will occur over the year), and more. Our leadership sees an opportunity to raise a bit more in the coming year and decides to begin an endowment fund (the organization has never had one).

To raise an endowment, like grant writing, annual appeal letters, special events, or any other form of fundraising the campaign requires all of the usual preparation, support, knowledge, and even experience necessary to successfully raise and put that money into place for the organization. We put a committee into place at the SGHSCA, to learn about endowment campaigns, to research other area nonprofits who have them and talk to their staff responsible for raising them, to discuss what specific accounting is required with our organization's Certified Public Accountant, and to research whether St. Paul's community right now has enough interest in steins and our organization's mission's goal to raise an endowment (in addition to all of the other funds we plan to raise) in the new year and thereafter. This committee's initial work, as described, is a feasibility study that will (without having the organization go through fully implementing, funding, and then discovering after launching an actual endowment campaign) whether the board's feeling that the nonprofit could raise an endowment fund is really and actually not just possible (within the nonprofit's community where it fundraises) but too, whether the campaign is likely to be successful (and what successful means for this organization's campaign's first year should be predetermined based on real, recent, quantifiable, financial, demographic, economic, etc. data from the community the funds will be raised from). The best way to not waste an organization's money is to invest some money in prudent research that results in verifiable recent data.

Let's say that our Endowment Campaign Committee spends six months in their discovery phase or feasibility study that yes, St. Paul's local community will likely support funding the SGHSCA's new endowment fund and in the coming year. Next, the Endowment Committee must move into a planning phase that will enable the nonprofit to launch the campaign and run it efficiently and effectively. The Committee needs to create the campaign's: description, plan, goal (which will include how much is to be raised, total), timeline, staffing (including scouting of, recruitment of, and retention of desirable reputable and experienced endowment fundraisers (volunteers) with recent local experience usually with other organizations that the SGHSCA will ask to come to volunteer on this campaign), benchmarks, budget, sustainability plan (to be able to fund/manage the endowment for the following years after it's set up), etc.

The Endowment Committee during all of its work is disseminating its findings and sources for those findings to the board and the executive director. It will make recommendations to the board, but it is the board that will determine all final decisions on what the actual game plan will be, and they will then put proposed plans to a vote and ultimately ratify them.

In actuality an endowment fundraising campaign winds up being a lot like a major donor campaign. Larger increment donors (such as the organization's major donors but too, grant donors, corporate donors, etc.) will be solicited for large increments. As in any fundraising, they should be viewed as investors in the organization's mission and its potential to carry out its mission's goal. The donor should be seen as a partner in the organization's future and its potential for success. They should be informed as to the campaign's progress, what the ultimate result is of the campaign, and thanked (probably several times).

Earlier, I referenced Greenfield's definition of an endowment which included the sentence, "Endowment funds are invested and generate income to to support the charity's mission." No nonprofit need to envision hiring a hedge funds manager (unless the board decides it would like to). The finance committee is ultimately responsible for the endowment's placement and diversification in investment. An endowment can generate income simply sitting in a savings account in the nonprofit's bank. Whether that is the most effective way for the organization to make the most investment capital off its endowment fund, in a given year, is probably worth some serious (and perhaps even) professional consultation (with a nonprofit's Certified Public Accountant, an Endowment Fund investment adviser, or other reputable investment adviser familiar with nonprofit's unique specific needs and how endowment funds best earn money in the current economy and set of laws and best practices).

Too, Greenfield states in his definition, "Endowments establish quality and permanence for the charity. The income can be used to offset funding shortfalls caused by unforeseen economic events." What this means is three things. Endowment funds, by nature, are not often touched by the nonprofit. They are seen as assets. Usually an endowment is a large single amount of money (i.e. $50,000 or $1 million). By virtue of a nonprofit having that asset it has not just created a 'rainy day fund' or 'nest egg' for emergencies but it has provided the organization with a major asset which always raises a potential donor's confidence in the organization (including grant donors and major donors) because the organization has ensured that it will be around tomorrow. The endowment is earning income capital for the nonprofit. It also demonstrates how well the organization is managed (or 'cared for' if you will) that the leadership has ensured the organization can make it through unforeseen (but expected) financial shortfalls. Having said this, endowments should not be viewed as checking accounts or as a fund that will be dipped into once a month or even once every few months. If an organization is doing this - they need to decrease their spending and increase how much they are raising, overall, immediately. An endowment is truly meant to be a long term investment that is also available, if need be, on rare and few occasions (in order to ensure it is there over the organization's life and future, and to ensure, too, that it is earning investment money for the organization).

Finally, I end what I quote of Greenfield's definition of an endowment with, "Endowments can be board-designated funds set aside for future financial needs." Endowments are board created, overseen, and utilized. What this means is that an endowment is the organization's and it's there for the goals of the mission. As such, the organizaiton's (or even mission's) overseers manage it and the overseer of any nonprofit is its board. In other words, while the executive director usually manages and oversees day to day spending and banking, via the organization's checking and savings accounts (if it has them), an endowment is not meant to be withdrawn from much if at all. It can be deposited to regularly (as according to the laws and best practices that deal with endowments). Endowments are not checking accounts but rather investments and as such come under the purview of the organization's own oversight, the board.

Endowments stabilize, empower, and improve the organization, and they also strengthen the nonprofit's reputation and even how investment worthy a nonprofit is to its potential (and current) larger increment donors.

Grants for Schools Encouraging Emotional Development To Enable Children To Become Real World Problem Solvers (All Countries and Nations)

2012-01-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: March 30, 2012

Ashoka Changemakers Invites Global Entries for Activating Empathy: Transforming Schools to Teach What Matters

Ashoka Changemakers has announced the launch of Activating Empathy: Transforming Schools to Teach What Matters, a global competition seeking solutions that help young people learn and practice empathy in school so they are equipped to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

The collaborative competition is designed to identify ideas, programs, and learning models from around the world that encourage social and emotional development; unlock new ways of viewing problems; address bullying or aggression in ways that advance understanding of others' perspectives; promote community diversity and a respect for differences; and champion children as real-world problem solvers rather than simply bystanders.

The competition is open to all individuals, organizations, and collaborations from all countries. Entries are sought from teachers, principals, parents, students, and other innovators with a project, a program, or a new learning experience that can advance empathy in education.

The competition will consider all entries that reflect the theme of the competition; identify solutions that enable children to be effective citizens, leaders, and change makers by equipping them with the skills to understand the perspectives of others; indicate growth beyond the conceptual stage; and can demonstrate impact and sustainability. While the program supports new ideas at every stage, the judges are better able to evaluate programs that are beyond the conceptual stage and have demonstrated proof of impact.

Entrants will be given the opportunity to connect to a supportive global online community, gain visibility and recognition as a new best practice in education, and gain funding for their initiative through cash and in-kind prizes.

Visit the Changemakers Web site for complete competition information, entry guidelines, and program updates.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Three Contemporary Articles Discussing Findings Proving the Widening U.S. Class Disparity

2012-01-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

"Poll Finds Class Tension On Steep Rise, Especially Among Young Adults" by Ruth McCambridge

"The Rise and Consequences of Inequality in the United States" by Alan B. Krueger Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers January 12, 2012

As the introduction to his paper explains:
"...The topic I will address today is inequality. As you may know, I am a labor economist. Labor economics is the study of work and pay It occurred to me that the field of labor economics can also be described as an attempt to understand inequalities related tot he job market.

"...My theme in this talk is that the rise in inequality in the United States over the last three decades has reached the point that inequality in incomes is causing an unhealthy division in opportunities, and is a threat to our economic growth."

"Report Finds King's "Dream" Looks Bleak Unless New Alliances Converge" by Ruth McCambridge

Specific to the nonprofit sector - this article discusses a recent study's findings indicating what the nonprofit sector could do to more closely approximate the goals of Dr. King's Dream.

Added January 25, 2012:

Prominent Conservatives Join Liberals in Expressing Income Gap Concerns

George Soros On the Coming U.S. Class War

Grants for U.S. Public Schools in Farming Communities for Science and/or Math Education (in 39 states)

2012-01-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information about this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: April 15, 2012

Monsanto Fund Invites Farmers to Nominate School Districts for America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Grant Program

Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, has announced the launch of its America's Farmers Grow Rural Education program.

The grant program will provide grants in over twelve hundred counties across thirty-nine states to help strengthen local communities and education systems, especially in the areas of science and/or math. Grants will be awarded based on merit, need, and community support.

The program invites farmers to nominate a public school district in their community to compete for a grant. Administrators from nominated school districts can then submit an application for either a $10,000 or $25,000 grant to support a science and/or math education program.

School districts that apply for a $10,000 grant will compete against other school districts located in a USDA-appointed Crop Reporting District (CRD); CRDs with fewer than five eligible school districts will compete against each other for a single grant. A school district that applies for a $25,000 grant will compete against schools located in its state or designated region. The Monsanto Fund will award a hundred and ninety-nine grants through the program in 2012: a hundred and seventy-seven $10,000 grants and twenty-two grants of $25,000. Overall, the fund will donate more than $2.3 million to school districts through the program.

To be eligible to submit a nomination, farmers must be at least 21 years old and actively engaged in farming a minimum of two hundred and fifty acres of corn, soybeans, and/or cotton, and/or forty acres of open field vegetables, or at least ten acres of vegetables grown in protected culture; and must reside in eligible counties where a minimum of thirty thousand acres of corn and/or soybeans and/or cotton and/or vegetables are planted each year.

Visit the America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Web site for the complete list of eligible states and regions, program guidelines, and nomination procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Looking To Implement New Fundraising Methods? Has Your Nonprofit Considered These?

2012-01-08T06:41:00.000-08:00

What Are Matching Grants? I'll Explain...

What Are Leadership Donations?

All About Sponsors and Sponsorships as Donors and A Fundraising Method

Bring In Donations From Many Different Kinds of Sources

About Bequests and Its Unique Fundraising, What They Are & How A Nonprofit Can Begin A Bequests Campaign

Getting Major Donors To Contribute Large Regular Donations Can Stabilize Cash Flow

Fund Offering Support Efforts Building Nuclear Weapons-Free World

2012-01-08T06:15:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[As always, if you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link To Complete RFP" at the end of this post for more information].

Deadline: March 15, 2012

Ploughshares Fund Offers Support for Efforts to Build Nuclear Weapons-Free World

The Ploughshares Fund, one of the largest foundations in the world focused exclusively on nuclear policy, supports organizations and individuals working to build a safe, secure, nuclear weapons-free world.

The fund seeks to support the most promising efforts to realize the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons, including projects that:

Promote the elimination of nuclear weapons. Funded projects will work to build consensus among world leaders to create a global norm against nuclear weapons, increase the momentum toward zero, and take concrete steps to limit and reduce current arsenals.

Prevent the emergence of new nuclear states. Projects in this category must be focused on Iran and North Korea, the two most significant threats to global nonproliferation. The fund seeks to support efforts to promote effective diplomacy and engagement grounded in well-informed and strategic analysis. The fund is investing significant resources over the next year on a special Iran campaign that will promote non-military solutions.

Build regional peace and security. Funding will be provided to support fact-finding missions, on-the-ground analysis, high-level dialogue, confidence-building measures, policy advocacy, and media outreach to advance the transformation of conflicts in South and Southwest Asia.

The fund also amplifies and coordinates the work of its grantees to develop winning strategies that advance the vision of a nuclear-weapons free world; bring together experts, analysts, lobbyists, and activists to create and win shared campaigns; build a bipartisan legislative consensus for eliminating nuclear weapons; and expand the public's knowledge and catalyze public support for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

The fund places very few restrictions or geographical limitations on its grantmaking. The fund provides support for direct lobbying programs and makes grants to individuals.

The fund does not support the production of films, videos, books, or the research and writing of academic dissertations.

The fund's board of directors meets three times a year to award grants. Fund staff may also consider requests for emergency funding on a discretionary basis.

The next deadline for proposals is March 15, 2012.

Visit the Ploughshares Fund Web site for complete information on funding priorities, application guidelines, and a database of previously awarded grants.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Grants for Community Public Lands Organizations

2011-12-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[As always, if you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this blog post, for more information].

Deadline: January 13, 2012

National Environmental Education Foundation Offers Funding for Volunteer Groups Serving Public Lands

The National Environmental Education Foundation, with funding from Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. offers Every Day Grants to support nonprofit organization volunteers working to improve and encourage responsible use of public land sites in the United States.These organizations are sometimes known as "friends group."

To be eligible, applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or have an eligible fiscal agent; have been in existence for at least two years; be a community-based organization whose mission is focused on serving a public land site in the United States and the improvement and responsible use of that site (this includes groups that serve more than one site, such as a regional group of parks); and have an established collaborative relationship with a local public land site (including federal, state, regional, county, city, and other local public land areas) for at least one year.

Successful applicants will describe a needed,well-planned, realistic, and replicable project; demonstrate that the project will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the organization; and demonstrate that the project will strengthen the organization's ability to serve the public land site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

The Southern Oregon Historical Society Has Raised Some Eyebrows... What Could They Have Done Differently?

2011-12-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

Nonprofits sometimes offer us interesting news, like, Indian Artifacts A Tough Sell for SOHS published December 4, 2011 by the Southern Oregon region's Mail Tribune and written by Damian Mann which details another example of a nonprofit's leadership making a decision to raise money through a method that has others in the museum's community at large, concerned.

According to the article,on November 28, the Medford, Oregon based Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS) auctioned off in San Francisco, a block of items comprised of Lakota Sioux artifacts. The items were donated to the museum in 1957 by a Grants Pass, Oregon resident, Benjamin Bones, according to the paper. As these are historical artifacts (one item, a Cheyenne war shirt, perhaps one of the oldest still in existence) and as the body that auctioned the item off is a museum, there are concerns, for example, as noted in in the paper, by the Cultural Resource Manager, of the Sioux nation.

Bear with me, here, in getting down the museum's point of view of the situation (as it has been quoted and reported in the above newspaper article). It is germane to our discussion of this situation.

To quote the newspaper, "The estimated value of the collection, which the historical society hopes will sell as one unit, is from $300,000 to $500,000.
"SOHS and other museums throughout the world undertake a lengthy process before selling or donating items that aren't appropriate to their mission but take up space and resources to manage.

"SOHS rarely de-accessioned artifacts from its collection until two years ago, when financial pressures increased and the society began weeding out items that don't have any connection with the history of Southern Oregon. Since May 2009, artifact sales have totaled $155,176." and, "Pat Harper, SOHS interim director, said a report was commissioned in August to make sure that the sale of the shirt wouldn't violate the Native American Grave Repatriation Act.

""Items such as shirts are not covered by cultural patrimony," she said. "We wanted to be absolutely certain that we weren't defying the law."

"She said attempts to sell the artifacts to a nonprofit have met without success over the past two years.

"Harper said the historical society couldn't provide the proper preservation techniques for the shirt, which also doesn't fit with the mission of preserving artifacts related to Oregon, and particularly Southern Oregon.

She said part of the historical society's mission is to generate sufficient money to preserve the artifacts that relate to this region." and "Tina Reuwsaat, associate curator of collections for the historical society, said an attempt was made to contact Cheyenne and Sioux tribal members through American Indians at Southern Oregon University.

""We never got any responses," she said.

"Reuwsaat said the attempts to contact the Cheyenne and Sioux were more related to discovering additional information about the shirt's provenance rather than to sell it.

"If money were no object, it would be a different story," she said. "We wish we could have given it away. But that wouldn't be responsible to our mission."" and ""It's sad what's happening," said Steve Vance, tribal historic preservation officer with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. "If I could stop it, I would."" and "Vance, who learned of the shirt only recently, said other institutions such as the Smithsonian have obtained American Indian artifacts over the years, and tribal officials have sought their return without success."

Interestingly, this is not the first time that this particular museum has come under fire for looking to its historic holdings to raise its funds. In the New York Times February 13, 2010 article, Southern Oregon Historical Society looks to the Past for a Future by William Yardley the Southern Oregon Historical Society "which controls five of the most prominent historic properties in [sic Jacksonville, Oregon] a town that is itself a historic district, has proposed selling some of the sites as a way to prevent the organization’s own economic collapse". To further quote the Times piece, "Against the growing resistance, Allison Weiss, the executive director of the historical society, said the society has had to rethink some of its plans. But she expressed little patience for complaints about them.
“What are people’s priorities?” Ms. Weiss said. “They’re carrying on that this would be a catastrophe, yet nobody’s coming forward to fund these projects.”" and "Ms. Weiss, who joined the historical society last summer, said she did not view selling the properties as a betrayal of the society’s mission. She said the society’s priority should be its collection, not preserving buildings or staging historic re-enactments in them, as has sometimes been done. Besides, she said, there is no money to do so.
"“I’m so not of that old school,” Ms. Weiss said. “What is the value of it if it’s just sitting there and no one can go into it?”"

Nonprofits and foundations, alike, provide us grant writers with excellent information that helps us develop better (and more time saving and cost effective) grant proposals, through their annual tax filings, which are public record. For our discussion, the museum (and its fundraising arm, the museum's foundation) may be assessed by what it says about itself in its own tax filings with the federal government. The most recent year we have to look at is for fiscal activity occurring during 2009. Again, please bear with me and read over the following.

Looking at the museum's Foundation's federal tax filing (the IRS form 990) for 2010, on Guidestar, it appears to have paid out a little over $66,000 in grants. Remember, what they reported on (in the 2010 filing) is 2009 finances. The grants as listed on the return, were paid to the museum. According to the document, a little over $55,000 in assets ("publicly traded securities") were sold to generate a majority of the grants' funds.

If we look, next, at the museum's federal tax filing (also, the IRS form 990) for 2010 on Guidestar, (keeping in mind that the 2010 filing reports on 2009's finances) its operating budget was a little over $500,000. The value of the museum's real estate "investments" decreased. SOHS raised a little over $50,000 in dues, a little over $200,000 in government grants, programs raised a little over $190,000, and all else raised was a bit over $120,000. "Fundraising Activities" were reported as: Mail solicitations, Solicitation of non-government grants, Phone solicitations, In-person solicitations, and Special fundraising events (and of the fundraising events, they reported a net earning of a little over $47,000). The museum was reportedly over 99% publicly supported (the remaining 1% being investment income).

On the same SOHS 2010 tax form (reporting on 2009), interestingly:

__ In 2009 ten historical items were donated to the museum. These were valued at $71,344 and it is telling that "the Method of Determining Revenues" is listed as "Actual Sales".

__ On the tax form's Schedule L, "Transactions With Interested Persons", a loan, noted as "Operating Funds", in the amount of $600,000 was lent to one of the then two Directors.

__ With regard to operations, on Schedule O "Supplemental Information" and under "Ceased Conducting or Significant Changes to Services" they state, "As a cost-saving measure, some of the facilities were closed to the public for a portion of the year.

__ Under "Significant Changes to Organizational Documents" they stated, "Revised bylaws were adopted...". Under "Footnote for Art, Treasures, Etc." - they state, "Historical artifact collection primarily donated and not valued so not included on balance sheet. Excess artifacts or artifacts not relating to organization's primary purpose have been sold and are reflected as a revenue item."

__ and under "Description of Organization's Collections And How Furthers Exempt Purpose" - the SOHS says, "Artifact collection is maintained as primary purpose of organization. Historical items of local significance are preserved, available for research and publicly displayed."

We will use the above information to inform the following discussion about Southern Oregon Historical Society's fundraising, operations decisions, public relations, and more.

Let's use this news story as a subject of analysis:

As stated in this blog repeatedly, a nonprofit operates most effectively and successfully (in all of its operations - from programs to fundraising) when its leadership makes decisions based on the mission statement (including current organizational goals (which should also come partly from the mission and partly by the nonprofit's constituents' current but as yet unmet needs). The organization is defined by its mission statement. It reports it to the governments that oversee it, and it defines itself (in part) in the public through it. Leadership, then, must look to the organization's mission in all of its major organizational operations decisions. If leaders do not - they are perhaps experiencing mission drift; or not familiar with contemporary, professional, nonprofit best practices, or worse. Best practices are those because they have worked effectively, efficiently, and successfully for so many nonprofits, across the U.S., of different causes, sizes, and regions. They also ensure a nonprofit's reputation is not potentially diminished (or worse).

For any nonprofit to operate, it must pay its bills. In order for an organization to do that, it must fundraise all year long, every week of every month, and it helps if the organization diversifies and increases the number of the kinds of fundraising methods that it uses to do so. Diversification of fundraising methods insures that money is coming in, the donors (and potential new donors) are being engaged in different ways that they may, as individuals enjoy, when another fundraiser isn't appealing to them (i.e. monthly donation remittance envelopes included in newsletters, for example may be easier and more convenient to some; while others may look forward and enjoy attending an organization's annual golf tournament). If cash is not coming into a nonprofit regularly and in large enough amounts to cover an organization's operating expenses, then it must increase donations coming in, lessen its expenses, and strategize to make monthly income consistent with the organization's projected needs.

If I were to consult with the SOHS, after discovering the previously listed information about the organization, above, I would share the following concerns and suggestions:

__ The 2010 New York news piece about the potential sale of historic buildings is an example of the organization looking to is collection holdings for something to sell to raise funds. In 2009, according to the museum's own tax return, it sold over $70,000 in artifacts it received as a donation, and the current news story about the November 2011 San Francisco auction where an auction block of Sioux artifacts clearly demonstrates this nonprofit needs to review its organizational operating budget, perhaps work with a consultant or perhaps send its board members and executive director to professional nonprofit affiliations providing trainings - but they need to learn about what nonprofit fundraising is, what works today, how it is properly done (in a way that does not potentially harm the organization's reputation, let alone its potential to develop and retain community support such as donors, volunteers, and community partners); and then SOHS needs to create a development or fundraising plan based on what was learned, the board must ratify it, and the organization needs to implement it.

__ The manner in which the then executive director reacted to community concern for the potential 2009 sale of the SOHS' historic buildings in Jacksonville, as reported in the NY Times piece, is a missed opportunity. The organization could have cultivated community concern for the museum's own historic holdings and used it as a powerful method to raise donations, volunteers, and goodwill. If a nonprofit tries to operate, within its community, outside of the concerns and interests of the public - it is seriously jeopardizing its public image and perhaps doing even worse harm than that. The nonprofit that understands that without a strong relationship with its community, it stumbles, is the organization that succeeds. In the same vein, the current interim director is quoted in the Mail Tribune article as stating that a report was commissioned in August to make sure that the sale of the shirt wouldn't violate the Native American Graves Repatriation Act, and that "We wanted to be absolutely certain that we weren't defying the law." Yet, not defying the law does not mean that a nonprofit has not crossed a professional ethics line, or a line with the public and its trust, or worse, harmed its credibility as a nonprofit. Still today, it seems, that the Southern Oregon Historical Society is missing an opportunity to: develop potential community partners (i.e. the Sioux nation and its cultural resources staff), to demonstrate its credibility (not trying to reach the Sioux nation by speaking to a small, Southern Oregon, college (Southern Oregon University) to determine if the Sioux (which are based in South Dakota) would be interested in buying the historic Sioux artifacts - but instead actually looking up the Sioux nation's website (just Google "Sicangu Lakota" and call the Tribe, itself)); to demonstrate its potential to exist today and tomorrow (successful fundraising shows potential donors that yes, the organization can maintain its costs and will be here tomorrow); a commitment to the organization's integrity by working within the organization to consistently raise enough funds in a way other than selling the very historical items that make a museum - its holdings - and by having a fundraising plan in place that also proactively states what to do if the organization finds itself needing more cash or in a down economy; and more.

__ The current interim director is reportedly paraphrased in the Mail Tribune piece, "Harper said part of the historical society's mission is to generate sufficient money to preserve the artifacts that relate to this region." Yet, on SOHS' website they state on their "Our Story" web page, "Our mission is to make history come alive by collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories and artifacts of our common heritage.. Nowhere in the mission statement of the museum does it say any such thing. Now, the mission of the museum's foundation may say something about generating funds for the museum but the museum's mission statement does not. You may think I am splitting hairs, but it comes down to this: how does any one nonprofit differ itself from another (think of all of the nonprofits that work on the same issue - yet do so working on different aspects of it (i.e. cancer research, cancer patient support, cancer treatment services, etc.)? Each nonprofit, even ones working on the same exact cause or issue (i.e. cancer) must provide a real, needed, but as yet unmet service, program...ultimately an outcome to the community. To make my point, here, even clearer: why would I (or you) donate any historic artifacts that my family has in its possession to the SOHS, right now? I would not feel confident that the museum knows how to raise the amount of money that it needs to operate, outside of selling its own artifacts at auction. It reportedly sells the very things that its own mission states are its reason for existing. The SOHS, according to its own mission, appears to right now operate against its very stated reason for existing. As a potential new donor, volunteer, or community partner, I might look at this organization's track record and ask what it is exactly that the organization's leadership uses to make operations decisions? The current interim director (according to the article) isn't even correct about the museum's mission.

__ Looking at how much was loaned, in 2009 to one of the directors, and looking, too, at how much the Sioux collection netted, potentially, at auction last month - it is interesting that the amounts are similar (i.e. $600,000 lent, and approximately between $300,000 - $500,000 raised at auction). Perhaps the SOHS should not have lent $600,000 in 2009? This is another example of why a nonprofit's leadership should look to its mission when considering any major organizational decision (such as 'whether we should lend large amounts of money or not). Lending money is nowhere in either the museum's or the foundation's mission. I know that in the real world it is legal to do so, and not unusual, but look at the ultimate outcome for the organization (today in 2011) when the leaders made a decision outside of the mission - it led to them apparently being down, in amounts needed to operate, about the very same amount that they loaned in 2009.

__ Every nonprofit's track record is its potential to succeed. Each time this organization has stated why it sells its historic holdings to raise money, it is interesting that the related comments (even as quoted from their 2010 tax return for 2009 finances) sounds like its in contrast with their mission. Why would a nonprofit that exists to show the public historic artifacts then turn to the very kernel of its reason for existing and use them as the means to continue funding the organization? Why even go anywhere near there? What a public relations, potential to raise funds, and credibility nightmare! It's already difficult enough to raise funds for any nonprofit. Why take an organization down a path that potentially (in any way at all) can cause people to question the organization? According to their 2010 IRS return, in 2009 they were holding special events, to raise funds, writing grant requests, soliciting in person and on the phone...why then, wouldn't the organization increase the number of special events it holds (i.e. host a new annual gala) , implement a bequests program, increase grant writing goals and successes, become a United Way Umbrella agency, become a part of the State Employee Giving program and other corporations' giving programs, implement a major donors program, etc.?

__ The current interim director, according to the article, sees the Sioux collection as not relevant to Southern Oregon. I am not sure that the Sioux artifacts are not pertinent to Southern Oregon (as stated in the SOHS' mission) because the man who contributed the historic collection lived in Southern Oregon, and according to the recent newspaper piece, the museum and the Sioux Nation, itself, are not sure of the collection's significance, provenance, or how the man who donated it to SOHS came to own it. So, then, how can the museum be so certain that the Sioux artifacts are not pertinent to the museum's own region's history (which is, according to the mission, what the museum exists to provide the public with)? Too, not being able to provide a historic item with the necessary preservation methods required to keep it is not in direct contrast to the mission and in fact, could be a project that the Sioux Tribe might have collaborated with SOHS to do. As I repeatedly state in this blog, grant donors, in particular (and especially in this economy) prefer to fund projects and programs in which two or more separate nonprofits collaborate.

I know that the SOHS has not broken the law, that their lending money, that selling holdings that they do not see as relevant to their mission is a common practice by museums, that sometimes decisions need to be made that the leadership would rather not do, and so on. My point in writing this post is not to criticize the SOHS, here, but rather to use their record as an example to my readers for educational purposes. While none of these practices that they have done are illegal, or contrary to common practices in their professional field, and so on - it cannot be disputed that they have also developed, at least in the press over the past few years, concerns among the organization's own community and beyond. This is enough for any organization to stop, take a look at itself, and seriously assess what they have been doing that led to the tough public record, and where the organization can improve and go.

Grants for Public Schools' Music Programs and Independent Music Programs

2011-12-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[As always, if you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post, for more information].

Deadline: February 17, 2012

Muzak Heart and Soul Foundation Invites Applications From Music Education Programs for Music Matters Grant Program

The Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation, a nonprofit public charity established by Muzak LLC, is accepting applications for its Music Matters Grant Program, which provides grants to public school and independent music programs in the United States.

Highest consideration is given to those programs in need of basic materials such as instruments and sheet music, programs serving economically disadvantaged students, programs involving innovative educational reform, and programs with established partnerships with parent-teacher-student associations and other community groups.

Music education — vocal or instrumental — must be the key component of any music program requesting funds. Applications will be accepted from public school programs (qualifying for Title I federal funding and serving a minimum of 50 percent low-income students) and nonprofit 501(c)(3) programs directly funding music education (serving students regardless of their ability to pay).

Applicant schools and programs must already employ at least one music educator and have an existing music program in place. Grant requests must articulate specific needs for existing and/or planned programs.

Grants will be made in amounts of up to $6,000.

Complete grant guidelines, the application form, and an FAQ are available at the foundation Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Making the Case to the Team, Board, or Executive Director

2011-12-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, you believe in implementing something new to the nonprofit: a fundraising campaign, a thank the donor event, a money saving method, a volunteer and community partners raising campaign, but someone on the team, or a board member or two, or maybe the executive director does not get it. In this moment, do not despair. Like you, I have been there before, as has most anyone passionate about an organization and its welfare. Volunteer, staff member, and even consultant alike have walked this path.

Having said that you are not alone, there is more hope, yet, still!

There are many ways to make a compelling case to get all key players on board with implementing a new concept or program. Below I list several that I have used and have worked to bring new ideas and projects to light among colleagues in nonprofits I've worked for, as staff, as a volunteer, and also as a consultant.

As I so often do in this blog, I must temper what I am saying here with a healthy dose of reality.

First of all, not every idea that I've come up with and been passionate about (even the "really really good ones") was right for the organization, the best timing, the most supportive of the current organizational or department (i.e. programs or fundraising) goals, etc. Just like there can exist good reasons to implement new steps, there may be very good reason not do something at all or not to do it right then, or to not do it the way that it was initially envisioned to happen, etc. So, I implore you, as you proceed in attempting to get your new project underway - keep an open mind and listen to others in the know, at the nonprofit, as they react or comment to your proposed scheme. It may be really good and powerful for the future of the organization and it may not be.

Next, I know and you know that there are many interpersonal snafus, let's call them, that come up (no matter whether in a nonprofit or for profit) when anything new or different is being proposed. There may be career goals stepped on, interpersonal politics heated, personalities brought more to the fore, communication issues enlarged, or any other unpleasantness that most of us avoid (if we'll admit it) and many of us dislike. There are ways to, before one proposes anything, to acknowledge these kinds of conflicts may occur, use them as opportunities for everyone to be heard and to truly work through them for the sake of the organization and to improve operations and thereby lessen operations' costs. I suggest that if conflict or even just a ruffling of feathers is a serious possibility from your proposed new step, admit that and deal with it head on, proactively, before the project gets proposed by arming yourself with proactive, proven, and equalizing communications and processes and actually use these tools, skills, and processes. There are many excellent books, consultants, and classes that can impart effective conflict management and alleviation processes. Check out some that are highly regarded and recommended by trusted colleagues at other nonprofits, professional affiliations, professional publications, etc.

"It isn't easy being green." - Kermit the frog Lastly, if you are clear about the organization's beneficiaries' current (demonstrable) but as yet unmet needs (that are pertinent to your organization's mission statement, the organization's current state of operations, its budget, and the current direction of the organization's professional field including its ethics and best practices); and you feel strongly that your proposed project is in line with each of these - then stick to your concept, and hang in there. I don't mean to sound glib. Like I said, above, I've walked this path and am familiar with meetings where I was sure everyone that I heard speak got the concept I proposed, only to find out the next morning via a rash of heated e-mails thrown around, after that meeting, that nope...no one really got the concept. In one way - it was frustrating and it set us back, time-wise. In another way - it was an opportunity and I had to see that I had obviously not explained the concept clearly. I needed to do that (and in a different way than I had, before). If it's really something that can be proven to enable and improve all involved, don't give up.

Having tempered the idea of moving a new concept through a nonprofit organization, above, these are some tried and proven ways to get others to see why your proposed new concept should be implemented:

__ Meet and during the meeting(s) present and provide verifiable, factual, thorough, and compelling reasons why what you are proposing: empowers the mission statement, enables the organization's current programmatic goals, is cost effective (or better yet, cost reducing), meets real current but as yet unmet needs in the community, and why it's a unique opportunity that is uniquely suited to your nonprofit, specifically. Do not make any assumptions like, 'obviously this is a good idea - who wouldn't see that', or 'they're all going to hate it, I'm not even going to propose the idea'. Give your idea and you a chance, but also, do not assume that a case does not need to be made. Making a case, at a minimum, demonstrates respect for ones superiors and colleagues and helps them to make the right choice (whatever that is) and in the best case, actually helps bring it to fruition. This process winds up being informative to the grant proposals that may go out to request funding for this new project, should it get a 'thumbs up'.

__ Admit what the limitations, difficulties, challenges, and all other possible negatives are to your idea and then (next to each one in a presentation slide, even) list what the (really viable, cost effective, efficient, and ethical) solution is to each foreseeable possible problem with the idea. Every new idea has something wrong with it. So, proactively admit and address each one. This step, too, will be included in a grant proposal, eventually.

__ Suggest how the proposed project would actually work. List and cost out a realistic project description, staffing plan (including volunteers as much as possible but be real if new talent needs to be acquired for this to be successful), a budget, project goal, a timeline (including benchmarks like planning, implementation, cost benefit achieved, anticipated outcomes, etc.), and what the anticipated outcomes might or will be. Guess what? All of this, too, is crucial to any well written grant application and will go into it, too.

__ Do your research. If your idea is a good one, the need for someone to do it and or its intended outcome is relevant. Go to your public library's Reference Desk, to a pertinent government office's website or office, academic or professional journal, or to any other verifiable, reputable, professionally regarded source and use the most recent data sets describing the nonprofit's beneficiaries and their current but as yet unmet needs (and it should be recent data sets in order to make a case that the proposed is pertinent right now) or data that describes the organization's beneficiaries such as demographics and use these to make the case on the data sets' trends or studies' findings. This is an integral part of any excellent grant proposal, too.

__ Clearly point out which current and potential new donors have a high, moderate, and low likelihood of contributing to the proposed project and show why you state that about each group of donors or individual donors (i.e. such as specific grant donors that have current giving goals aligned to the outcomes of the proposed project, etc.). Too, list which current or potential new community partners would be interested in working with your organization to bring the proposed to fruition. Yup, this, too, would go into a well written grant proposal.

__ If this is a project or program that could be successfully replicated by other nonprofits elsewhere, then it may be a model program, and if it is - say so in your presentation explaining why it may be a model program. If this is the case, this information must go into a grant proposal. Donors, but especially grant donors are often very interested in funding new projects that are demonstrably possible model projects for other organizations to replicate and find success with.

__ Finally, some excellent advice that I received, once, as I was learning about nonprofit operations was 'it never hurts to make your superiors look good'. This is nothing that would necessarily be inserted into the case stated in a grant proposal, but it sure helps to make for a wise presenter.

Making a case for a new idea is not easy but it is not impossible, and it turns out that much of what is compelling that makes a case to colleagues tends to be equally compelling to all kinds of different potential donors, including grant donors. If you are about to embark on making a case, I wish you the best.

Year Long Fellowship for Emerging Independent Film Producers

2011-12-04T15:44:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in this opportunity, for more information, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: February 10, 2012

Sundance Institute Invites Applications From Emerging Independent Film Producers for Creative Producing Fellowship and Lab

An annual program of the Sundance Institute, the Sundance Creative Producing Fellowship is a year-long program designed to nurture emerging independent film producers with project-specific support through labs, grants, and long-term advisor relationships.

The fellowship program is designed for the holistic producer — that is, someone who identifies, options, develops, and pitches material; champions and challenges the writer/director creatively; raises financing; leads the casting/packaging process; hires and inspires crew; and navigates the sales, distribution, and marketing arenas. The program is designed to hone emerging producers' creative instincts and further develop their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of realizing a project.

Five producers will be selected for the one-year fellowship (July 2, 2012, to June 29, 2013), which will include participation in a feature film creative producing lab and creative producing summit, as well as attendance at the Sundance Film Festival (including screenings, curated meetings, and networking opportunities). Fellows also will receive a $5,000 living stipend, a $5,000 pre-production grant, year-round mentoring from two industry advisers, and year-round support from Sundance Institute staff.

To be eligible, candidates must have produced at least one short or feature-length narrative or documentary film (no more than two narrative features total); must have a completed, legally-optioned, scripted narrative project in hand with a director attached to the project; may not be the writer or director of the submitted project; and must live in the United States, though the project may be filmed internationally.

Visit the Sundance Web site for complete program guidelines, the application, and an FAQ.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Tips to Improve and Lessen the Costs of Nonprofit Operations

2011-11-27T10:32:00.000-08:00

What Is A Well Run Nonprofit Agency? I'll Tell You...

How To Find General Operating Funds

Nonprofit's Mission Statement, Program/Project Impact, and Your Field's Current Trends

Creating Model Programs and Their Effect On Getting Grants

Evaluation Methods - How Can A Nonprofit Use Them To Raise More Money More Often

Be Strategic, Yes 'Strategic', When You Write the Grant Proposal

Take That Nonprofit's Grant Writing to the Next Level

Grant Writers, Commissions, Best Practice, and the "Why?"Of It All...

How To Increase the Number of New Donors

Getting Major Donors to Contribute Large Regular Donations Can Stabilize Cash Flow

Burn Out and Its Effect On Your Fundraising...

Who's the Boss At Your Nonprofit? Not the E.D. Not the Board. It's the Mission Statement!

Grants for Independent Family Livestock and Poultry Farmers Working to Improve the Animals' Quality of Life

2011-11-27T10:12:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link To Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: April 1, 2012

Food Animal Concerns Trust Launches Grant Program to Help Farmers Improve Conditions for Livestock

The Food Animal Concerns Trust has announced the launch of the Healthy & Humane Farm Funds Project, a competitive micro-grants initiative designed to empower livestock and poultry farmers across the United States to improve the treatment of farm animals.

Through this project, FACT will provide small grants to qualifying livestock and poultry farmers who wish to improve animal welfare on their farms. The organization will award grants of $500 to $1,500 for projects designed to help farmers 1) transition to pasture-based systems, 2) improve the marketing of their humane products, or 3) more generally enrich the conditions in which the farm animals are raised.

FACT is accepting applications for the first round of Healthy & Humane Farm Funds Project grants that will be awarded in June 2012.

To be eligible, farms must raise at least one of the following animal species: pigs, broiler chickens, laying hens, dairy cows, and/or beef cattle. Proposed on-farm animal welfare improvement projects must impact at least one of these species. Grants will be made only to farmers for a project on a working, independent family farm.

Complete program information, application procedures, and examples of eligible projects are available at the Humane Farm Funds Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

How To Increase Fundraising & Spend Less In the Coming New Year

2011-11-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

How To Plan Out This Year's Grant Seeking

Want To Spend Less On Your Nonprofit's Fundraising? Here's How...

Grant Writing And the End of the Year

What A Nonprofit's Annual Report Is, Why It Is Powerful In Fundraising, & How To Create One

June Is Half Way Through The Year - Take Stock, Nonprofits

Grants for Community-Based Wetland, Riparian, and Coastal Habitat Restoration

2011-11-20T12:19:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post.]

Deadline: February 15, 2012

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Invites Applications for Five Star Restoration Grant Program

The Five Star Restoration Program provides modest financial assistance to support community-based wetland, riparian, and coastal habitat restoration projects that build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach, and training activities.

The National Association of Counties, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, (NFWF) and the Wildlife Habitat Council, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Southern Company, and FedEx, are accepting applications for Five Star.

To be eligible for funding, projects must include on-the-ground wetland, riparian, in stream, and/ or coastal habitat restoration; integrate meaningful environmental education into the restoration project either through community outreach, participation, and/or integration with K-12 environmental curriculum; and result in measurable ecological, educational, and community benefits.

In 2012, NFWF anticipates that the following funding will be made available by program partners:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water will provide approximately $200,000 in total funding for projects in the U.S., with a focus on communities not served by other funders.

Southern Company and its operating companies (Georgia Power, Alabama Power, Gulf Power, and Mississippi Power) will provide approximately $200,000 to support projects in the Southern Company service area (parts of Georgia, Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, and southeast Mississippi).
FedEx EarthSmart Outreach will provide approximately $375,000 in total funding to support urban conservation and restoration projects in the following fourteen metropolitan areas: Boston, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Dallas, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Newark, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, San Francisco/Oakland, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

The Five Star program is open to any public or private entity that can receive grants. While partnerships are encouraged to include state and federal agencies, those entities may not serve as the grantee unless the community partners demonstrate that the state or federal agency is best suited to coordinate the community-based project.

Grants will vary in size, duration, and scale. In general, smaller-scale one-year projects will be eligible for grants of $10,000 to $25,000. Larger-scale two-year projects will be eligible for grants of up to $40,000.

Only a very limited number of projects meeting the highest competitive criteria will be awarded in the $30,000 to $40,000 range. The average grant award is expected to be between $20,000 and $25,000.

A minimum 1:1 match of cash or in-kind/contributed goods and services to funds requested is expected.

Visit the NFWF Web site for the complete Request for Proposals and application procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

A Real World Example Demonstrating Why Nonprofits' Mission Statements Are More Important Than The Almighty Dollar

2011-11-13T10:08:00.000-08:00

I write, in this blog, about professional nonprofit best practices a lot. Best practices are not anything written in stone or some pact that was galvanized by every professional nonprofit volunteer or employee swearing allegiance; but rather, best practices are simply either adhered to and practiced regularly - or not. Usually whether best practices are conducted depends on what experience the nonprofit volunteer or employee has and what they know about how things are done and why they're done that way.

So, for this reason, I find great value in noting and following real world current events to both track what the community (at large) thinks or how it reacts to the situation (many times no one writes to the Editor when a paper mentions a local nonprofit's bookkeeper bilked the organization out of money). On Thursday, though, I spotted a news item that I think is, at a minimum, informative and more than that, probably a good example of when and how a nonprofit can run into conflicts of interest when weighing the organization's very reason for existing and operating (its mission statement) against a donor's wishes.

On November 9, 2011 The New York Times published Parks Chief Blocked Plan For Grand Canyon Bottle Ban written by Felicity Barringer and it was carried, at least nationally, by news wire services. Though you may not, I happen to value this nation's amazing and unmatched great outdoors. My point in writing about this story, though, is not about the environmental issue (of which I am going to write my federal representatives about). This story is interesting because last year, as the article states, " Weary of plastic litter, Grand Canyon National Park officials were in the final stages of imposing a ban on the sale of disposable water bottles in the Grand Canyon..." but the top federal parks official, Jon Jarvis decided against the ban because a major donor did not like it. To quote The Times piece,"...Coca-Cola, which distributes water under the Dasani brand and has donated more than $13 million to the parks, had registered its concerns about the bottle ban through the foundation, and...the project was being tabled. His account was confirmed by park, foundation and company officials..."

If we look at Jarvis' decision objectively, we need to refer to the National Park Service's mission statement (as stated on their website),"...to promote and regulate the use of the...national parks...which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.". Jarvis seems to have made a decision about Parks operations outside the scope of the National Park Service's mission statement. This is not unheard of, by any means. Sometimes nonprofit leadership makes decisions that are motivated by reasons outside of the organization's mission statement without any controversy.

The controversy, in Jarvis' decision, is that he did what one of the National Park Service's donors wanted which is in sharp contrast to the agency's own mission: it's reason for existing. In fact, Jarvis was willing to ignore a good majority of the Park Service's purpose as stated it is clearly stated in the mission statement. This is not my opinion, but rather, his action is in direct contrast to the purpose of the Park Service and this is discernible by the actual facts.

Even still, perhaps you are saying to me, "well...we are in a recession and the Park Service could use all of the donors and donations it can retain". This is true and this is not a small point. Coke and its subsidiaries are probably very generous partners with the Park Service as a donor. Jarvis may (I could not find any comment from him on this point) have decided to do what Coke wished irregardless of the Park Service's mission purpose because its own budget has been cut by Congress. In fact, this may be the very crux of the situation. These are tough times. Yet, always, even in poor economic times, a nonprofit's leadership must decide what the organization stands for, what it will tolerate (with regard to the organization's own best interest and future ability to do its work) and what it can not abide. Jarvis decided in this down economy to do what one of his big donors wanted. So, perhaps now you are saying to me, "well...doesn't this kind of thing happen all of the time when a major donor helps a nonprofit build a new building, for instance, and wants naming rights for one of the new building's wings?". This is also true. Yes, this occurs. Usually, though, naming rights is an actual fundraising method used to help raise the funds for the new building (before the building is built and years in advance, while the fundraising for the new building to be is being planned out).

If we look at this situation considering nonprofit operations, from a purely professional practical point of view, the Park Service's leadership's decision to do what one of its major donors wanted despite the clearly described purpose of the Service, stated in its own mission statement, which contrasts with the purpose; this is not a good decision and not within best practices. This can apply to any nonprofit in any similar situation and nonprofit leadership actually sometimes have to say to a donor (even a major donor), 'thank you but we have to return the check' (see my post, Is There Really A Grant That Our Organization May Not Take?). Here's why:

__ No organization operates without referring to its mission statement. Without the mission, the organization is a ship directionless in the night. There is no guiding principle or reason the organization operates or even exists. (This is why mission statements are of value). When an organization does strategic planning, considered what new programs or services to implement, or weighs what its beneficiaries need and can receive from the nonprofit - only the mission statement clearly defines the organization and so this definition clarifies for the organization's leadership what should and should not be considered worth doing. If a nonprofit, though, only refers to its mission statement in a cursory or even inconsistent manner then its leadership is likely not making decision based on the best interest of the organization's beneficiaries or the organization's own welfare (as stated, for instance, in the Sarbanes Oxley Act which all American nonprofit boards are required by law to uphold). The best interest of the organization and its beneficiaries, as the law describes it, come before the interests of others (including donors). How would the law know what the organization's best interest is? The nonprofit, in order to be an official charity, per the IRS, files its mission statement (and must update it with the IRS if and when the mission statement is updated or changed in any way). This is how clear the law is about the importance of the mission statement.

__ What should other donors or contributors of any kind (such as volunteers or community partners) think about the nonprofit that puts its beneficiaries second to the interests of one of the organization's major donors? Why would you or I give to the Park Service, right now, if we agree with the organization's mission statement and see the purpose of the Parks exactly the same as it is stated in the Park Service's own mission statement? We wouldn't right now and would, instead, divert that donation to another charity that will use the money in a manner that I am more comfortable - one in which I (a contributor) understands the organization is supposed to operate by looking at other potential recipient organizations' operations and weighing how consistent each other potential recipient organization's leadership make decisions or conduct operations with each organization's mission. Donors are truly investors who want to see their money result in real positive outcomes as the donor understands the organization's goals to be (one way donors or anyone among the general public, outside the organization, does this is by looking at an organization's mission and its recent track record).

__ How much money does anyone or any corporation have to give in order to have sway over what the nonprofit does or does not do and why is that amount worth that kind of power over the organization's welfare and its beneficiaries' welfare? Any nonprofit that is willing to do what a donor wants beyond the scope of the organization's mission, values, or purpose needs to seriously evaluate its own leadership and perhaps train those leaders in modern professional best practices, or even let them go. Making decisions that do not proactively induce the organization's purpose or goals may be (and often actually is) an indication that someone at the top is either unaware of what professional best practices are and why, or does not care and is a dangerous liability to the organization's public image and future potential to raise any kind of support. Is any donation worth this?

__ As of the date and time of my writing this post (10:30am PST 11/11/11) the Times states in its article that a law suit is now going to be brought forward, given Jarvis' decision. How much money is it going to cost the Park Service to fight this court case, regain the general public's trust (who are the beneficiaries of the Park Service), regain donors' confidences that the agency operates according to its mission rather than the wishes of major donors, and fix this image issue through marketing and public relations? A lot. How much money is the Park Service, then, spending to avoid its own purpose all because Coke gives so many thousands of dollars a year? I bet more than whatever it is Coke donates.

I use this situation as an example to demonstrate why professional nonprofit best practices are just that - best practices. They are not something someone somewhere comes up with and then beats over the head of others. They are practices that many different nonprofits (of all sizes and ages) try (in different regions of the U.S. and world) and happen to be what work. They are the most effective because they are repeatedly successful practices for any other nonprofit that adopts and conducts them. The proof is in the outcome. Let's watch what happens next in this current event.

December 15, 2011 Update: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/grand-canyon-plans-plastic-water-184217546.html

Grants and IBM Expertise for U.S. and International Cities' Governments' Offices and Districts (i.e. Port Authorities, School Districts, Etc.)

2011-11-13T07:16:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information on this grant opportunity, then click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this blog post].

Deadline: December 16, 2011

IBM Invites Cities Around the World to Apply for Second Year of Smarter Cities Challenge

IBM has opened the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge to new applications for 2012. Launched in 2010, the Smarter Cities Challenge is a competitive grant program that will award $50 million worth of IBM expertise over the next three years to a hundred cities around the globe.

The program provides select applicant cities with access to teams of IBM employees who are expert in a variety of urban-related matters (e.g., finance, public safety, citizen services). The teams will help the selected cities analyze the unique opportunities and challenges they face as municipalities in today's difficult economic climate. After conferring with officials, citizens, businesses, academics, and community leaders, the IBM teams will recommend actions to make the delivery of public services more efficient and innovative. Issues addressed might include jobs, health, public safety, transportation, social services, recreation, education, energy, and sustainability.

Each grant provides an equivalent value of approximately $400,000 in talent and technology.

Key factors for a successful grant application include strong municipal leadership, willingness to collaborate with many stakeholders, and the desire to make the city smarter and more efficient. Cities also will need to champion actionable and measurable efforts that have the potential to make a real impact on the lives of its citizens. Winning applicants will identify areas that are closely connected with a city's top priorities and involve a range of disciplines and departments.

Only general-purpose governing bodies may apply. Special districts (such as port authorities, school districts, or utility districts) are not eligible for the program at this time. In addition to uploading a completed application form, each applicant is required to submit a brief letter from the mayor (or equivalent executive officer of the municipal government) affirming the validity of the submission.

Applications will be accepted in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), and Japanese.

Visit the Smarter Cities Challenge Web site for complete program guidelines, case studies that describe IBM's recommendations to 2011 grant recipients, examples of successful applications, and the application form.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Grants for Communities Using Arts and Culture to Revitalize Their Community

2011-11-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information about this grant opportunity, then click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: February 1, 2012(Preliminary Applications)

Kresge Foundation Invites Preliminary Applications for Arts and Community Building and Artists' Skills and Resources Grant Opportunities

The Kresge Foundation's Arts and Culture Program seeks to foster the power of arts and culture to recharge and rebuild communities of all sizes in the United States.

As part of this effort, the program is accepting preliminary grant applications from nonprofit organizations for its Community Building and Artists' Skills and Resources focus areas.

The Arts and Community Building focus area is intended to help develop a systematic way to support arts and culture as a tool for revitalizing communities. To achieve this goal, the program will invest in exemplary efforts and identify and share best practices within the field. At the national level, the foundation wishes to fund exemplary organizations dedicated to integrating arts and community-building activities and identifying new methods as models for the field; commission and publish research on efforts to integrate cultural organizations and artists into community-building efforts; elevate the visibility of arts and community building, and disseminate best practices through meetings, publications, and other means as appropriate. The foundation is accepting preliminary applications from grant seekers for national-level projects.

The Artists' Skills and Resources focus area is based in the belief that community transformation would be more widespread if more communities embraced artists as important contributors to the identity, vitality, and cohesion of the places where they live. The program seeks to boost artists' skills and resources by supporting leading practitioners as well as efforts to increase the number of live-and-work spaces for artists.

Preliminary applications for both funding areas will be accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis through February 1, 2012. (After that date, the grant opportunity may be modified.) The preliminary application contains a data-entry component and several attachments, including a narrative. Applicants with promising requests will be asked to complete the second part of the application process.

Visit the Kresge Foundation Web site for complete program information and the preliminary application form.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

What Are The Typical Different Fundraising Methods Nonnprofits Use To Raise Support? See...

2011-10-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

For more information on any one of the following fundraising methods, use the Search field (upper left hand corner of this web page) or look under Labels (to the right) for the topic title (or look under the How To Label).

Seven Different But Very Common Methods of Fundraising:

What Grant Writing Is and What It Is Not

Newsletters Allow Nonprofits Repeat Access To Donors and Volunteers...And More...

Write An Annual Appeal Letter to Raise Relatively Quick Funds

About Bequests And Their Unique Fundraising, & What They Are, & How A Nonprofit Can Begin A Bequests Campaign

A Complete Primer On What Capital Campaigns Are, How They Work, How To Fundraise For One, And How To Specifically Apply For Grants For A Capital Campaign

What Are Leadership Donations?

Getting Major Donors To Contribute Large Regular Donations Can Stabilize Cash Flow

Keep in mind that many small to medium size nonprofits, as well as large ones, conduct all and more of the above fundraising methods, over the course of a year, some of the above, or a combination of two or three. In order for a nonprofit to have continual cash flow, it must be fundraising regularly, all year long.

Three Different Grants For Atheletics and Sports: U.S. Soccer for Youth, U.S. Football for Youth, and U.S. Girls Sports Ages 8 - 13

2011-10-31T06:44:00.000-07:00

These Grant Opportunities Are Not Related and Each Are Separate Opportunities From Different Grant Donors:

[If you are interested in more information on any of these grant opportunities, then click "Link to Complete RFP" for the pertinent grant opportunity, at the end of its grant description].

1. U.S. Soccer Foundation Invites Applications for Social Innovation Fund Subgrant Program

Deadline: December 22, 2011

The U.S. Soccer Foundation is offering the opportunity for organizations around the United States to apply for the 2012 Soccer for Success Social Innovation Fund Subgrant. The 2012 Soccer for Success SIF Subgrant will support the replication of Soccer for Success, the foundation's free after-school youth development soccer program, which was designed to combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles for children in low-income urban communities.

The subgrant program seeks to invest in nonprofit organizations serving economically disadvantaged youth in grades K-8.

Grant awards will range from $100,000 to $300,000 based on the number of children served and applicant's ability to provide matching funds. Grants will be funded for two years.

The application window for the 2012 Soccer for Success SIF Subgrant cycle opened on October 27, 2011, and will close on December 22, 2011.

Visit the U.S. Soccer Foundation Web site for complete program information and the application.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

2. National Football League Grassroots Field Grant Program Offers Funding to Improve Youth Football Fields Deadline: December 16, 2011

The NFL Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program, a partnership of the National Football League Youth Football Fund and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, provides financial and technical assistance to nonprofits working to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of youth football fields in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.

In order to be eligible for a grant, projects must be sponsored by community-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations or middle or high schools. In addition, all organizations applying for funds must be located specifically and exclusively within NFL target markets and serve low- to moderate-income areas within those markets.

There are two levels of support:
General Field Support: Applicants may submit requests of up to $50,000 for capital projects not associated with the actual field surface(e.g., installation/refurbishment of bleachers, concession stands, lights, irrigation systems).

Field Surface Grants: Matching grants of up to $200,000 are available to help finance the resurfacing of a community, middle school, or high school football field and the installation of synthetic sports turf. A smaller number of matching grants of up to $100,000 will be available to help finance the resurfacing of a community, middle school, or high school football field utilizing natural grass/sod surfaces. Funds from the program must be used for capital expenditures only and may not be used to maintain field surfaces.

Visit the LISC Web site for the complete Request for Proposals, list of eligible target markets, and an FAQ.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

3. Women's Sports Foundation Invites Grant Applications for Pennsylvania GoGirlGo! Funding Program

Deadline: November 28, 2011

The Women’s Sports Foundation created its GoGirlGo! program to give girls access to physical activity. GoGirlGo! grants support sports/physical activity programs seeking to add new or expand program participation opportunities for an underserved population of girls, particularly economically disadvantaged girls and/or girls from populations with high incidences of health-risk behaviors. These programs must combine athletic instruction with the delivery of the GoGirlGo! curriculum by qualified adults.

The GoGirlGo! Pennsylvania Grant program is designed to recognize deserving nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in the state that seek to enhance the lives of girls between the ages of 8 and 13 through sports and physical activity. Programs must deliver a minimum eight-week sports/physical activity program, with preference given to organizations working consistently with girls throughout the year.

With support from the Hershey Company, the Pennsylvania program will award a total of $40,000 in grants. The maximum grant amount is $10,000. Award funds may be used for athletic equipment, supplies, facility rental, league/tournament fees, travel, coaching, scholarships, and/or program administration expenses. Funds may only be used for girls’ sports/physical activity programs.

Visit the Women's Sports Foundation Web site for the complete Pennsylvania GoGirlGo! Request for Proposals, application form, and an FAQ. GoGirlGo! RFPs for other communities will be available in 2012.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Why Volunteers Are More Than Invaluable People-Power, Who Also Enable Any Nonprofit's Fundraising To Raise More, and How To Do So...

2011-10-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

Volunteers' Importance In Grant Writing

Helpful Tips To Raise Corporate Grants

Nonprofits Will Improve Themselves By Seeing Beyond Their Organization's Culture

The Nonprofit That Understands That Without A Strong Relationship With Its Community, It Stumbles - Is the Nonprofit That Succeeds

How Any Nonprofit Can Raise More Support, Acquire the Best Talent, Strive, and Grow...

Who Does What In A Capital Campaign

Some Advice About Volunteer Grant Writers

Facility Investment and Building Reserve Grants for U.S. Arts and Culture Nonprofits

2011-10-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If this is a grant opportunity that you would like more information about, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of the post, for more information].

Deadline: March 1, 2012 (Preliminary Applications)

Kresge Foundation's Arts and Culture Program Announces Final Call for Facility Investment and Building Reserve Grant Applications

The Kresge Foundation's Arts and Culture program has announced the final call for preliminary grant applications for its Facility Investments and Building Reserves program. Kresge is conducting this final round of facility and building reserve grants as it continues to refine its overall investment strategy.

Eligible organizations may apply for both facility investment and building reserve grants, or building reserve grants only. Facility investment grants will prioritize renovation and repair projects. (On occasion, this grant may be awarded for new construction that includes exemplary environmental sustainability practices.) Building reserve grants are designed to seed or enhance an organization's building reserve fund for the ongoing maintenance and replacement of an organization's facilities. The program does not fund reserves solely for equipment.

Eligible applicants are nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in the United States whose primary mission is arts and culture. Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations that have a long-term agreement to operate a government-owned facility are eligible. Start up organizations or those with less than two full years of operation, and organizations that are both owned and operated by a government entity are not eligible to apply.

Grant amounts will be dependent on the type of project and the size, scope, and business model of the organization. Some grants may be designed as matching or challenge grants. In general, multi-year institutional capitalization grants will not exceed $1 million and/or a period of three years from the time of the grant award.
Complete program information, application guidelines, and the application form are available at the Kresge Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

For Improved Grant Proposals, Be Sure to Be Succinct - Why It's Helpful and How to Be Succinct:

2011-10-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

Be Succinct In Your Grant Writing

That Program, Project, Or Item: Writing In Your Proposal About What You Need the Grant For

Using Logic In Grant Proposal Content - Yes, Logic...

Matching Grants Program for Citizen Based Monitoring Field Work Benefiting American National Forests and Grasslands

2011-10-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

Deadline: January 17, 2012

National Forest Foundation Announces 2012 Matching Awards Program Guidelines

The National Forest Foundation, the nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service, works to engage America in community-based and national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the National Forest System. The foundation also administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of national forests.

NFF is currently soliciting proposals for its Matching Awards Program, which provides matching funds for direct on-the-ground and citizen-based monitoring projects benefiting America's national forests and grasslands.

NFF is interested in supported action-oriented projects that enhance the viability of natural resources while benefiting and directly engaging surrounding communities. MAP funds can be used to support conservation and restoration projects in the areas of wildlife habitat improvement, recreation, watershed health and restoration, and community-based forestry. In addition to focusing on one or more of these four areas of stewardship, NFF requires projects to show a strong commitment to civic engagement and community involvement through the direct involvement of the public in on-the-ground conservation, restoration, and monitoring projects.

The foundation will consider applications from non-federal partners, community-based organizations, Native American tribes, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations implementing action-oriented, on-the-ground conservation and citizen-based monitoring projects on or around national forests or grasslands.

Past awards range from $500 to over $100,000. Organizations new to NFF should keep their first proposal to a moderate sum. All MAP awards require at least a 1:1 cash match of non-federal funds. Projects must be completed within one year. MAP funding is available to support specific conservation and restoration projects and does not provide general programmatic support.

MAP projects are selected for funding through a two-stage process. Applicants must first complete an online questionnaire. Those that successfully complete the questionnaire will be invited to submit a proposal for consideration.

Visit the NFF Web site for complete program guidelines, application requirements, and an FAQ.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Transparency, Why It Matters Now More Than Ever, What It Really Is, & Why Your Organization Should Be As Transparent As Possible

2011-10-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

Transparency... Four Letter Word Or Wave of the Future?

Evaluation Methods - How Can A Nonprofit Use Them To Raise More Money More Often

A Few Excellent Suggestions For Nonprofits To Survive These Uncertain Economic Times

How To Increase The Number Of New Donors

What Is A Well Run Nonprofit Agency? Well, I'll Tell You...

Wow, What A Shock. Another Example of Piss Poor Fundraising

Glasspockets, Encourages Foundations To Fully Disclose, Too

Grants for People, Organizations, & Agencies Working To Create Sustainable Fisheries In the United States

2011-10-10T06:05:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link To Complete RFP" at the end of this blog post].

Deadline: November 10, 2011 (Pre-Proposals)

Fisheries Innovation Fund Invites Pre-Proposals

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Fisheries Innovation Fund is a grant program designed to foster innovation and support effective participation of fishermen and fishing communities working to create sustainable fisheries in the United States.

The fund was created through a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with additional support from the Walton Family Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
In its funding round in April, the fund awarded nearly $2.25 million to eighteen projects in the northeastern U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Coast, and Alaska. NFWF anticipates awarding approximately $1 to $2 million.

The fund, the goal of which is to help rebuild depleted stocks and promote the sustainable management of the nation's fisheries, fosters new approaches to making catch-shares work for fishermen. Successful proposals will offer innovative approaches to building the capacity and sustainability of fishing communities, promoting full utilization of annual catch limits and minimizing bycatch of overfished and endangered species, and improving the quality, quantity, and timeliness of fisheries-dependent data used for science, management, and fishermen's business purposes.

All persons, organizations, and agencies (excluding employees of the federal government) working on projects designed to ensure sustainable U.S. fisheries are eligible to apply.

The majority of awards under the program will fall in the range of $50,000 to $200,000. However, upper and lower limits to award size are not specified. Matching contributions (both cash and in-kind) are preferred but not required. Projects may run for up to two years.

Visit the NFWF Web site for the complete Request for Proposals, application procedures, and information on the fund's previous round of grants.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

In Order To Raise Grants, It's Helpful to Understand Grant Donors & Where They Are Coming From

2011-10-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

What Motivates Giving

Why Do Donors Give Grants At All

A Shift In Giving: Proactive Philanthropists Instead of Passive Donors

Yet Another Example of Donors Expecting Results; Nonprofits, You Can't Just Take the Money and Cross Your Fingers Anymore

Site Visits Or the Meeting With A Potential Grant Donor

Nominate A Software Developer Who Has Created Open Source Software for the Nonprofit Sector

2011-10-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post for more information].

Deadline: October 31, 2011

Nominations Open for Public Interest Computing Prize

The Tides Foundation is accepting nominations for the sixth annual $10,000 Antonio Pizzigati Prize for Software in the Public Interest, the nation's highest honor for software developers working with nonprofits to help advance innovative social change.

Each year, starting in 2006, the Pizzigati Prize has accepted nominations of talented and creative individuals who have developed open source software products that demonstrate impressive value to the nonprofit sector. Tides welcomes nominations from both developers and the nonprofits who work with them.

The Pizzigati Prize welcomes applications from - and nominations for - single individuals. Those nominated for the prize should have developed a software product that is open source, as defined by the Open Source Initiative, and easily and widely available. The software must have already demonstrated its value to at least one nonprofit organization. Additionally, it should be a product that can be of value to multiple nonprofit organizations. Applicants will be evaluated on a range of criteria by an advisory panel that includes past winners of the prize.

Complete prize guidelines and nomination instructions are available at the prize Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Want To Increase Your Nonprofit's Grant Raising Success Rate? Then...

2011-09-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Upping The Odds In Getting Any Grant, Or Do We Compete With Each Other For Grants?

What Is A Well Run Non Profit Agency? I'll Tell You...

Top 10 Grant Money Myths: Do You Think You Know What You're Doing While Looking for Grant Money? Or, Do You Know That You Don't?!

Grant Seeking According to the Various Stages of A Nonprofit's Life

Do Not Chase Grants, Instead - Raise Them Again and Again

To Improve Your Nonprofit, Do What Nonprofits That Are Surviving This Economy Are Doing

A Community's Confidence In A Nonprofit Is the Ultimate Key to An Organization's Future

How Your Nonprofit's Fundraising Can Be Successful In the Coming Fiscal Year

Top Ten Successful Methods for Any Nonprofit To Use to Survive A Poor Economy

How To Use Your Nonprofit's Recent Grant Work to Apply More Often and Receive More Grants

Why It Matters What the Public Thinks of a Nonprofit, And How to Check

Matching Grants for Sea Turtle Research, or Assessment, or Bycatch Reduction and Conservation Projects in the Western Hemisphere

2011-09-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post for more information].

Deadline: October 1, 2011 (Pre-proposals)

Sea Turtle Conservation Fund Invites Pre-Proposals for Spring 2012 Grant Round

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has announced the availability of matching grant funding for sea turtle conservation projects in the Western Hemisphere through the Sea Turtle Conservation Fund. Projects of interest will focus on research, assessment, and bycatch reduction.

The most competitive projects under the spring 2012 cycle of the Sea Turtle Conservation Fund will directly implement projects under two priority topic areas.

The first priority area relates to three populations of sea turtles: Northwest Atlantic loggerhead (bycatch assessment of the Canadian longline fishery and bycatch mitigation in trawl and longline fisheries); North Atlantic leatherback (assess and reduce harvest/bycatch in Panama and Costa Rica); and East Pacific leatherback (development of a business plan for the population).

The second priority topic for the 2012 spring grant round is to determine and assess potential bycatch and/or unsustainably managed legal harvest hotspots for the Caribbean hawksbill population.

Applicants are encouraged to select one topic for each proposal. Applications outside these priority areas will be considered for funding provided they support the goals and objectives outlined under the NFWF Sea Turtle Conservation Business Plan (but will be a lesser priority for funding).

All persons, organizations, and agencies (excluding the U.S. federal government) working on projects to increase the populations of North Atlantic leatherbacks and loggerheads; Caribbean hawksbills; and East Pacific leatherbacks, hawksbills, and loggerheads are eligible to apply. Applications for funding for land or easement acquisition, political advocacy, lobbying, or litigation will not be considered.

The majority of awards under this program will fall in the range of $25,000 to $150,000. However, upper or lower limits to award size are not specified. A minimum of a 1:1 match of cash or in-kind services is required.

Projects may extend from one to three years. Additional-year funds are not guaranteed to be available in future years to supplement awards made as a result of this review.

Visit the NFWF Web site for complete program guidelines, background resources, and application procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

How to Create A Budget For A Grant Proposal and Also, How To Budget In Order To Afford Grant Writing

2011-09-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

How Do We Afford Grant Writing?

The Word "Gets" Is In "Budgets"

Your New Program or Project Design Must Be Clear Before Applying for Grants

How and Where Resources Exist To Keep One Step Ahead for Prudent, Conservative and Effective Budgeting and Planning In the Rebounding Economy

Grants for U.S. Nonprofits Providing Disaster Recovery and Rebuilding After Hurricane Irene

2011-09-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: October 31, 2011

AmeriCares Launches U.S. Disaster Recovery Grant Program to Aid Survivors of Storms and Flooding

AmeriCares, a nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization that provides immediate response to emergency medical needs and supports long-term humanitarian assistance programs in the United States and internationally, has announced the launch of a $500,000 disaster recovery initiative to aid survivors of Hurricane Irene and other recent storms.

The initiative will provide funding to nonprofit organizations responding to the recent hurricane, as well as to nonprofits continuing to rebuild and aid recovery efforts in the wake of the tornadoes in the Midwest and South, Mississippi and Missouri river flooding, and other major natural disasters that have taken place since February 1, 2011.

Applicants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations or have a suitable fiscal agent. Organizations should demonstrate a commitment to work in solidarity with affected communities, with compassion, transparency, and a commitment to excellence; sufficient expertise, suitable staffing, and administrative capacity to implement the proposed project; and ability to report on project outcomes, including quantitative indicators and qualitative assessment.

Grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 will be awarded to projects in the health sector, with an emphasis on medical and dental care for the uninsured, mental health and psychosocial support services, and preparedness for future disasters. Funds will support a wide variety of initiatives, including restoring and expanding health services in affected communities, increasing access to medicine, providing counseling and case management for survivors, repairing damaged facilities, and enhancing emergency response capabilities.

Grants will fund projects for up to twelve months.

Funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis from September 1, 2011, through October 31, 2011.

Visit the AmeriCares Web site for the complete Request for Proposals and application procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Contribute Assistance For Victims of Hurricane Irene

2011-08-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

American Red Cross's Hurricane Irene Web Page

The Humane Society of the United States's Work With Hurricane Irene Victims

Grants for U.S. K - 12 Students Attending Museums, Historic Sites, and Cultural Organizations

2011-08-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[For more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: October 3, 2011

Target Accepting Applications for K-12 Field Trip Grants Program

Target Corporation is accepting applications from education professionals for the Target Field Trip Grants program to bring K-12 students in the United States to museums, historical sites, and cultural organizations.

Since launching the program in 2007, Target has awarded $9.76 million in grants -- providing 1.2 million students in all fifty states with the opportunity to enhance their studies in the arts, math, science, and social studies. Grants are intended to fund visits to art, science, and cultural museums; community service or civic projects; career enrichment opportunities; and other events or activities away from the school facility.

Over five thousand grants of up to $700 will be awarded in January 2012. Grants are available to applicants from the U.S. for trips to be taken between January 1, 2012, and the end of the 2011-12 academic year (May/June 2012). Funds may be used to cover field trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, food, resource materials, and supplies.

Education professionals who are at least 18 years old and employed by an accredited K-12 public, private, or charter school in the U.S. that maintains 501(c)(3) or 509(a)(1) tax-exempt status are eligible to apply. Educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff at these institutions must be willing to plan and execute a field trip that will provide a demonstrable learning experience for students.

The Target Field Trip Grants program is managed and administered entirely by Scholarship America.
Visit the Target Web site for complete program guidelines and access to the application form.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Watch What Message Your Nonprofit Sends By Being Clear Everywhere It Connects At All With the Public

2011-08-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

3. Ouch. I know what they mean, in the photo here, by their sign, posted on this theater's building. It's probably this nonprofit organization's attempt at humor, but the message could leave potential supporters (and even attendees) a little unsure of their meaning. I mean, the message in the photo, here, of this organization's boastful "(Such and such) Theater Is 10 Years Old And We're Still Here!" may be considered cute or funny but it can also come off as surprising or even ironic; and it's the organization, itself, that created this sign (not some local competitor or detractor). Ouch. No nonprofit can risk its week to week cash flow and fundraising to such unclear and frankly somewhat unflattering messages stated to the general public. Imagine how much it cost for this nonprofit theater to come up with a phrase to put on a banner, to have the banner made up, to have someone hang the banner on the business, and that is their message to the community?! Let's take their choice as an example for the rest of us. Instead, be clear. Be positive. Give potential supporters clear reasons why they would and should support your nonprofit. Always watch your organization's messaging and always affirm your organization's viability, potential, its track record, and its goals by asserting your organization's successes and achievements. Do not equivocate, understate, (or over state) them.

2. On Twitter this morning I discovered a few new nonprofits that "followed" us, there, over the weekend. If you aren't familiar with Twitter, for each entity that has a Twitter profile, you can state, on your Twitter page, a "blurb" about yourself (or the nonprofit, company, or agency, etc.). Many nonprofits on Twitter do an excellent job of clearly explaining what their organization does, its mission statement, and even sometimes they can squeeze recent achievements and current goals in, too, into the blurb. Twitter is just one more social media outlet but anywhere where your nonprofit interacts with the general public is an opportunity (and one not to be wasted). One of the organizations that had chosen to "follow" The Grant Plant, LLC (the authors of this blog) on Twitter simply had, for the description of their organization, on Twitter, 'A nonprofit to help families out in our community' (I'm paraphrasing to avoid embarrassing anyone). As someone totally unfamiliar with their nonprofit and as someone being introduced to their organization for the first time, I was left asking, "that does what, for whom, why, and where?". Again, always take the opportunity to assert a clear, whole, detailed, but succinct and to the point message about your nonprofit, wherever its mentioned, for the community at large to quickly and clearly understand what your organization does, for whom (or what), and why. Current supporters and potential new supporters are everywhere, including online, and on Twitter.

1. We've all seen the heart-wrenching commercials on TV and received the tear-jerker solicitations in the postal mail from nonprofits that will save the children, rescue the abused and mistreated animals, or protect the falling rain forest amid tractors tearing whole swaths of rain forest down by acres. Please don't misunderstand me. Each of these issues are serious concerns to me; and they are each real and very distressing problems that our communities and world face daily. The organizations that disseminate these solicitations are not unimportant, and their work is not necessarily unsuccessful or in anyway lesser than any other nonprofit working for any other cause. Often these organizations are successful at what they do and actually, are even heroes. What concerns me about these kinds of solicitations for support is that the organization is placing grabbing our attention mostly by jerking our heart strings, rather than approaching us as intelligent, caring, but concerned members of the community, and world at large. I'd rather not be manipulated, emotionally, into supporting a nonprofit. First of all, it says nothing of the organization itself (again - what are the specific individual organization's mission, why its work is needed today, what are its organizational successes (recent and distant ones, too), what are its current goals, what accomplished and acclaimed people are a part of its board, volunteers, and staff? These are the facts that encourage donors to: see that the organization knows what its doing (and is well respected in its cause and professional field), know that it isn't going away tomorrow - it has true potential for great successes today and tomorrow, that the nonprofit sees me (the donor or potential new donor) as a partner in its successes (by virtue of my supporting it) and treats me as such by giving me information (actual success rates, evaluation data of recent programs, and annual reports detailing the organization's operations, budget, spending, and overall management) that I can base smart decisions (like whether I should give to this nonprofit or to another doing similar (or the same exact) work on the same cause or issue), and more along these lines (transparency, accountability, holding one's organization to the highest professional and ethical standards, etc.). When a nonprofit asks me to support it by only showing heart-wrenching images, it hasn't explained why I should support that specific nonprofit. Rather - that kind of fundraising campaign simply leaves many of us emotionally taxed (who, especially in this difficult world, economy, and news cycles are already very worn down, emotionally, on average). That doesn't make for an affirmative message for a nonprofit to proactively raise partners in a nonprofit's successes and achievements. Instead, it leaves us wanting to turn the TV channel, recycle the unopened mail, or turn away in another fashion. Instead, leave potential donors with a sincere desire to and confidence in supporting your unique nonprofit.

Grants for U.S. Nonprofits, Tribes, Local or State Governments Studying Value and Impact of the Arts

2011-08-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in this grant opportunity, click on "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post, for more information].

Deadline: November 8, 2011

National Endowment for the Arts Offers Grants to Research Value and Impact of the Arts

The Office of Research and Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced the availability of grants for research on the value and impact of the U.S. arts sector, at either the individual or community level.

The NEA is interested in novel and significant research questions that will lead to greater public understanding of the contribution of the arts.

Grantees may use either existing or newly established data sets to conduct their research. The resulting projects will help determine the usefulness of various data sets to arts-related research — including those not previously used for that purpose. Through this grant opportunity, the NEA hopes to further expand the pool of researchers knowledgeable about arts and culture data sets.

Applicants must be U.S. nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations; units of state or local government; or federally recognized tribal communities or tribes. This may include but is not limited to colleges and universities. The NEA encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds, including those who have not specialized in arts-related research. Although applicants must be nonprofit organizations, they are encouraged to partner with for-profit entities and/or use commercial and/or administrative data sets.

The NEA anticipates awarding up to twenty-five grants in the range of $10,000 to $30,000. The grant period is not expected to exceed one year.

NEA staff will be conducting two webinars on the Research: Art Works guidelines on August 18, and October 11, 2011. Registration is required.

Complete program information, application guidelines, and webinar registration forms are available at the NEA Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Why Successes or Having An Accomplished Track Record Is Important for Any Nonprofit to Be Able To Raise Funds

2011-08-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the real world provides the best examples.

The news came out this week that though the nonprofit, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI), before this week was shut down due to reduced state and federal funding; it is flush again due to some fundraising work by none other than SETI, itself. Before you read the following quote you should know that "ATA" stands for the Allan Telescope Array, one of SETI's newest and more powerful tools used for the search for intelligent life. It's greatest value is in the speed at which it can study the skies in greater detail than previous technology. In the fundraising site, SetiStars (where the funds have just been raised), they explain:

"In April, the SETI Institute had to put the ATA in hibernation mode because the program ran out of money. The ATA is the only instrument available full time for listening for radio signals from possible intelligent sources. Without it, we may never find the answers to our questions."

"In the wake of the shutdown, the outpouring of support from all corners of the globe was staggering. It is clear that SETI Institute’s mission resonates with people the world over — that the questions we seek to answer are universal. Without even asking for it, the public responded almost immediately with offers to help, and donations began flowing in. But until now we haven’t had a way to focus this interest and show of support, nor to allow the public at large to specifically support the ATA."

I am a cosmology nerd. I am absolutely fascinated by astrophysics and the study of our universe. I'm not adverse to the idea of life on other planets (especially given that most scientists studying the universe, today, now believe that given the great number of suns that we know exist in the universe, and the odds that favors life to have formed and developed, elsewhere, it would be hubris to assume that we are the only life in the universe). The difference, that exists today in the conversation about extraterrestrial life, is not whether life is out there, but rather - what life one is looking for. NASA has on staff astrobiologists studying how to find life, on its space missions, and what it might look like or give off, to indicate its there. NASA is looking for life at the microscopic level and expecting to locate amoebas and the like rather than, say, E.T. In contrast, SETI is looking for signals sent by other lifeforms, which presumes they're advanced and technological. SETI looks for alien signals by (as I understand it) reviewing all frequencies of the light/sound spectrum searching for repetitive intelligent patterns indicating a non-naturally caused but rather purposeful 'hello' from Mork, or some such alien. Don't get me wrong. Mork & Mindy was one of my favorite television shows in the 1980's. I'd love to meet Mork!

So, getting back to fundraising and the nonprofit world, as an example, given my affinity for space exploration (and for Mork & Mindy) one may presume I'd be a natural to give to reinstating the ATA and SETI's work, since the state and federal budget shortfalls closed its operations. I'm not, though. My issue is not amoebas vs. Mork, or whether I can afford to donate in this economy, or whether SETI needs one more donation (apparently they do). My issue is professional and has to do with nonprofit best practices.

To be fair, SETI is a bit of an unusual nonprofit as not many other nonprofits (anywhere on Earth, anyway) are doing what SETI is attempting to do. Usually this is not the case. Usually a given nonprofit has colleague nonprofits doing similar if not precisely the same work as its doing, nearby or elsewhere. Also, SETI's goal is a bit, shall we say for now, nontraditional. Most nonprofits are dealing with needs that exist, right now, on Earth, that can be met. In other words, the common nonprofit deals with issues or causes pertaining to anything from education, to health and welfare, to safety, to the environment, to religion, to historic preservation, and so on. Yet, SETI is indeed a nonprofit. Any and all nonprofits only operate if they are supported. In order for any nonprofit to raise support, it must demonstrate (to those who decide to actually give) its value to a community and the worth of its work. If it makes its case and reaches enough potential donors so that they actually do indeed give - then the nonprofit is fundraising and they become "successful" fundraisers once they are fully funding their current goals and work. And of course, they must be able to continue to be successful fundraisers in order for the nonprofit to be of value tomorrow, next month, next year, and so on.

The reason that I am writing this post and the reason why this example bares out is that while its donors obviously have faith in the possibility of SETI's goal, I am not donating to SETI because they have not, yet, demonstrated their ability to do what they have been trying to do since SETI began operating in 1985. They haven't proven that their methodology works or that it should work if someone on Ork is trying to send messages to other civilizations on other worlds. They can claim that it should work if Orkans are trying to send messages into the universe on one of the light or sound spectrum waves. Not that anyone should not give to SETI, but personally, I'd rather donate my money to efforts that are more likely to prove fruitful by virtue of them having already succeeded. This is why a track record (even when a nonprofit is a start up - such as proof of concept) is so critical in fundraising, today (especially among grant donors). In terms of donors choosing to give to one nonprofit over another, I may be considered a bit of a conservative when it comes to space exploration, and perhaps those who do choose to give to SETI are enabling SETI and the world to indeed find Mork and sooner than a more conservative approach will. I'd be proven wrong. There's no harm in donors who see things differently. Everyone has the right to support whomever and whatever they choose to.

The more common nonprofit, though, should understand that successes indicate a track record that demonstrates the potential for success, now and in the future. This is what most professional fundraisers make an effort to communicate to any and all potential donors: what is the nonprofit in operation to do (it's mission statement), what is the work it does for what or whom and why (or what need in the community or universe is not yet being met, that this nonprofit can meet and meet well), and what are the current programs and recent successes? Also, who makes up the nonprofit's team of experts and what are their credentials and where have their successes, as individuals, been over the course of their careers? If you can demonstrate to a potential donor that their contribution will lead to future accomplishment and ethical, efficient and truly effective accomplishments (that truly meet the as yet unmet need the organization is working to meet) - then you're showing a potential donor (in demonstrable successes) how they can become a part of a successful organization's effort by supporting it.

I like SETI's moxie. I hope that they prove my conservative concerns antiquated and actually discover Mork's intergalactic billboard saying hello to universal neighbors, on Ork, all the way from here on Earth. I'm afraid that being who I am, I just won't be one of the team that helped SETI to do it.

Grants for Projects Fully Studying and Finding Solutions for U.S. Unwanted Horse

2011-08-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[For more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: September 12, 2011

Morris Animal Foundation to Fund Research on Unwanted Horses

The Morris Animal Foundation, (MAF) an animal health foundation which provides funding for research designed to protect, treat, and cure animals, is seeking proposals addressing the issue of unwanted horses in the U.S. The funding program follows a 2009 summit convened by MAF on the topic of unwanted horses. The summit was designed to help determine the magnitude of the problem in the U.S. and to identify potential solutions.

All proposals should consider an objective identification (e.g. prevalence, incidence) of unwanted horses within defined regions and systematic estimation of the magnitude of the problem; an identification of risk factors and characteristics associated with unwanted horses and owners who relinquish these horses; the socioeconomic impacts of unwanted horses; the economic impact of the problem and its potential solutions; and the potential impact of educational programs directed at responsible horse ownership and the issue of unwanted horses.

The program will provide up to $70,000 (inclusive of 8 percent maximum indirect costs) for studies of up to two years in duration.

Full proposal guidelines and the application are available at the MAF Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Grants for Nonprofits Innovating Address the Issue of Coal Waste Providing Transformative Change

2011-08-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[For more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: August 15, 2011

Educational Foundation of America Invites Proposals for Work Pertaining to Coal Waste

The Educational Foundation of America (EFA)has a tradition of promoting public awareness and participation in the restoration and defense of the environment. Since 1959, EFA has awarded over $70 million in grants to protect the environment.

The foundation's environment program aims to reduce climate change pollution by funding projects focusing on policies and practices that will result in the reduction of greenhouse gases. The environmental focus of the foundation for the next few years will be in the areas of coal waste, ocean acidification, and cement plants. Of particular interest to the committee is work that involves strategies including litigation, building constituencies, grassroots organizing, and policy/advocacy work.

The foundation has chosen to direct funding to address the issue of coal waste as one avenue in addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction. Through this Request for Proposals, EFA invites innovative ideas to address the issue of coal waste within the U.S. Proposals will be considered for efforts that are innovative or "out-of-the-box" and could produce transformative changes for the benefit of the environment and natural resources. Proposals that include collaboration among multiple nonprofits and address the issue from a variety of angles will be given higher priority.

Applicants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. The foundation does not accept proposals from individuals.

EFA is willing to commit up to $1 million per year for three years to this program; awards will be made to one or more grantees. The number of proposals supported and the total amount of support will depend on the nature and quality of proposals received.

The complete RFP and application procedures are available at the EFA Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

What the U.S. Losing Its Credit Rating Means, An Example of How (In Part) Our Nation Got Here, and What Is the U.S.'s Next Step

2011-08-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

We all know this is terribly important for all of us nonprofit sector volunteers, clients, members, donors, staff, and consultants to understand - what has just happened to our nation's economic standing:

Wall Street Closes Worst Week Since '08

United States Loses Prized AAA Credit Rating From S&P

Explanation of the lowering of the U.S.'s credit rating by Standard and Poors (or "S&P"), United States of America Long-Term Rating Lowered To 'AA+' Due To Political Risks, Rising Debt Burden; Outlook Negative

Standard & Poors explanation of what credit ratings are and how they work: Standard & Poors Guide to Credit Rating Essentials

What to do if your bank fails, by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) When A Bank Fails - Facts for Depositors, Creditors, and Borrowers

An example of how, in part, our nation arrived in this situation (note: "WaMu" is an acronyms for the former bank, Washington Mutual, which Chase bank acquired):

Part One Reckless Strategies Doomed WaMu

Part Two WaMu Hometown Bank Turned Predatory

and the incredible fall out of WaMu's business practices?

WaMu Execs Won't Face Criminal Charges, Justice Department Says

(sidebar: yes, this call by the Justice Department bothers me - I will be contacting my federal representation to let them know so)

and going forward...

AP Source: G7 To Discuss Central Bank Action

G7 Major Powers to Confer On Major Markets Crisis: Source

Grants for U.S. Educational Institutions or Nonprofits Researching the Economic Impact of Bicycling Facilities

2011-08-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[For more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: September 30, 2011

Bikes Belong Foundation Offers Research Grants to Study Economic Impact of Bicycling

The Bikes Belong Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of Bikes Belong, concentrates its work on bicycle safety projects and children's bicycle programs. The foundation aims to support its mission by funding a limited number of research grants each year.

Grants of $5,000 to $10,000 will be awarded for research that examines the economic impact of additional or improved bicycling facilities or bike-related events, and for special opportunities and innovative or unique research efforts considered on a case-by-case basis. (Applicants interested in the special opportunities priority area should contact the foundation's research analyst before submitting an application.). Applicants must be U.S. colleges, universities, other institutions of higher education, or nonprofit research organizations. Individuals will not be considered for funding.

Bikes Belong Foundation reviews applications twice per year. The next application deadline is September 30, 2011.

Visit the Bikes Belong Web site for complete program guidelines, application form, and information on previously funded research projects.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

From Planning A Nonprofit's Grant Writing Work, to How Each Step of the Grant Raising Process Is Conducted According to Professional Best Practices (and Why)...

2011-07-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

How To Plan Out This Year's Grant Seeking

What Information Goes Into A Grant Proposal?

About Grant Guidelines

If A Grant Donor Allows Phone Calls, Call Each Donor Your Agency Is Applying for a Grant From

Descriptions of Different Grant Proposals' Documents Formats

Top Ten Formatting Tips for Any Grant Proposal

Evaluation Methods - How Can A Nonprofit Use Them to Raise More Money More Often

The Letter of Inquiry or Letter of Introduction - Often the Initial Grant Application Step

That Darn First Paragraph In Your Grant Proposal

How to Write the Organizational Description In A Grant Proposal

That Program, Project, Or Item: Writing In Your Proposal About What You Need the Grant For

How To Make the Case for Your Grant Request, In the Grant Proposal

How Do We Tighten Up Our Grant Proposal?

Applying for Grants Through the Grant Donor's Online Grant Application Wizard or Program

Received Press After You've Mailed A Few Grant Requests? Here's What to Do...

Grants for Nonprofits or Individuals Archiving or Preserving the Sound Heritage of America, And Also for Studies of Music On the Human Condition

2011-07-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[For more information on this grant opportunity, click on "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this blog post].

Deadline: October 3, 2011 (Letters of Inquiry)

Grammy Foundation Offers Grants for Music Research and Preservation Projects

Funded by the Recording Academy, the Grammy Foundation Grant Program annually provides support for music archiving and preservation efforts and for scientific research projects related to the impact of music on the human condition.

The foundation awards scientific research project grants of up to $20,000 to organizations and individuals working to research the impact of music on the human condition. Examples of eligible projects include the study of the effects of music on mood, cognition, and healing, as well as the medical and occupational well-being of music professionals and the creative process underlying music. Priority is given to projects with strong methodological design as well those addressing an important research question.

The foundation will award archiving and preservation project grants to organizations and individuals working to advance the archiving and preservation of the music and recorded sound heritage of the Americas. The archiving and preservation area has two funding categories — preservation implementation (grants of up to $20,000) and planning, assessment, and/or consultation (grants of up to $5,000).

For the 2011-12 funding cycle, a Letter of Inquiry is required before a full application may be invited for consideration.

Visit the Grammy Foundation Web site for complete program guidelines and the Letter of Inquiry form.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Some Suggestions Based on A Fundraising Event That I Just Attended That Could Have Done Better, So Your Organization Doesn't Make the Same Unfortunate Omissions

2011-07-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend my husband and I attended a local, annual, fundraising event for local nonprofit organizations. It's a lovely evening, including bite sized plates by different accomplished chefs from across the United States, each plate is paired with a specific unique wine and beer, a main stage with two bands performing dance music all night long, and all of this occur outdoors at a lovely, scenic, local venue.

Specific to the actual fundraising, though, I was (as a professional fundraiser) left scratching my head over a couple of very key things, so I thought that I'd share to perhaps prevent your nonprofit organization from doing the same at your next fundraising event.

When my husband and I arrived and parked, there were no signs in the lot that we parked in nor on the trail that we were supposed to take to direct us to where the event was located. We had a fairly long walk (perhaps 1/8th of a mile) and only got tot he event, itself, (in a golf course) because two different caddies drove past us, per chance, as we stumbled around looking. We saw two other parties of attendees lost, looking for direction, too.

We, next, gave our tickets to the greeters at the main gate, we were given a bracelet to authorize that we were of age to drink (something that most states' alcohol/beverage boards require at a public event like this which serves alcohol), a wooden pog, and a small slip of paper.

After we got into the event, we looked around at everything offered and all going on. Personally, having helped put on very similar types of fundraising events of the same size and larger, I thought, 'This pog or slip of paper that we just received must give us the details of the evening's events. Neither did. The slip of paper explained that the pog was to be used for each attendee to vote for the sponsor's tent that they thought was decorated the nicest.

__ First, nothing was handed to us, upon our entering the event, that asked us to contribute to any of the local nonprofits that the event is helping to raise funds for. This is the most unfortunate mishap of the evening, as at this event, are people who support the event, have the means to support nonprofit organizations (as the ticket for the evening was $200/person) but no attendees were asked for a direct contribution (in an amount of their choosing or in a recommended amount) last night. While, yes, the attendees are contributing by paying the ticket fee, the legal amount of the contribution is the amount given to each nonprofit being supported last night, in each organization's individual portion (which means that there were tens of organizations being supported - not one, so they each share the donations raised in direct proportion to the number of them), less the cost of the attendee's evening (i.e. food, beverage, overhead, etc.). If an attendee was given a pledge sheet, last night, as they entered the event, perhaps listing every nonprofit being supported, with a donation line next to them which the attendee if they chose to, could write in a donation amount that they promise to give, there could've been a formal ask after everyone had had a few drinks, requesting that the attendees be sure to go through their pledge sheet and select a nonprofit or two that they believe in to give a contribution to, more money would've been raised. If attendees aren't asked, though, (as they weren't last night) no one will give any contributions beyond what the tickets raised, themselves. Remember, when a donor is asked to give, they have the right to say "no", but if they are not asked to give then, quite simply, not one of them does. The ask is probably one of the top three most critical things that any fundraiser must do to conduct their job to the full potential, and raise the most possible. At one point, in the evening, a master of ceremony at the main stage did ask participants to pledge and as he did, a woman turned to me and asked, "Did you get a pledge form when you came in?" and I said, "No, I did not." She replied, "We didn't either,".

__ Second, we did not receive a pamphlet or booklet that explained the layout of the evening's offerings, at the site. Where were the bathrooms, where was lost and found, and where were the garbage cans/recycling bins? This particular event, in length and width, was laid out over probably about two football fields. We could see, generally, that food was being served around the perimeter, but there were private tents for sponsors' attendees set up interspersed among the food vendors, so it was a bit unclear at first. Also, we knew that each food dish was to be paired with a specific beer and wine, but it was not initially clear where those pairings were made available, for each dish being offered.

__ Third, there were booklets that listed the names and services provided of each sponsor. It listed all of the volunteers, the key staff, and thanked the local venue, listed the bands, etc. The booklet did not have a donation envelope or pledge sheet in it, either. Again, this is unfortunate. The booklet could've listed each nonprofit's name and explained each organization's: mission, recent successes and accomplishments, current goals, and why their effort is so necessary right now in our community. This kind of compelling case ingratiates a donor by drawing them in to an opportunity to (in effect) partner with a nonprofit of that donor's choosing by giving it a donation and thereby enabling its programs and services (and ultimately, its accomplishments). This is how a repeat donor is raised who remains a long term repeat donor. They are understood to be critical to the organization's ability to succeed so they are treated as investor/partners in the organization's potential and its successes.

__ Fourth, at no time, during the evening, did any of the masters of ceremony who spoke at the main stage explain each nonprofit that was being supported or their mission or recent work.

__ Fifth, there were no visuals, regarding what the fundraising goal is (in sum total), nor any visual indicating how much, so far, has been raised, and how much remains to be raised to meet the total financial goal. Again, what a shame. Imagine if any one of those attendees, last night, (some of which are some of the wealthiest members of this community) felt so strongly about the goal and potential to help these organizations, simply took out their checkbook to write a check, themselves, to in part (or in total!) contribute the rest of the amount needed to raise the total goal amount?! There was no such clear visual, though, last night.

__ Finally, the website for the event is visually gorgeous. It's very colorful, contemporary, and on topic. The surprising thing is that when my husband and I referred to it last night to find out what all the evening involved, whether the venue was outdoors or indoors, what the dress code was, where the event's site and parking were: none of that were on the website. Not any pertinent information nor clear description of the evening or its details are on the website. What a shame. We had to look up photos of previous year's events to see what those year's attendees wore to get a sense of what we should wear. We had to call local friends who had gone before who could give us the rest of the information as the host company's office was closed.

There are no perfect fundraisers, nor perfect events. There are many ways to conduct successful fundraising events and no two are probably the same. Having said this, there are things that are somewhat necessary that one can simply improve an attendee's experience of any event, by including.

Oh, and my husband and I never even looked at the different sponsors' tents or their interior design because we, ourselves, were not at the event with any sponsor. So, why would we? After all, we were there to have a fun evening, eat, and enjoy ourselves. We came home with that slip of paper and pog that we got at the entrance.

Sadly, late in the evening we found out that there were pledge forms, but they were in stacks up by the main stage and if you wanted one, you'd have to walk up to the main stage (across the entire site) and find the stack. Too bad.

8/31/11 Update to this post: Sagebrush Fundraiser Needs Its Own Cash Injection

Grants for Ghanan, Nicaraguan, and Pacific Islander Countries' Disabled Persons' Nonprofits

2011-07-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post for more information].

Deadline: August 18, 2011

Disability Rights Fund Invites Grant Applications From Disabled Persons' Organizations in Ghana, Nicaragua, and Pacific Island Countries

The Disability Rights Fund seeks to strengthen the participation of disabled persons' organizations (DPO's) in efforts to advance the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the country level in the Global South and Eastern Europe/former Soviet Union.

To achieve the goal that persons with disabilities participate fully in society and enjoy equal rights and opportunities, the fund is accepting applications for the second round of its2011 Securing Our Rights grant cycle. The second grantmaking round is directed at DPOs in Ghana, Uganda, Nicaragua, Peru, Bangladesh, and fourteen Pacific Island countries (Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu).

Applicants from Ghana, Nicaragua, and the fourteen Pacific Island countries can apply as single organizations or in partnerships for small grants. Applicants from Bangladesh, Peru, and Uganda can apply by invitation only.

Single organizations and partnerships from the eligible countries can apply for twelve-month project-specific grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. Funding can be used to support projects to increase DPO skill in addressing the CRPD by building more inclusive organizations or partnerships and/or internal capacity building; and to further rights-based advocacy and monitoring through increasing DPO participation in decision-making processes regarding the CRPD at state or local levels, directly addressing implementation of CRPD articles, and/or ratification efforts (in the Pacific Island Countries only).

DRF supports projects that demonstrate a clear ability and commitment to contribute to the advancement of the human rights of persons with disabilities. Cross-disability and other in-country partnerships are strongly encouraged, as are projects that address particularly marginalized sectors of the disability community.

Visit the Disability Rights Fund Web site for complete program guidelines and application materials.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

For U.S. Charitable Organizations That Had Their Official Charity Status Revoked By the IRS, June 2011

2011-07-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

On Friday, June 10, 2011, in every state in the United States (U.S.), different numbers of nonprofit organizations initially designated officially as "charities" by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had their official status revoked by the IRS (thereby ending their right to raise tax free dollars (donations), among other rights and responsibilities given to nonprofit charities).

To quote the IRS' own Charities & Non Profits web site's Automatic Revocation of Exemption web page's explanation, "Most tax-exempt organizations are required to file an annual return or notice with the Internal Revenue Service. (See Annual Return Filing Exceptions for a list of organizations that are not required to file.) Section 6033(j) of the Internal Revenue Code automatically revokes the exemption of any organization that fails to satisfy its filing requirement for three consecutive years. The automatic revocation of exemption is effective as of the due date of the third required annual filing or notice." The IRS' Automatic Revocation of Exemption web page (from which this quote came; this link is the second one in this paragraph, above) has basic information on this situation, including Frequently Asked Questions.

In the IRS' June 8, 2011 news release on this revocation, they explain, "The Internal Revenue Service today announced that approximately 275,000 organizations under the law have automatically lost their tax-exempt status because they did not file legally required annual reports for three consecutive years. The IRS believes the vast majority of these organizations are defunct, but it also announced special steps to help any existing organizations to apply for reinstatement of their tax-exempt status.

"Congress passed the Pension Protection Act (PPA) in 2006, requiring most tax-exempt organizations to file an annual information return or notice with the IRS. For small organizations, the law imposed a filing requirement for the first time in 2007. In addition, the law automatically revokes the tax-exempt status of any organization that does not file required returns or notices for three consecutive years.

"For several years, the IRS has made an extensive effort to inform organizations of the changes in the law through multiple outreach and education avenues, including mailing more than 1 million notices to organizations that had not filed. In addition, last year the IRS published a list of at-risk groups and gave smaller organizations an additional five months to file required notices and come into compliance. About 50,000 organizations filed during this extension period. Overall, the IRS believes the vast majority of small tax-exempt organizations are now in compliance with the 2006 law."

Helpful Resources for Revoked Charities:

The list of all nonprofit charities that had their official charitable status revoked June 8, 2011 is located here

A list of frequently asked questions, pertaining to the revocations, and answers are here

A handy IRS revocation fact sheet that includes all pertinent information and more on charitable organizations is located here

An explanation of the due dates of the forms that charities are expected to file to remain in good standing is here

The IRS explains how a charity that had its official charitable status revoked may be able to have it reinstated, first here and then in greater detail, here and this revocation has involved so many U.S. charities, that the IRS, on their You Tube channel has placed a video that also explains how a revoked charity may be able to get its official charitable status back. That may be watched, here

Grants for U.S. Residents, Age 16+, Who Are NASCAR Fans and Are Making Significant Impact On the Lives of Children

2011-07-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: July 18, 2011

NASCAR Foundation Invites Nominations for New Award to Recognize Volunteer Efforts of NASCAR Fans on Behalf of Children

The NASCAR Foundation is accepting nominations for the first Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, which will recognize the outstanding charitable and volunteer efforts of NASCAR fans on behalf of children. The award was created in honor of Betty Jane France, chairwoman of the NASCAR Foundation and a champion of philanthropic efforts in the NASCAR community.

The NASCAR Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks to raise funds and increase volunteerism to support nonprofits and charitable causes in the U.S., with an emphasis on efforts that affect the ability of children to live, learn, and play.

The award is open to individual residents of the U.S., age 16 or older. Applicants must be NASCAR fans and have made a significant impact on the lives of children through volunteerism or charitable work during the last five years. For this award, "volunteerism" is defined as voluntary action in service to others and the community. Individuals who receive compensation to perform charitable work — volunteering, fundraising, etc. — are not eligible for the award.

Anyone may submit a nomination. Self-nominations are accepted.

One winner will be selected to receive a $100,000 donation from the NASCAR Foundation for the 501(c)(3) children's charity of his or her choice as well as a 2012 Ford Explorer. Three finalists will receive a $25,000 donation for the children's charity of their choice. The winner and finalists will also receive an expenses-paid trip to a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and be part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week in Las Vegas in December 2011.

Visit the NASCAR Foundation Web site for complete program guidelines and the nomination form.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

How To Raise Donations, How To Increase Donations, & How to Retain Donors Who Give Again

2011-06-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

How to Raise Donations, Or Rather, How to Raise Donors Who Will Give Again

Your Nonprofit Needs Cash Flow. That Means Your Nonprofit Needs Your Individual Donors. Take Great Care of Each One.

How To Increase the Number of New Donors

How the Everyday Donor Can Become A Major Ally In Your Nonprofit Surviving This Economy

Raise Some Quick Donations, More Often, Right Now, And Again Later This Year, and Next...

Matching Grants for Nonprofits, Native American tribes, and Universities Doing Conservation Benefitting National Forests or Grasslands in the U.S.

2011-06-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[For more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: July 18, 2011

National Forest Foundation's Matching Awards Program to Support Community Stewardship Projects

The National Forest Foundation, (NFF) the nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service, is committed to facilitating local involvement and encouraging community participation in forest stewardship to enhance the viability of natural resources.

The NFF is soliciting proposals for its Matching Awards Program, a grant program that provides matching funds for direct action-oriented on-the-ground conservation and citizen-based monitoring projects on or around national forests and grasslands. The NFF encourages organizations to position their proposed projects within at least one of its areas of programmatic emphasis — wildlife habitat improvement, recreation, watershed health and restoration, and community-based forestry.

The NFF will accept applications from nongovernmental, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, Native American tribes, and universities doing on-the-ground conservation work that benefits national forests or grasslands in the U.S.

Past awards have ranged from $500 to over $100,000, with a mean of $30,000 and a median of $25,000. All awards require at least a 1:1 cash match of non-federal funds. MAP funding is available to support specific conservation and restoration projects and does not provide general programmatic support. Projects must be completed within one year.

Visit the NFF Web site for complete program guidelines, an FAQ, and the pre-application questionnaire.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Generally, How to Fundraise, Fundraise Better, and Succeed In this Economy

2011-06-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

One Way to Remedy Fundraising Jitters Is to Have Reasons to Feel Confident About the Potential to Succeed, and Here's How...

Want to Fundraise Better? Put Processes Into Place...

Transparency... Four Letter Word or Wave of the Future?

How To Make Requesting A Donation Face to Face From A Major Donor Easier

What A Nonprofit's Annual Report Is, Why It Is Powerful In Fundraising, & How to Create One

Top Ten Successful Methods for Any Nonprofit to Use to Survive A Poor Economy

Is Crowd Sourcing A Viable Sustainable Way for Nonprofits to Raise and Retain Support? No.

Grants for Qualified Shelters and Other Animal Welfare Organizations Coping with Flood and Tornado Disasters in the U.S.

2011-06-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post for more information].

Deadline: Open

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Establishes U.S. Disaster Relief Fund

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has announced that it has established an ASPCA Disaster Fund and is accepting disaster grant applications from qualified shelters and other animal welfare organizations responding to companion animal care emergencies resulting from the recent floods and tornadoes in the United States.

Applicants to the ASPCA Disaster Fund must be a nonprofit organization or government agency (such as a municipal or county animal control) with an animal welfare mission and a federal tax ID (Employer Identification Number); a qualified shelter and/or other animal welfare organization in states affected by or responding to recent severe weather incidents, or organizations outside those states providing outreach and assistance; directly affected by or providing/participating in direct response to the spring 2011 natural disasters; and in need of immediate assistance.

Eligible requests include cash assistance for the following purposes: food and food banks for at-risk animals; shelter supplies and equipment; rescue supplies and equipment; sheltering or temporary boarding and fostering of rescued or at-risk animals; transport/transfers/relocation of animals; veterinary expenses/medical care for animals; overtime expenses for shelter staff; travel and related incidental expenses for shelter staff or staff deployed to affected disaster areas to assist with disaster response for animals; and infrastructure repairs/rebuilding.

Visit the ASPCA Web site for complete program guidelines and application procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

How and Why Any Nonprofit's Community Is Its Lifeblood and What About Other Similar Organizations?

2011-06-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

A Community's Confidence In A Nonprofit Is The Ultimate Key To An Organization's Future

The Nonprofit That Understands That Without A Strong Relationship With Its Community It Stumbles - Is The Nonprofit That Succeeds

Be Familiar With All Other Organizations Doing Similar Or Related Work To Your Nonprofit's... For Your Agency's Improved Grant Raising

What About That Other Nonprofit, In Town, That's Similar To Us?

Does Everyone In Your Organization's Community Understand What Your Nonprofit Does? Are You Sure?

Grants to Support Women Scholars in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math Programs

2011-06-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

Deadline: September 1, 2011

Elsevier Foundation Offers Grants to Support Women Scholars in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

The Elsevier Foundation is seeking new grant proposals for its New Scholars program, which provides funding for projects to help support women scholars during the early stages of their careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The program is designed to actively address the attrition rate of talented women scientists caused by the difficulty of balancing a demanding academic career with family responsibilities.

The foundation provides grants to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) institutions and organizations that are working towards a more equitable academia by: encouraging networking and collaborations among institutions and/or across STEM disciplines in ways that support faculty and staff with family responsibilities; developing and implementing strategies to promote knowledge, awareness, and application of programs to retain, recruit, and develop women in science; and/or enabling scientists to attend conferences, meetings, workshops, and symposia that are critical to the development of a career in science by helping them with childcare and other family responsibilities when attending scientific gatherings.

Grants will range between $5,000 and $50,000 per year for up to three years.

Proposals will be accepted online beginning July 1, 2011.

Visit the Elsevier Foundation Web site for complete program guidelines and application procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Doomsday Has Been Rescheduled, But What About The Donations Raised for It?

2011-06-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

We all now know that Harold Camping, leader of Family Radio, the doomsday prophecy group that predicted that on May 21, 2011 the wold would end, got that date wrong. Here we still all are. Camping has since stated that he made and error. The prophecy is extended through October 21.

According to CNN Money's article (found on Yahoo Finance's June 1), Doomsday believer donates entire inheritance to Family Radio, Doris Schmitt, an elderly American lady, left in her will $25,000 to Family Radio. Eileen Heuwetter, the executrix of the will, who is also Schmitt's niece, was saddened to hear of the large sum of her aunt's money going to the group. As her aunt's estate is now closing, Heuwetter was so upset that she contacted several lawyers to see what could be done, if anything, to recover the sum of money. To quote the article, "...they brought the case to several lawyers, who sympathized with the family, but agreed they had no case. Family Radio did not respond to [CNN Money's] requests for comment."

In a timely fashion, Rick Cohen, for The Nonprofit Quarterly, on May 23 wrote, Nonprofit Raises Big Bucks For Doomsday - What Now? and he prompts us to consider what the recent increase in fundraising capabilities of doomsday groups has to do with charity. He wonders if asking for donations and not delivering on the rapture is ripping people off. It is a fair question, I argue, and I think that Doris Schmitt would, too.

In CNN Money's article it states, "While other family members insisted it was crazy to let her aunt give all that money to a radio station, Heuwetter didn't initially contest the conditions of the will. She knew little about the Christian radio station, but knew her aunt, Doris Schmitt, found comfort in it."

According to American law, once a donor gives a donation and it is accepted by the nonprofit recipient of that donation it is a legal and binding charity-related fiscal transaction. In other words, it was Schmitt's money to give to whomever or whatever she wished to bequeath her money to. Is this sad? It is if you consider, as her niece does, that relatives who are currently in financial need, or other nonprofit organizations that perhaps deliver programs and services (and deliver them well, ethically, and provide something that is needed but not gotten elsewhere) would have used the money for better ends. But, again, it was her aunt's decision to make, as the $25,000 was her aunt's money.

I am not saying that her aunt couldn't have perhaps learned about philanthropy and how to leave an estate or bequest that winds up effectively, efficiently, but also ethically delivering something to the community at large, along the donor's values, interests, and wishes, but that also enables a nonprofit to do something (for someone or something in need). I'm also not saying that her aunt couldn't have gotten council from trusted friends and family on who would be a good recipient of her estate, given Schmitt's values, dreams, and wants for the community at large. But, having said this, I don't know that these weren't Schmitt's experience. The fact is, she may have done each of these proactive and self-informing steps and still chosen to give $25,000 to Family Radio.

Cohen, in The Nonprofit Quarterly article, does ask whether (as is required by law) did Family Radio (as it expected the end of the world was nigh on May 21) spend down all of its assets. This is a more interesting question for those of us who give donations to nonprofits, but also for those of us who work with nonprofits. Why? The question is in step with contemporary, American, nonprofit, best practices which happen to be backed, now, by federal law. Charities can have their nonprofit status revoked by the IRS (thus no longer making it legal for them to raise donations as a charity) if certain fiscal and operational reporting requirements are not met or not met in full disclosure. Between you and I, I'm guessing there is a certain three letter federal agency that is looking into Family Radio, its reporting in recent years, and its charity status. But, this is just a guess. You see, it is not enough to simply create a nonprofit, create a cause (such as the rapture), and then go fundraising for charity donations. A legal nonprofit, in the United States, (one that is recognized by all of the governments that require it to report to them, including the federal government) a charity must do, report, and disclose certain specific accomplishments, receipts, processes, and bookkeeping each year. If it doesn't add up -there is a further (deeper) investigation which, depending on findings, can result in a nonprofit losing its official charity status.

As stated again and again in this blog, if an organization is legitimately operating in order to achieve successes in the community at whatever work is involved in its mission statement, it is not enough to start the nonprofit and begin fundraising and expect that just by virtue of the organization being a charity (which most people presume is doing "good" (whatever that is)) the nonprofit will raise enough money in order for the organization to do whatever it is that the charity is doing. The fact is, a nonprofit has to not just work in a cause or issue (i.e. the rapture) that people care about - in order for a nonprofit to have longevity enough to grow and achieve successes - it must demonstrate that it's providing a real solution to a real , but as yet, unmet need in the community - and meet that need ethically, professionally, efficiently, and effectively, over and over again (even as the need changes into a new one). Donors are like investors and as such, they give repeatedly to the same organization only when they see that their investment (or donation) was spent as expected, provided some real and needed result, and that they have the potential to do similarly again.

Update 10/21/2011: Radio prophet gone from airwaves on new Judgement Day eve

Grants for Nonprofits Serving Men With HIV/AIDS in Latin America

2011-06-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post, for more information]

Deadline: July 11, 2011

amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research Announces Funding Opportunity for Latin American Grassroots Organizations

With support from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research has announced new funding for innovative projects that address HIV/AIDS among gay men, other men who have sex with men (MSM), and transgender individuals in Latin America.

Grassroots nonprofit organizations led by or closely linked to MSM/LGBT communities in low- and middle-income countries in Latin America are encouraged to submit relevant proposals.

Each eligible organization may apply for an award of up to $20,000 to support project-related costs for up to twelve months. Proposals for general operating support will not be considered. Approximately $200,000 in total funding is available through this round of awards; amfAR anticipates funding from six to eight proposals.

Applicants must be nonprofit organizations (e.g., NGOs, CBOs, or other charitable organizations) that are the equivalent of U.S. tax-exempt nonprofit organizations.

Visit the amfAR Web site for complete program guidelines, a list of eligible countries, funding priorities, and application procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Why Practicing Professional Ethics Improves Any Nonprofit's Grant Writing Successes

2011-05-31T06:37:00.000-07:00

Grant Writers On Commission

Pricing Grant Writers - What Should We Pay For a Grant Writer?

This Week A Group of Grant Writers Networked Among Themselves, Saved Each Other Some Grief, and Received An Apology!

Grants for Community Nonprofits Working On Environmental, Health, or Animal Welfare "Goodness"

2011-05-31T06:29:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[For more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: June 21, 2011

Tom's of Maine Announces Third Annual "50 States for Good" Program to Honor Nonprofit Organizations

Tom's of Maine, a natural products company focused on oral and personal care, has announced the launch of its annual "50 States for Good" program, which seeks to support community nonprofit organizations around the United States in completing volunteer-driven projects.

Any qualifying 501(c)(3) in good standing with an organizational operating budget under $2 million is eligible to apply. Organizations must work on projects, with the help of community volunteers, that relate to "environmental goodness, healthy human goodness, or animal goodness."

Following the application phase, a panel of experts will select twenty finalists based on a range of criteria, including use of community volunteers, ability to get the project completed, and community impact.

The six winners will be determined by a public online vote starting in early August2011. The organization with the most votes will receive $50,000 in sponsorship funding; five additional organizations will each receive $20,000.

Each finalist, along with its project, will be showcased at the Tom's of Maine Web site during the voting phase. Projects must be completed within six months of receiving funding.

Complete program guidelines and the online application are available at the 50 States for Good program Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

What to Aim For When Applying for Grants: What Are Donors Looking For When Deciding to Give?

2011-05-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

What Motivates Giving?

What Are Grant Donors Looking For and Funding, Today?

Upping the Odds in Getting Any Grants, Or Do We Compete With Each Other for Grants?

How Any Nonprofit Can Raise More Support, Acquire the Best Talent, Strive, and Grow

AIDS HIV Grants for American, Canadian, Carribbean, Central, or South American Nonprofit Doing Specific Work

2011-05-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: June 1, 2011 (Online Letters of Intent)

Elton John AIDS Foundation Invites Letters of Intent for 2011 Funding Round

The Elton John AIDS Foundation is accepting Letters of Intent (LOI) for its 2011 open call for grant proposals.

For this funding round, as in previous years, EJAF invites LOIs from any proposed project that is aligned with EJAF grantmaking priorities including HIV programs focused on gay men's health and rights, African American health and rights, youth mobilization for sexual health and rights, syringe access and harm reduction, prisoner re-entry, and scale-up of quality HIV programming in the southern United States, Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Any nonprofit organization located in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Central and South America may apply for funding.

Unsolicited proposals should request no more than $50,000 during the calendar year of 2011.

Organizations must complete the online LOI by June 1, 2011. Organizations approved to submit a full application will be notified by July 15, 2011, with full online applications due by September 1, 2011.

Visit the EJAF Web site for complete program guidelines and the online LOI form.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Critical for a Successful Nonprofit? The Dream Team Board. Learn Below How to Effectively Train and Enable Your Board Members, and How To Get Your Board Working Successfully

2011-05-16T06:15:00.000-07:00

How To Be A Modern Nonprofit Board Member, or, Nonprofit Leaders, Willing To Take A Look At Yourself for the Good of the Nonprofit You're Working For?

After Recruiting Board Members Help Them Become Effective Immediately

Here Are Some Tips to Get Your Board Behind Your Agency's Grant Writing

A real world example demonstrating how utterly critical excellent leaders are for a nonprofit organization and its ability to raise funds and thrive:
Fundraising Isn't Optional, Non Profits, "Putting the Word Out and Bowing Your Heads..." Is Not Fundraising, BendFilm

Who's The Boss At Your Nonprofit? Not the E.D.. Not the Board. It's the Mission Statement!

Each and All Nonprofits Must Comply With the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002

Specific to the Board, see the entirety of the following post, but especially look at items number 4 and number 10:
Top 10 Grant Money Myths: Do You Think You Know What You're Doing While Looking for Grant Money? Or, Do You Know That You Don't?

Nominations for Financial Awards for Community Agencies Partnering With Cargiving Research

2011-05-16T05:55:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[For more information on this award opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this blog post].

Deadline: July 1, 2011

Nominations Invited for Rosalynn Carter Leadership in Caregiving Award

The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving is accepting nominations for its Leadership in Caregiving Award. The annual award recognizes leadership in implementing innovative partnerships between community agencies and caregiving researchers to bridge the gap between science and practice. These partnerships help move effective caregiver support programs to widespread use in the community more quickly and efficiently.

The award-winning team will be announced at the RCI's National Summit to be held October 5-7, 2011 in Americus, Georgia. Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will present the team with a cash award of $20,000 and a statuette. The cash award is intended to support the team's efforts in implementing effective caregiver interventions at the community level.

Winning partnerships must have clearly demonstrated: dedication to developing effective evidence-based caregiver interventions that improve the health and well-being of caregivers; collaboration and partnerships between all stakeholders in the caregiving process; potential for developing or more effectively using financial, educational, and human resources to support caregivers; effective reach into the target population; and potential to serve as a model for other individuals, groups, organizations or communities in efforts to better support caregivers.

Complete program guidelines and nomination forms are available at the Rosalynn Carter Institute Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Needing to Learn the Basics About Nonprofit Organizations, Grant Writing, and Other Basic Nonprofit Operations? See Below...

2011-05-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

Some Easy Information From the IRS to Help Nonprofit Organizations Keep Their (Official Charity) Status and Remain in Compliance

The Foundation Center Now Provides Free Website That Teaches How to Do Grant Writing

Places, Resources, and Ways to Learn Everything From Fundraising to Other Nonprofit Operations (Some Are Free)...

A Few Very Good Free Grant Resources, Professional Advice Resources, and Also Job Seeking Resources

How This Blog Can Help Your Nonprofit to Raise Grant Money

How to Learn What Federal, State, Local, or Tribal Grants Are Available, & How to Apply for Them

A Complete Primer On What Capital Campaigns Are, How They Work, How to Fundraise for One, and How to Specifically Apply for Grants for A Capital Campaign

Grants for Public/Private Partnerships Eradicating Invasive and Noxious Plants

2011-05-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

Deadline: July 15, 2011 (Pre-proposals)

Pulling Together Initiative Invites Grant Proposals to Control Invasive Plant Species

A program of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Pulling Together Initiative (PTI) seeks proposals that will help control invasive plant species, mostly through the work of public/private partnerships such as cooperative weed management areas.

To be competitive, a project must work to prevent, manage, or eradicate invasive and noxious plants through a coordinated program of public/private partnerships and also help increase public awareness of the adverse impacts of invasive and noxious plants. Successful grant proposals will focus on a particular well-defined area such as a watershed, ecosystem, landscape, county, or weed management area; have the support of private landowners, state and local governments, and regional/state offices of federal agencies; include a specific, ongoing, and adaptive public outreach and education component; and employ an early detection/rapid response approach to invasive species.

In order to maximize conservation outcomes, projects that take place in NFWF priority landscapes in coordination with federal agencies will be strongly preferred. Priority landscapes include eastern North America early succession habitat; Prairie Coteau grasslands; Sky Islands grasslands; Gunnison sage-grouse habitat; Southeastern grasslands, especially longleaf pine forest; shortgrass prairie; upper Colorado River; and Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Applications will be accepted from private nonprofit (501)(c) organizations; federally recognized tribal governments; local, county, and state government agencies; and from field staff of federal government agencies. Individuals and for-profit businesses are not eligible to receive PTI grants, but are encouraged to work with eligible applicants to develop and submit applications.

The initiative expects to award a total of $1.3 million this year. The average award amounts typically ranges between $15,000 and $75,000, with some exceptions. Applicants must provide a 1:1 non-federal match for their grant request.

The complete Request for Proposals and application procedures are available at the NFWF Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

How and Where Resources Exist to Keep One Step Ahead For Prudent, Conservative, and Effective Budgeting and Planning in the Rebounding Economy

2011-05-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

It feels like one step forward, two steps back, and then another step forward, and so on. As the economy slowly recovers, it is difficult for nonprofits to plan out, budget for, and feel somewhat confident proceeding with fundraising. The safest bet is to remain conservative in one's financial estimates, continue to cut as much spending as possible, lessen expenses without negatively impacting the organization's mission and its goals, and to save.

Even still, there are questions.

Will new economic growth remain slow for five years, ten, or only two? How will an economic recovery, its speed, and its impact effect our: hiring, future organizational growth, and our ability to meet goals and achieve benchmarks?

These and all other related questions are not just pertinent, right now, they are of course prudent.

How can a nonprofit leader, then, responsibly, realistically, and somewhat reasonably be effective when working on a nonprofit's immediate goals?

__ For the geographic region that the organization both operates in and serves (and sometimes these are different (i.e. an American organization that serves a specific region in Africa)) leadership should be reading the local newspapers keeping attention focused on the local economy(ies) and forecasts for those.

__ Never forget the myriad tools that Google offers to the general public. Create a free, quick, and easy Google Alert through which you can create a widget that reads the Web at your preferred interval (i.e. each week) and gathers the links for sites that discuss anything that you wish to regularly search the Internet for (i.e. a single word, term, or phrase). You create one by following their quick and easy prompts. So, if you wish to know what is being discussed each week about say "philanthropy" in a specific geographic region such as perhaps "Saline County, Missouri" then create a Google Alert for those two phrases and it will e-mail to you (weekly) a list of everything new that week, on the web, that includes those two phrases. Or, if you want to know what people are saying about your organization, create an Alert for its name; do you want to stay on top of what's being said about you online, do the same; or if you wish to follow what is being said about the beneficiaries of the nonprofit that you work for, create an Alert with appropriate search phrase(s) that will result in locating what's being said about them (or those). In other words, use the search term you would type into a search engine to locate whatever it is you wish to follow weekly online.

__ Talk to colleagues who volunteer with or work for other nonprofit organizations, or government agencies, or companies whose work is related to the work of the organization you are working for. Keep networking always.

__ Read the printed and online materials of professional affiliations related to the work your nonprofit does (i.e. advocacy, research, public oversight and reporting, etc.) ; also keep up on the latest best practices, thinking, and goings on for those professional affiliations related to the specific job you do for the organization (i.e. volunteer management, bookkeeping, executive, fundraising, etc.); keep up, too, on business groups and their thinking in the geographic regions your organization fundraises in and serves.

__ Always keep in touch with others working or volunteering with other nonprofits that work in the same region that your organization serves and raises funds in (whether they work with nonprofits doing similar work or not). It's good to know what other nonprofits are currently dealing with, how they're approaching various challenges, what they are finding works and what hasn't, and who they are working with that they find helpful, etc. This kind of networking is not industry-specific but rather general and concerned with just knowing what is going on with other nonprofits and sharing the same.

__ Stop by pertinent public libraries, visit their Reference Desk or Department, and be sure to keep up on what studies have been done most recently in the region. The data and statistics that public agencies but sometimes others publish and their findings can often provide very current and extremely invaluable information about a given region's population, needs, and where holes exist in public services or how accessible those are, and this information can truly help update or keep a given nonprofit current in its mission and goals.

__ Learn how to understand local and regional economic forecasts (located in everything from national and local media and reputable websites to local banking and those banks' studies, findings, reports, and forecasts).

As the economy slowly recovers, there is great hope. The hope, in financial terms, should be buoyed with a healthy concern for hedging one's optimism, padding the 'rainy day fund', and saving where one can for a nonprofit's best interests.

Four to Eight U.S. Research Consortia Being Created to Study Effects of Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill With Ten Year $500 Million Commitment

2011-05-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[For more information for this grant opportunity, click "Link to RFP" at the end of this blog post].

Deadline: May 9, 2011 (Letters of Intent)

Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Offers Funding for Consortia to Study Effects of Oil Spill

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Research Board has released a Request for Proposals to establish four to eight research consortia that will study the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010.

Funded with a ten-year, $500 million commitment from BP, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative is a broad, independent initiative targeting research institutions primarily in the U.S. Gulf Coast states.

The GRI Research Board is funding consortia in this initial RFP because some of the research will be so complex that it necessitates contributions by multiple institutions and multi-disciplinary teams. The research that will be conducted through these consortia will inform the scientific understanding of oil spill and dispersant impacts on ocean and coastal systems in the Gulf region.

The purpose of the RFP is to select the research activities for years two to four (June 2011-May 2014) involving research consortia. For this solicitation, a research consortium is defined as consisting of four or more universities, institutions, or independent organizations. In general, research consortia will consist of institutions in the Gulf Coast states, provided that research institutions outside the Gulf Coast region may be members of or participate in partnerships with such research consortia, to the extent required to ensure the delivery of high-quality scientific studies in fulfillment of the objectives of the GRI.

Proposals must address one or some combination of the following five topics: physical distribution, dispersion, and dilution of petroleum (oil and gas), its constituents, and associated contaminants (e.g., dispersants) under the action of physical oceanographic processes, air-sea interactions, and tropical storms; chemical evolution and biological degradation of petroleum/dispersant systems and subsequent interaction with coastal, open-ocean, and deep-water ecosystems; environmental effects of the petroleum/dispersant system on the sea floor, water column, coastal waters, beach sediments, wetlands, marshes, and organisms, and the science of ecosystem recovery; technology developments for improved response, mitigation, detection, characterization, and remediation associated with oil spills and gas releases; and fundamental scientific research integrating results from the other four topics in the context of public health. Each research consortia proposal is expected to develop and enunciate a clear plan to address any one of the targeted topics or a cross-disciplinary program of work involving a grouping of some of these topics.

Total funds available for distribution through the RFP will be a minimum of $37.5 million per year. Four to eight research consortia will be selected, and funding for each is estimated to be between $1 million (minimum) and $7.5 million (maximum) per year.

The GRI Research Board will issue a second Request for Proposals at a later date. Through that RFP, the research board will award grants focused on activities involving less money and less internal management than a research consortium. Grant recipients will be individuals or smaller collaborative efforts involving a principal investigator and co-PIs from up to three additional institutions working on the same research themes as described in this RFP. A maximum of $7.5 million per year will be available through the second RFP, with grants, on average, ranging from $100,000 to $1 million each per year for up to three years.

For complete program information and application materials, visit the GRI Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Grant for U.S. Nonprofits Innovating and Creating New Dimensions of Performance

2011-04-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[As always, if you're interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: July 1, 2011

Drucker Institute Announces Call for Applications for Nonprofit Innovation Award

The Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University has announced a call for applications for the 2011 Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation.

Administered annually since 1991, the Drucker Award is granted to a social sector organization that demonstrates Peter Drucker's definition of innovation — "change that creates a new dimension of performance." The judges also look for programs that are highly effective and have made a difference in the lives of the people they serve.

Applicants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations.

Funded by a grant from the Coca-Cola Foundation, the first-place prize is $100,000. The second-place award is $7,500, and the third-place prize is $5,000. In addition, the winners of this year's competition will be invited to attend the Drucker Innovation Forum at Claremont later this fall. At this invitation-only event, participants will gather for a cross-sector conversation about strategies for making innovation systematic and effective within their organizations.

For complete program guidelines and application procedures, as well as information on previous award recipients, visit the Drucker Institute Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

About Budgeting and Affording Grant Writing

2011-04-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

Not sure how your nonprofit will afford a grant writer? See...

Planning Your Organization's Grant Writing Expense

and

How Do We Afford Grant Writing

Grants for Projects Effectively Helping Wildlife Adapt to Climate Change

2011-04-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: April 29, 2011 (Pre-proposals)

Wildlife Conservation Society Invites Applications for First Grant Round of Climate Adaptation Fund

The Wildlife Conservation Society's North America Program has announced the first round of grantmaking through its Climate Adaptation Fund, a new program to support projects that demonstrate effective interventions to help wildlife adapt to climate change.

The program seeks to support actions that anticipate and respond to potential climate change impacts and maximize long-term conservation goals. Applicants must articulate how climate adaptation science informs the proposed conservation actions and specify the source of science and/or analysis upon which their adaptation project is based.

Grants awarded through the fund will support wildlife adaptation projects that are designed to implement landscape-scale strategic habitat conservation plans and achieve the following types of results: demonstrate land management techniques to assist wildlife adaptation to climate change; protect or expand core habitat areas; create new protected areas or change land use designations to secure intact habitat; assure connectivity for wildlife between core habitat areas; and protect keystone species at risk from the impacts of climate change.

To be eligible, applicants must be U.S.-based nonprofit conservation organizations with 501(c)(3) status. Grants can be awarded for projects only within the 50 U.S. states and six U.S. territories. Public agencies, tribal governments, and universities may partner on proposals submitted by an eligible nonprofit conservation organization or work as paid contractors on funded projects.

With funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the WCS Climate Adaptation Fund will provide up to $2 million in total grants in 2011 for projects of one to two years in length. Grants will range from $50,000 to $250,000 per project. The fund requires a minimum 1:1 match with a maximum of 50 percent of match funding from in-kind sources.

Visit the WCS North America Program Web site for the complete Request for Proposals and application procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Whether or Not to Publicly Acknowledge A Grant Donor, How To, and When To

2011-04-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

When a nonprofit receives a grant, it is a moment to enjoy, but we all know the work doesn't end there. Part of the work remaining to be done is keeping the relationship up with that grant donor. The goal is not just to get another grant from them. Maintaining and striving for strong relationships with donors (any donor and all donors): retains a nonprofit's past and current donors; it fosters an inclusion where the donor is not just sent a form thank you letter but rather enjoys the benefits (too) of the nonprofit's achievements in the community that the donor helped the organization to achieve; and it raises the community's perception of the nonprofit because they have a personal sense of how the organization treats them and while, too, providing an avenue for that donor to ask questions (i.e. "...I see in the donation thank you letter that I received that the nonprofit is currently providing (some service) to (some population) because of (some situation). I want to know more about this effort because I want to help..."). The donor then consistently receives information about the organization (i.e. perhaps through a regularly disseminated newsletter), its mission, and its current work and goals, and it encourages that donor to become more active with the nonprofit (perhaps volunteering or perhaps just sharing with a friend or co-worker, "...I donated to that nonprofit because they do good work...").

So it goes, then, being that relationships are two-way streets, a nonprofit organization should proactively develop an affirmative policy that states how the organization publicizes supporting grant donors and grants that it receives.

Grants are not just an opportunity for an organization to fund its current goals. Grants also indicate to other grant donors still weighing whether or not to give to a specific nonprofit that others in the community deem the organization (and its work) worthy of a grant (and that can and does sometimes encourage other grant donors (who've also been applied to, at that time) to also decide they will give a grant, too. A nonprofit's proactive affirmative policy on publicizing grants it receives might be: 'At the time our organization receives a grant (from any grant donor) we will immediately contact our direct contact at the grant donor's office if it is not noted in the grant donor's grant giving guidelines, ask them whether we can: notify other potential donors (who were also applied to) about the grant being received; include them in our quarterly donor list on our newsletter and website; include them as a donor on the brochure, web page, marketing materials, and press releases explaining the program or service that they funded; and in conversations the nonprofit's leaders have with others in the community, may they mention our having received the grant when they network or do any public-facing work on behalf of the organization? We will always honor the donor's preference on this matter.'

When it is O.K. with all parties involved it is a smart fundraising and marketing move for the nonprofit to publicize that the organization received the grant because it empowers the nonprofit when the community sees that others in the community support that nonprofit's work, it empowers the organization when the community comes to understand what other organizations (which grant donors) support that nonprofit, and it empowers the agency when the community comes to know what programs and services the nonprofit provides that others in the community decided to support.

Notifying other potential donors (who were also applied to) about the grant being received - Of all of the suggested public relations methods listed, here, this one is far and away the most important because potentially it may immediately raise more funds. If a grant donor is comfortable with it (and this is not uncommon for recipient nonprofits to do - so most grant donors are usually O.K. with doing so), notify all of the other potential grant (and other types of major donors) that have been solicited for the same project or service that the grant is going to fund that your organization received a grant from whichever donor gave it.

Thank you letter - A thank you letter under the executive director and board's signature should immediately follow receipt of a grant. What comes into question is whether the organization is using a donor database to manage the donations it receives, its relationship with its donors, issuing its thank you letters, and disseminating its newsletters. If a nonprofit uses a donor database, be certain to either turn off issuing a newsletter to a grant donor who is entered (or already in) the database because they do not need a quarterly newsletter from your organization. Imagine it. They are literally in the business of donating grants to nonprofits. If every organization that received a grant sent them a newsletter (even with the best intentions) regularly, that grant donor's office would never get to their actual mail. Their post box would be clogged. Unless a grant donor requests it - do not send them regular solicitations or fundraising requests (other than the aptly timed and pre-researched grant proposal).

Donor list - Many nonprofit organizations include a list of its most recent donors perhaps in its annual report, website, regular newsletters, and in other publicly disseminated modes. If a grant donor does not want to be acknowledged as a donor, publicly, or if the grant donor only wishes to be acknowledged as "anonymous" or "an anonymous donor" honor their wish and only refer to them in this way, publicly. Honor the donor's request.

The program or service's brochure, web page, marketing materials, press releases, etc. - Many programs managers like to include the names of major donors to their projects, like grant donors, because it informs the beneficiaries and other supporters of that project who in the community is enabling the project to occur. For instance, a pharmaceutical company may sponsor a cancer support group and the participants may appreciate knowing that the pharmaceutical company that is manufacturing the medicine they are taking is also supporting their personal welfare, too.

In conversations the nonprofit's leaders have with others in the community, as they network or do any public-facing work on behalf of the organization - as nonprofit leaders discuss the nonprofits that they work for with others in the community, in short but clear form, they should be sharing what the organization's current work and goals are and its most recent achievements including having just received a grant. Most grant donors expect a recipient nonprofit's leadership will share with others this achievement, but if for instance a grant donor's requested that it only be referred to as an anonymous donor, then it is imperative that the fundraising office notify all of the organization's volunteers, staff, and consultants privy to the grant being received and who donated it, that the grant donor is to only be referred to as such.

Asking a donor (any kind of donor who gives to your organization) whether they are O.K. (or not) being publicly thanked or acknowledged for their contribution and then following through with their preference both enables that donor (strengthening the relationship that the organization has with that donor) and also acknowledges that donor's right to say what their preference is. Asking them what they want honors the relationship, and demonstrates that a relationship (and level of professionalism) is in place that they can come to expect from your organization. This can engender a long-lasting relationship that provides those who need in your community with more and better services and products while enabling your organization to achieve new goals by virtue of the support your organization receives from its community.

Grants for Nonprofits Using Art to Address Root Causes of Economic, Political, and Social Injustice

2011-04-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[As always, if you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this blog post for more information].

Deadline: April 25, 2011

Left Tilt Fund Invites Grant Applications for Social Justice Projects

The San Francisco-based Left Tilt Fund is a private nonprofit social justice foundation that funds organizations and artists working to address the root causes of economic, political, and social injustice through community-based organizing, education, legal advocacy, and other innovative means.

The fund is particularly interested in economic equality, civil liberties, prisoners' rights, labor issues, racial justice, homelessness, the environment, the arts, and international work pertaining to Palestine, the Middle East, and Latin America. The fund strives to support a diverse range of social justice organizations, including those that do not receive funds from traditional sources.

The fund is accepting applications for its first grants cycle of 2011. The fund supports nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations with grants up of to $10,000. The fund generally does not support conferences, governmental agencies, or animal welfare organizations. Individuals seeking grants must have an eligible fiscal sponsor.

For complete program guidelines, application procedures, and information about previous grantees, visit the Left Tilt Fund Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Is Your Nonprofit Organization Operating In Order to Close Upon Its Mission's Completion?

2011-04-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

Nonprofits are in the business of getting out of business. Ideally, for each cause, issue, concern, or need that a given nonprofit works to solve; the end comes and the issue is eradicated.

Stephanie Strom wrote Mission accomplished, nonprofits close up shop for the New York Times, April 1, 2011. It is no April Fool's joke. To quote,

"A few nonprofit groups have recently announced plans to wind down, not over financial problems but because their missions are nearly finished.

"Most notable, perhaps, is Malaria No More, a popular nonprofit that supplies bed nets in malaria zones. Its goal is to end deaths from malaria, a target it sees fast approaching.

"The charity has announced plans to close in 2015, but it is keeping its options open in the unlikely event that advances against malaria are reversed."

It may seem a strange way to operate any kind of organization, including a nonprofit. It might even seem odd to launch or be a leader of an organization that eventually may complete its mission and end its own work for just that reason. Perhaps it even seems 'pie in the sky'. Yet, of course, it happens.

Is the end-goal of every nonprofit to achieve its mission statement's goals? No. Is this not being the case a function of some demonstrated need that will never be entirely met but can be more met than not, so the organization is always necessary? Is a nonprofit that does not observe a conceivable completion of its organization's mission presuming that the issue that causes the need it addresses can not be ended? Has the nonprofit's leadership never imagined its work might someday no longer be needed (for good reasons, such as the discovery of the cure for cancer, the end of child malnutrition, etc.)? Or, is it difficult to even think about the organization having an end because its end would be personally difficult for the organization's leadership (for whatever reason: self-identity, income, ego, etc. or all of the above).

Looking at the nonprofit that yo work with, was the organization's eventual end (meaning, the organization eventually closing because its mission statement's goals have all been achieved) written into the business plan of the nonprofit when it was being formed? Is it a core value of the organization, among its leadership, volunteers, and staff? If not, why not?

The answer is perhaps not as important as simply asking the question. No person likes to think that there is a finite-ness to an effort their making, especially when that effort is to better or improve our communities. No one wants to imagine that the organization that they volunteer for or perhaps work for is going to become obsolete (even if for good reasons), some day. It's not that we're a bunch of selfish people, but rather, its natural to hope to be able to further one's achievements (which are also the organization's achievements (successes, accolades, and improvements). Yet, who among us wouldn't like to see the end of cancer or any type of suffering, harm, or difficulty? Where do the answers to these questions leave the nonprofit organizations that you and I each work for? In other words, what impact is our needs as individual people placing onto the organizations we volunteer with or work for?

By virtue of nonprofits being in business to provide some service, product, or program that is needed but not yet being provided (or is not accessible); there is that other side of working on issues, causes, or community challenges. The other side of nonprofit work is that someday each of our organization's mission statement's goals will be achieved, ideally. So...what then?

No nonprofit should start itself up assuming anything is easily solved or fixed, that can't be. This goes without saying. Yet, should nonprofits operate without their leadership truly taking stock of where the organization is in its (realistic) potential total life time (or amount of time it will realistically exist (be needed))?

The New York Times article ends with Malaria No More's leadership, vice chairman, Scott Case, admitting that with the end of their organization on the horizon his number one concern is getting the organization's staff new professional jobs. The irony is not lost on him. He and the staff (among others) have created an amazing accomplishment for people who were facing malaria and its devastation. They achieved their success so well, that now the very people who successfully helped are about to need help, themselves.

Grants for American Animal Welfare Nonprofits Helping Keep Pets and Families Together

2011-04-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

From The Foundation Center...

[NOTE: If you are interested in more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: June 30, 2011

Banfield Charitable Trust Accepting Grant Applications for Programs to Help Keep Pets and Families Together

The Portland, Oregon-based Banfield Charitable Trust is accepting applications from nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations for its next grant funding cycle.

Twice annually, the Banfield Charitable Trust offers grants to nonprofit organizations whose programs help provide a direct solution to avoid surrender or separation of companion pets from families.

The trust’s funding priorities include basic veterinary care for financially challenged companion pet owners and families; programs that help the homeless, seriously ill, home-bound, or disabled care for or keep their pets; companion pet food banks; education programs that directly relate to keeping companion pets and their people together; behavior modification programs to correct inappropriate companion pet behaviors so that pets may remain in the home; and disaster preparedness and response.

The trust does not fund spay and neuter or adoption programs, general operating expenses or fundraising events, grants to individuals, or international programs.

The trust does not fund more than 50 percent of an entire project and expects to be one of many funding sources. Grants made by the foundation in 2010 ranged from $3,000 to $30,000.

Complete grant guidelines, the application packet, and information on previously funded grants are available at the Banfield Charitable Trust Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

How to Raise Donations, Or Rather, How to Raise Donors Who Give Again

2011-03-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

Donors who lament, "...they got me...they got me to give..." aren't likely to give to that organization again. No nonprofit should, upon discovering one of their donors gave and then mentioned this to another, after; feel their fundraising is effective. This is not good for either the donor or the nonprofit.

Fundraising isn't a side-gig where nonprofits mostly focus their energy and efforts on the organization's work (the mission statement) but '...have that annoying fundraising to get to at some point, too'. Fundraising is a full time job. What nonprofit doesn't constantly need cash flow? Well, then it needs to be raised, constantly - all year round, every week, every business day.

Donors are not forced, cajoled, or sand that give once to our organization but then slip on and away. Donors are people, foundations, corporations, families, local businesses, etc. In other words, donors are people. The goal, then, is to retain the person who gives to our organization once, so that they give again, and again. How?

If we consider the tragedy of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami and the ensuing need, there, like any other catastrophe people are compelled to help however they can, including donating towards a relief organization. But, after the Japanese pick up the pieces and get their nation moving on steadily, again, will those donors give again to say The American Red Cross, regularly? In this case, they might not and its not that The Red Cross has lacked in its fundriasing effort. In this scenario, the donor was compelled to give for whatever reason and selected The Red Cross as the organization it entrusts their contribution with. The donor trusts that the assistance that they can afford to send to Japan will reach the Japanese at nearly 100% of the monetary amount pass through, in a program, service, or form of relief that truly meets the current needs of the Japanese, such that it actually helps someone or some people. Now, if the donor comes to know exactly (what percent of) their dollar did, for whom, how, and what need existed or remains for that assistance, that donor might give to The Red Cross again.

Or, what about our friend David, who recently moved from an apartment to a small rental house closer to his children's school? He packed the apartment up two weeks ago and all last week moved from the old apartment complex into his new neighborhood. While he packed, he put aside anything that he no longer used or needed. He planned on donating everything that was in good condition to donate to St. Vincent de Paul's or Goodwill, and making a run to the dump with everything else. Perhaps David decided which nonprofit to donate his used clothing, household items, and furniture to based on convenience. After all, he was literally in the middle of a move. Or, perhaps David has given to a specific charity used household and personal goods before and has a personal connection with that organization, so he gives to them, again. There are a couple of reasons, at least, that David would select one nonprofit over another, when he decided which organization to give his items to. If he's giving, again, to an organization he gave to, before; then the recipient organization might just have a repeat donor. David might have a strong tie to that particular organization. Perhaps a friend who was down on her luck when the economy went south was tremendously helped out by one of these organizations and he saw what that assistance did to help her. Or, perhaps David, after giving a coffee table, set of cooking pots, and some jeans and sweaters he no longer used to an organization, was clearly informed, perhaps by a thank you letter (even a form one), where the contributions go, to whom, why, and what need exists for that assistance. He was informed and from that information, the organization created a repeat donor, because David saw that the contribution was given to a hard hit, low income, family in need; and he didn't realize, but the unemployment rate in his town, right then, was nearly 20%. The need clearly exists for that kind of assistance and he was able, through the organization's work, to successfully help others.

Finally, let's say that our friend Kim was just diagnosed with breast cancer. You and I had taken turns going with her to a couple of preliminary doctor's appointments, for tests, so we know that Kim is understandably shocked, feeling powerless, and terrified. You and I speak on the phone after we discover that the concern has indeed led to a diagnosis. We coordinate our schedules so that we can each be there for Kim, right now. While you take Kim to her first chemotherapy appointment, I spend the day phoning local breast cancer nonprofits. Neither you nor I have much experience with breast cancer, and Kim certainly hasn't until, now. All of us are out of our elements, understandably, and needing to know what we can do to help Kim survive it, get through it mentally and emotionally. Like most anyone who is faced with a new terrifying diagnosis (of any kind), none of us have any idea about what support, information, and services exist in our community for us and Kim to get through this in the best possible way. Let's say that I phone five different nonprofits. I hadn't even realized that there were five nonprofits, locally, that dealt with breast cancer. One assists people who have breast cancer (and their loved one) by providing information on local doctors services just for breast cancer patients, refers patients to local oncologists and other relevant specialists with excellent reputations and success rates, and provides counseling and support to patients and even their loved ones (who are often care takers). Another organization provides transportation at low or no cost to those in need who can not get to cancer-related doctor's appointments and treatments, otherwise (for lack of resources, lack of personal vehicle, inability to walk on one's own, etc.). The third organization provides information to the public but mostly fundraises to provide cancer researchers (doctors, scientists, etc.) with funds to find a cure. The fourth organization provides housing, food, clothing, or any other basic need to those who are cancer patients, but without means of their own to arrange for these basic needs for themselves. The fifth organization, I find out, provides hospice or personal care, medical assistance, and spiritual care (for any faith) to those who are tragically perishing from cancer. I learn, while speaking to these organizations, that there are two good oncology departments in our local hospitals but one (over the other) has an excellent breast cancer unit and has actually but recognized, nationally, for it's success rate and repeatedly excellent care of patients. I also find out that one local doctor, in particular, given Kim's specific diagnosis (as I related it) would probably be very effective at helping her eradicate the cancer entirely. I decide that this information and the first two organizations will probably be extremely helpful to Kim and us, during her fight against cancer. I base this on Kim's particular financial, emotional, mental, and health insurance situation. She is working, she has good health insurance, her ability to care for her basic needs are fine, and of course, though she's just been diagnosed, she is certainly not dying and we anticipate that she won't for tens and tens of years to come. I also base that decision on how we can best help Kim. I know that you and I have to work, but we know, too, that sometimes Kim will have an appointment during the work week. The second organization will be very helpful at safely getting Kim to and from those weekday appointments on time.

I gave this in depth example above, based on a similar (but not exact) nonprofit that I worked at for over five years, in Seattle. The reason why I gave such an in depth scenario about Kim and the organizations that 'I phoned' is to demonstrate the lack of knowledge, real needs, and emotions that someone (anyone) who phones a nonprofit (any nonprofit, for any issue or cause) might be dealing with. The well run and successful nonprofit that succeeds at delivering its mission (repeatedly) can wind up being a real answer in a time of some one's time of severe need. It can wind up being the difference between survival and a tragedy. Similarly, the scenario above demonstrates what both the person (or thing) that has experienced the actual trauma and the people in their lives go through. It might be an 'everyday thing' for the volunteers and staff at the organization to answer the phone and hear that another person needs their assistance, but if their office is run well, and if the volunteers and staff are both trained well and given necessary support from their superiors; no call for assistance is less dire or important than any other the organization received in the past or will receive. From this comes donors. You and I might come to learn exactly what assets our community has in the two nonprofits that we and Kim work with. After her battle with cancer is won, in a couple of years or so, perhaps you and I look back at the entire experience, with Kim, and decide that the nonprofits that helped were literally partners in her survival or our ability to form a viable and safe team that would help her survive and get through the horrors of breast cancer. Based on this, the three of us decide to pledge some amount to the two organizations and the hospital, regularly. We three feel confident about giving to these specific organizations because we witnessed (or experienced) where the money goes, what it does, and we know the organizations (in this scenario) are honest, effective, efficient, and successful at what they do. We're donors for life.

From the different donor experience examples, above, you can see from the potential (individual) donor's perspective how a nonprofit can create new donors who give again and again. Nonprofits that do not follow through, that do not thank donors, or that do not expressly describe what current work is being done, where, for whom, why, and how (to each donor - no matter if they gave $5 or $25,000) are simply leaving potential repeat donors (and future donations) by the wayside.

When Writing A Grant Proposal, Should The Grant Writer Use Professional Jargon or Not?

2011-03-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

When writing a grant application or proposal, it can be difficult to deal with the jargon or words that are unique to a nonprofit's professional field of work. Does the grant writer take the time, in the actual grant proposal, to define jargon words, after each one's use? Does the grant writer, instead, use jargon in the grant application but then also provide an index of professional jargon in the back, as an attachment? Or, does the grant writer just avoid jargon and replace it, where it would've been used in grant request documents, with 'everyday' words?

All nonprofit organizations work in a professional field. One organization assists people who have just been diagnosed with breast cancer, another receives brand new school children's clothing as donations and gives them out to children in need, and the next one works on an entirely different cause. Add to that, too, that each nonprofit's mission statement, or service or effort for the community, varies organization to organization, as well. For instance, the organization that is assisting those who have just been diagnosed with cancer might provide support groups, information and referral services, provided by professional social workers, the children's clothing donations might be all volunteer run, while a housing and lending program might be run to provide low income families with the basic information on how to save for and achieve the dream of home ownership.

What an organization does to provide its service, product, or program; and what cause or issue a nonprofit works on determines what professional field(s) it works in. Some are organizations working in environmental causes and their effort is conducted by biologists, oceanographers, and administrators; others are religious organizations conducted by appropriate religious leaders, lay people, and volunteers; and still other nonprofits provide emergency and disaster relief and are doctors and nurses.

For every cause or issue and every type of program or service provided, in other words, for every professional field, there is language unique to it and this is what is commonly called jargon, and each field's jargon mostly varies from the next, but of course there is some overlap in word use.

Why worry about jargon at all?

When any organization writes and submits grant proposals, there is always going to be someone (i.e. foundation staff and board of directors) or something (computerized programs that receive grant proposals on behalf of a grant donor and process them, initially, for the grant donor) that reads the grant application that you and your staff and volunteers have just submitted. It is imperative that this fact never leaves a grant writer's mind as they write, formulate, compile, and submit each grant proposal. Since you and I do not know who will read each grant proposal we submit, but we each hope that every single one gets funded, we must format, write, compile, and submit grant proposals that make it easy for whomever or whatever reads them to get the first time around: what our organizations will do with the grant money, why, how, for whom, when, expecting what outcome. You nor I want to get in our own organization's way of getting any grant by befuddling, confusing, or losing the potential grant donor's interest or comprehension as they read our submission. Instead, we always want to be creating excellent submissions that will enhance the recipient's impression, experience of, and knowledge about our organizations.

For example, if I work for a nonprofit that is mostly staffed by geologists and the organization works with communities around the world being endangered by exotic gems trade, my grant proposal might include the following paragraph. Imagine that you work for the grant donor and are reading the document (quickly - along with two hundred and fifty other grant proposal submissions) to determine which get to the next stage in the consideration process.

"...Gems Are People Too, when assessing what options a community has to avert and avoid conflict or endangerment, as they process their local geology, our geologists conduct field work and assess the strike, dip, and run on site; the size of the developed gembody; and the composition (in ratio to one another) of the geologic formation including veins, intrusions, and contacts."

You might generally understand that the geologist goes into the field and takes a true assessment of each location's geology and describes it according to professional geologist practices, as you read the grant proposal, but you don't necessarily understand what exactly the organization considers, determines, and uses to base its work on. It is very important, though, that I make it easy for the staff at the grant donor's office to understand what I am explaining about the nonprofit and its work, if a grant donor is going to give to my nonprofit. It is imperative.

So, I should re-write the above example paragraph and remove the jargon. I should not create a larger paragraph (because I'm not using jargon but having to explain everything in 'layman's terms'). I should still formulate clear, on point, succinct, and informative sentences. A re-write, then, might look like this:

"Gems Are People Too, when assessing what options a community has to avert and avoid conflict or endangerment, as they process their local geology, our geologists conduct field work and assess what the geologic history is in the immediate area, what direction each type of rock in that location runs, and how large each body of the geology is. We determine what gems, minerals, ores, and rock the local geologic resource is comprised of, in total, including whether or not other types of rock interrupt or intrude into the majority rock, on site."

The re-written paragraph avoids jargon, conveys the same information about the nonprofit's work, and avoids confusing, frustrating, or losing the person or program that will read the grant proposal; all in relatively the same amount of word-space. The second re-written paragraph could even be whittled down a bit more, without losing key information or facts.

Jargon has its place in professional dialogue, among colleagues, but it should not be used in grant proposals that might confuse the grant donor. No one needs to be condescended to, nor shown how brilliant an applicant organization is through the grant proposal's use of jargon. A nonprofit must, in a grant proposal, clearly convey, articulate, and demonstrate what the organization applying for the grant does, why, for whom or what, how, and all other key details without losing, confusing, or frustrating the grant application reader.

How to Safely Donate to Assist the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Victims

2011-03-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

Charity Navigator, one of the web's finest (oldest, ethical, and accurate) resources for donors, provides advice to anyone who is donating to assist in the Japanese tsunami and earthquake relief effort. Click on Charity Navigator's Japan Earthquake and Tsunami page for donation tips and warnings.

The American Red Cross explains on their American Red Cross Responding to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami web page what they are doing and posting daily with updates. They have a link to donate to their effort on the web page.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reports regularly, too, on their Japanese tsunami and earthquake relief work and also provides a link to donate to the cause through their work at No Rest for Red Cross Medics As Search and Rescue Efforts Continue

and then some of the latest headlines, as of this morning...

Japan economy shudders after shocks, BOJ pumps cash by Leila Kihara at Reuters

Stricken Japan nuclear plant rocked by 2nd blast by Eric Talmadge and Shino Yuasa at The Seattle Times

Gigwise reports on a relief effort by pop, rap, and other artists to support the Red Cross at Katy Perry, P Diddy, Rihanna, Chris Brown Support Japan Relief Efforts

Finally, one of my favorite online resources for all things nonprofit, Joanne Fritz, Ph.D. (as she always does after a major crisis) has pulled together, on About.com Nonprofit an excellent list of other, various, reputable nonprofits that are actively working on the Japanese tsunami and earthquake relief effort. The list is available at How You Can Help the Earthquake and Tsunami Survivors in Japan.

No matter how you decide to assist those impacted by this major Japanese crisis, be sure to keep Charity Navigator's advice (first link, above) in mind for safe and effective contributions.

What To Say About This Economy In Grant Proposals - Or Not To Say

2011-03-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

When applying for a grant, as described in the potential grant donor's giving guidelines, it is often required that there be some content in the nonprofit's grant proposal describing the organization's financial picture and its financial outlook.

It is very tempting, here, to say something about how hard hit the nonprofit has been by this down economy, isn't it? In fact, any nonprofit applying for a grant could say this. Remember, though, you always want to be indicating and demonstrating why your organization (and the program or project you're proposing in the grant application) are a sound investment for anyone considering donating anything, including a grant. In this way, you always want to set your organization apart from other applicants by your organization truly being the better investment - enabling the grant donor to select your organization as a grant recipient in that giving cycle.

What do you want to say in a grant proposal (in the financial portion of the document), and what do you not want to say? See the following...

__ Always say something. Never think that there is some power retained by being extremely discreet or not providing a grant donor with the information that they request. Anything requested of your organization by a grant donor (within normal professional practices and standards) should be provided to that grant donor.

__ Keep in mind that all of the organizations that are applying for a grant from that grant donor, when you do, have also been impacted by the difficult economy. Most likely, even the grant donor, itself, has.

__ Any nonprofit that "seems too good to be true" as depicted in their grant proposal or application for a grant, (and remember, grant donors read tens and tens of grant applications during each giving cycle) is a red flag warning to them. Don't make it easy for a potential donor to put your organization's request into the "not at this time" pile, after they review your request. Never suggest your organization is perfect, impervious, and likely to succeed at everything 100%. It comes off as it sounds: like you and the organization's leadership are either not being fully honest or perhaps you don't have much experience.

__ Say a sentence or two (not a whole paragraph, unless it's requested by the grant donor) about how your organization has been effected by this economy beyond simply stating "it's been effected by this economy" or (even worse) "we have had a difficult time from this economy". These are both pieces of information that the person who reads the grant request can already guess (so why waste precious space in a grant document stating the obvious?). Instead, articulate, in clear (honest and quantifiable) phrases how the economy effected your nonprofit? Getting long winded or too detailed isn't appropriate, here, if it isn't requested of the grant applicant. If the grant donor wants more details, they will ask you for them.

__ State the true repercussions of the economic downturn and how it impacted your organization's ability to deliver the goals of its mission statement to the beneficiaries of your organization's work. State in clear quantifiable data how this impacts the beneficiaries and their needs that your organization meets.

__ Indicate (and this is important - this is how you can set your organization apart from other applicants, for the better) clearly, again in quantifiable factual data, how your organization is surviving this economy intact, and how it will continue to operate, grow, and achieve its mission statement's goal.

__ Never assume that any success, accolade, or achievement is obvious to the grant application reader (no matter how good your organization's public relations and marketing has been). If your organization has achieved successes among organizational goals or programs and services - clearly state each of these that are recent. Not all organizations run well enough to achieve successes - so being clear that your organization has is powerful to the grant donor and their weighing whether to give to your nonprofit or not.

__ Indicate how your organization's leadership prepared for the pending economic decline, if they did; or state how the leadership coped with the budgetary challenges as the economy changed; and explain how the decision and changes that were made enabled the organization to further its work and successes.

__ Keep to succinct, poignant, defensible, factual, and confidence-building facts and sentences. Again, write sentences and paragraphs that get to the point succinctly.

Grants Available for American Nonprofit Organizations Using Computers, Technology, or Video Games to Educate

2011-03-07T06:34:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information about this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post].

Deadline: May 15, 2011

ESA Foundation Offers Support for Youth-Focused Education Technology Programs

The ESA Foundation, a philanthropic vehicle of the Entertainment Software Association, is dedicated to supporting programs that make a difference in the lives of America's youth.

The foundation is accepting grant applications from nonprofit organizations that provide programs and services utilizing technology and/or computer and video games to educate America's youth and young adults (ages 7 to 18).

Applicants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations or governmental units exempt under Section 115 and described in Section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. Funding must be sought for a specific project or program that is or will be implemented or available nationwide or in a minimum of two states in the United States.

In general, the ESA Foundation does not accept applications for endowments, operating support, benefit and event fundraisers, annual fund appeals, youth sports teams, religious organizations for religious purposes, political organizations or campaigns, labor groups, indirect costs, research, or from fiscal agents. Grants are not made to individuals or for projects outside the United States of America.

First-time grant recipients will be considered for grants of up to $50,000 each.

The grant application deadline is May 15, 2011 for projects to be implemented in 2012.

Visit the ESA Web site for complete program guidelines and application procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Primary Subject: Children and Youth
Geographic Funding Area: National

A Complete Primer On What Capital Campaigns Are, How They Work, How To Fundraise For One, and How to Specifically Apply for Grants for A Capital Campaign

2011-02-27T10:15:00.000-08:00

The following are five posts written to educate the reader about how capital campaigns work, what they typically fund, how they are usually conducted, what is unique about them, and how one conducts grant writing for capital campaigns. Please read:

How A Capital Campaign Is Different From Most Other Fundraising Methods

How A Capital Campaign Works

Who Does What In A Capital Campaign

The Basics About Grant Writing Specifically For A Capital Campaign

The Specifics About How To Write A Viable Winning Grant Proposal for a Capital Campaign

Mental Health Journalism Fellowship Offering for Journalists in the United States, Romania, and South Africa Reporting On Mental Health Issues

2011-02-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information about this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this blog post].

Deadline: April 18, 2011

Applications Invited for Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism

As part of an international effort to reduce the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness, the Carter Center annually offers the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism to support journalists from the United States, Romania, and South Africa in reporting on topics related to mental health or mental illnesses.
The goals of the year-long fellowships are to increase accurate reporting on mental health issues and decrease incorrect, stereotypical information; help journalists produce high-quality work that reflects an understanding of mental health issues through exposure to well-established resources in the field; and develop a cadre of better-informed print and electronic journalists who will more accurately report information through newspapers, magazines, radio, television, film, and the Internet and influence their peers to do the same.

To be eligible, applicants must have at least three years of experience in print or electronic journalism (writing, reporting, editing, producing, film making), and be a citizen or resident of the United States, Romania, or South Africa.

Six U.S. fellows will be awarded stipends of $10,000 each. International fellows are awarded a comparable stipend. Stipends cover expenses during the fellowship project, including travel, materials, and other incidental expenses.

Visit the Carter Center Web site for complete program information and application procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

The Specifics About How To Write A Viable Winning Grant Proposal for A Capital Campaign

2011-02-20T14:44:00.000-08:00

Specifically conducting grant writing to raise money for a capital campaign has its own unique processes, like all other work on a capital campaign. Some are the same as general grant writing but some are unique when raising grants for a capital campaign.

I began this series of blog posts discussing how capital campaigns work, what they are, and how a nonprofit fundraises during one with the posts, How A Capital Campaign Is Different From Most Other Fundraising Methods, and next, How A Capital Campaign Works, The Basics About Grant Writing Specifically For A Capital Campaign, and most recently, Who Does What In A Capital Campaign. These posts include the basics and primer for this post.

Typically, by virtue of capital campaigns usually being some of the single largest increment funding goals a nonprofit will place for itself over the course of the organization's history, any capital campaign grant that a nonprofit applies for are in very large dollar amounts. Depending on the goal and need, a nonprofit might apply for a $150,000 capital campaign grant up to several million dollar grants.

The document will include the usual necessary information and section included in a well composed grant application. This capital campaign grant request, though, will include a bit more that is unique to this kind of campaign. A competitive potentially viable grant proposal (or grant application) that is raising funds specifically for a capital campaign will include the following:

__ A clear goal that is defined, finite, and truly viable. The campaign has been planned to be strategically successful. There must be demonstrable support for the capital goal among the organization's community, and that support and those supporters must be described in quantifiable detail (i.e. either the capital campaign is raising funds towards a new building or it is raising funds for the organization's endowment fund). The true cost of the capital campaign's goal must be described in detail according to the grant donor's giving guidelines on what they want to know in the 'budget' section of the proposal and the attached project and campaign budgets. Finally, you must be able to describe exactly (again in verifiable details) how the organization plans to sustain this campaign, the capital project, and the organization's usual operations and growth, all in tandem.

__ In the project description portion of the grant proposal, there must be a definition of the project that is clear and finite including what need the beneficiaries of the organization have for this capital project and how they will benefit from it, a full description of all costs (as explained above), a timeline for the capital campaign (itself), and a timeline for the capital project (whatever the capital campaign is raising funds to finance), and each plan must include contingency plans in case of problems or unforeseen issues.

__ The fundraising plan description of the grant proposal must demonstrate leadership. The organization, itself, by virtue of its successes and achievements (including its potential for future success), and also the organization's leaders must be of a very reputable, expert, credentialed, and connected quality. These specific people may not need to be each described in the actual proposal (usually the grant donor's giving guidelines will request a list of the current board of directors, for instance, that may include where each works and their position (or where they retired from, etc.)). The level of leadership must come across though, by virtue of the quality, capability, successes, and verifiable potential that the organization is relating through the proposal's thorough but concise details, planning, execution, evaluations, interactions in the community, demonstrable community buy in to the organization and this campaign, etc.

__ The fundraising plan, in the grant application, must also include: a strong indication that the constituents from which most funds will be raised (for the capital campaign) have already been identified, studied for realistic viable fundraising potential, and even already talked with by the nonprofit's leadership, perhaps. A fundraising plan that can share a case study (or feasibility study, if one's been conducted) that can place the capital project into the context of the community is very compelling.

During the grant process, specifically for a capital campaign, grant donors will typically want the following from organizations that they give grants to (and as always, each grant donor differs from the next one, so it is truly vital that a nonprofit fully researches each potential grant donors it is planning to apply to, BEFORE it applies, in order to know what each grant donor will need, among other reasons):

__ Progress reports (usually at set increments, such as quarterly) which might include: a list of the donors who have given so far, and total funds raised so far, pending fundraising requests and any that include known decision dates, and progress on major donor requests

__ The nonprofit has to have raised money before it applies for grants. This is why, during a capital campaign, the grant writing work is usually conducted during the second or third phase (of the total fundraising to be done for the campaign).

__ The capital campaign must be funding a goal that truly meets a real (but as yet, unmet) need in the community and preferably meets that need in an innovative but viable way. It should be a real solution that will do what it intends to, and will be evaluated to check for goal achievement and to determine what needs improvement.

How can you tell if your organization's grant goals for your capital campaign are viable, beyond a feasibility study's findings? Compare your organization's recent work and operations to any of the larger grant donor's requirements of the organizations that apply to them for capital campaign grants (i.e. Kresge, Ford, etc. foundations). For example, it is not unusual for a major capital donor to require any nonprofit that applies for a capital campaign grant to have:

__ 3 years, or more, stable financial history

__ continuity of executives (leaders)

__ 100% board giving

__ detailed fundraising and project plans to succeed at both the capital campaign and the actual capital project the campaign will fund

__ ability to achieve each benchmark (for both the fundraising and the project)

__ leverage of the fundraising during the capital campaign (such as a major donor willing to match funds raise, perhaps $2 for each $1 raised - and this is not unusual)

__ transformation of the nonprofit, itself.

Grants for United States Nonprofits Empowering Older Adults

2011-02-20T14:38:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information about this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this blog post].

Deadline: March 4, 2011

National Community Reinvestment Coalition Invites Grant Proposals for Initiative to Empower Older Adults

The National Community Reinvestment Coalition, (NCRC) with support from Atlantic Philanthropies, has announced its 2011 Request for Proposals for National Neighbors Silver, an initiative to support and empower older adults across the United States.

In line with NCRC's mission to increase fair and equal access to credit, capital, and banking services in under-served communities, National Neighbors Silver is designed to specifically address the problems of older adults in America who are facing financial insecurity due to historically high rates of home foreclosure and unemployment.

The program will bring community, public, and private-sector partners together utilizing structured, neighborhood-focused outreach, education, and advocacy to benefit older adults. The National Neighbors Silver grant will fund regional advocacy networks, facilitated by local organizers. NCRC will select five organizations over three funding cycles, for a total of fifteen organizations. Each funding cycle for this program will last three years.

Grantees will bring the goals of inclusion, opportunity, economic stability, and empowerment to their region's older adult population through the following activities: 1) creation of an organizing network to engage and activate older adults, along with the general public, to build power and promote key policy initiatives; 2) education of a task force of community practitioners on issues effecting older adults; 3) minimization and discouragement of discrimination and predatory practices that weaken the financial security of older adults; and 4) preservation of the wealth of older adults and their primary financial assets — their homes — through strengthened home ownership, enhanced home equity, and improved foreclosure prevention programming.

The program will provide $37,500 in year one, $30,000 in year two, and in-kind support in year three. Grantees must provide $10,000 in matching funds in year one, $17,500 in matching funds in year two, and $47,500 in funding for year three. Preference will be given to applicants who include a Letter of Interest for the first-year $10,000 match. This match can be provided by the grantee's organization or from an outside funding group, collaborative, or other nonprofit.

Applicants must be nonprofit corporations or advocacy organizations with proof of 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status, and members of NCRC at the time the grant proposal is submitted. (For information about becoming a member, visit: http://www.ncrc.org/get-involved/become-a-member.)

Visit the NCRC Web site for program information and the complete Request for Proposals.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Who Does What In A Capital Campaign

2011-02-16T07:59:00.000-08:00

In, The Basics About Grant Writing Specifically for A Capital Campaign, my previous instructional post, I explain from a high arching point of view what is specific to raising grants for capital campaigns. In this post I am going to begin to talk more specifically about this grant raising process. The people involved in a capital campaign must, through a well researched and planned capital campaign, be the key and are the key to its success.

I began this series of blog posts discussing how capital campaigns work, what they are, and how a nonprofit fundraises during one with the posts, How A Capital Campaign Is Different From Most Other Fundraising Methods, and next, How A Capital Campaign Works, and then as mentioned, above, The Basics About Grant Writing Specifically For A Capital Campaign. These posts include the basics and primer for this post.

Everyone who is involved in the work of a capital campaign (perhaps except for the capital campaign committee members) will have already existing jobs and tasks that they do for the nonprofit. Capital campaigns always demand additional work be added to every one's work load and the leaders must acknowledge this, prior to planning a capital campaign, and build in the campaign plan preparations for this 'double' work load (perhaps by bringing additional (perhaps temporary) volunteers, interns, or even staff to assist with either the new additional work for the capital campaign or to help be certain the usual work is getting done).

The various committee members, other volunteers who will work on the capital campaign, executive director, board members, staff, and if pertinent, any consultant(s) must do a single, clearly defined job, that lists anticipated outcomes for each, a timeline that includes benchmarks noting when each individual's anticipated outcomes or goals are to be achieved by, and everyone must know what each person who is working on the capital campaign is responsible for and their contact information. This includes the leaders involved in the capital campaign, as well.

As is always the case when applying for grants, leaders will be the 'front line' of most if not all major donor fundraising, including raising grants for this capital campaign. As stated in a previous capital campaign post, leaders must know what work the nonprofit is doing in the community, and specifically, what need that work is meeting. Board members, the executive director, and any other organizational leaders must be regularly and often getting out in the community and conversing with pre-determined and researched potential donors, including (as is appropriate) grant donors, such as board members of foundations that the nonprofit is going to apply to. As leaders raise these larger increment donations, they will become not just capital for the fund but also they will be used as leverage.

Large increment donations that the organization acquires should be (as cleared with each donor) used as an example for all other potential donors that the organization is going to approach. In other words, in the budget portion of a grant proposal, it is wise to list under "Income" all promised donations already acquired (confirmed) thus far. Also, the larger donations already raised can be used as leverage in face to face major donor meetings. The board member or executive director meeting with potential major donors must be sure to share with these individuals what other funds have already been raised thus far, too. Sharing what large gifts have already been received demonstrates to donors who are considering giving (whether a grant donor or individual donor) that there is community buy-in to this capital campaign and its goal; and the amount raise thus far can also indicate to those considering giving how much the community supports the nonprofit and its campaign by virtue of the amount raised thus far (and if pre-authorized, also by who has given or pledged donations, already).

As is also always the case in fundraising, the leadership who will be the most successful at fundraising (for any campaign, including a capital campaign) are those people who believe so much in the need the community has for the organization's work, and the beneficiary(ies) of the organization that they impart a personal passion for the nonprofit's successes and achievements upon the potential donors that they meet. Also, the leader who gives a larger amount gift has an easier time asking others to do so, too, as they've in effect 'put their money where their own mouth is'. It's easier, too, to ask others to give if you, yourself, have already given.

Leaders who already have well established relationships with leaders of foundations or other types of grant donors (i.e. municipalities) will have an easier time getting face time with those leaders to express why they should give to your organization's capital campaign.

As is true of all fundraisers, leaders will need time to be built into the campaign plan and its timeline. This means all leaders involved in the capital campaign must have their own time to not just give to the organization but a personal commitment that demonstrates that they will attend all organizational meetings, conduct all the tasks expected of them, and will follow through, as necessary. Too, having time means that the nonprofit must allow each leader a realistic amount of time to: train or learn how to raise large increment donations, practice doing so, set appointments, begin meeting with pre-identified and pre-researched large donors (including, as planned, ans as is allowed, grant donors). No one who raises funds simply walks out the door, after beginning a new campaign, and raises $1 million.

Finally, when discussing key roles in raising larger increment donations during a capital campaign, the executive director also must have specific tasks (in addition to all usual organizational operations work that they do when there is no capital campaign going on) assigned to them. Executive directors, like board members, are powerful fundraisers, as well. They must have the time to give to a capital campaign (which may require that the organization hire an interim 'co-executive director' during the capital campaign, so the organization and its office continues to run smoothly). It must be clear what the executive director should be spending their time doing to achieve the goals of their work for the capital campaign.

Volunteers and staff (and if pertinent, consultants) who are not leaders have their own important respective roles to play, too, in the success and achievements of a capital campaign.

If a nonprofit hires a capital campaign consultant, the consultant typically does one (or all) of several potential jobs. Consultants most usually train all leaders (the board and executive director) in all or any one of the specific tasks that leaders must do for a successful campaign. They may also be instrumental in recruiting new board members with: powerful connections, prior successes working in other capital campaigns elsewhere, or with many philanthropic friends. Consultants can also assist the organization with its feasibility study, planning the campaign, and strategizing for a compelling and successful capital campaign. If your organization is shopping for capital campaign consultants, ask colleagues working for or volunteering with other nonprofits who you know have gone through a successful capital campaign, and ask who they worked with. Or, you can (for organizations located anywhere in the United States) log onto the Association of Fundraising Professionals and look over their consultants list (who are only members of this well regarded and reputable professional affiliation). As is always the case when hiring anyone for any fundraising work - be sure to interview several strong candidates, ask for several references for each and follow through and talk with each reference about each candidate, and ask for credentials, examples of recent success, etc.

Volunteers, for the capital campaign, might assist in the usual day to day work, do administrative work, assist with programs, or assist the staff and leaders who are working on the capital campaign.

The staff, as already stated will inevitably have an additional (perhaps burdensome) work load and this simply must be planned for, alleviated to some degree, and dealt with such that everyone is still accomplishing everything that they should, the usual day to day work is not suffering, and achievements in all areas are being made. The final three needs listed in the previous sentence, if occurring after a capital campaign is implemented, will indicate (if they occur) that the plan in place for the capital campaign's staffing and double work load is effective. The best litmus, though, are the employees themselves. If they do not feel they are getting enough support or not being heard by the leaders, problems will arise in operations and this can be expensive in many ways. So, it is best to plan for and proactively deal with staffing needs and issues, before a campaign gets underway.

Staff, for the capital campaign, will do various specific tasks related to the jobs that they were hired for. The bookkeeper will be a part of the budgeting and planning for the campaign. The volunteer coordinator will be a major part of planning for, recruiting for, and placing volunteers in a strategic, satisfying, and effective manner for everyone's benefit. Programs people will still be conducting their usual work (like everyone else) but may also be asked to speak about the 'front line' work the organization is doing to potential donors, or may be instrumental in helping word marketing materials or the programs description in grant proposals and other fundraising materials. Administration will inevitably be impacted in their workload filing, support, answering and directing phone calls, etc. The fundraising staff, though, will most likely be the most impacted staff at the organization. Capital campaigns will require that the fundraisers do their usual work, over the year(s) that the campaign runs, in tandem with all new, additional, capital campaign-specific fundraising work. The fundraising staff will be a part of perhaps the capital campaign committee, but most definitely will be including in planning and implementing the capital campaign. They will support those going and doing face to face meetings with major donors, for instance, by helping to identify ideal potential donors for the leadership to meet with, conducting research on those donors to inform and enable the leaders prior to their meetings with these key donors, and more. The fundraising staff will also help plan and conduct each fundraising method to be used over the course of the capital campaign (i.e. perhaps: major donors campaign, appeals, grant writing, pledge drive, etc.). They will also help plan, implement, and run any special events that might be a part of the capital campaign.

In my next instructive post, I will discuss the specifics about raising grants for a capital campaign.

Grants for Safe and Vital Communities for: Tolerance, Economic Empowerment, Teen Safe Driving, and Domestic Violence Programs

2011-02-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[If you are interested in more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this blog post].

Deadline: March 11, 2011

Allstate Foundation Invites Applications for 2011 Grant Program

The Allstate Foundation, which provides funding in communities across the United States to address key social issues, is accepting applications for the first round of its 2011 regional grant cycle.

Grants are available for both new and renewal projects that fall under the foundation's grantmaking focus areas: safe and vital communities; tolerance, inclusion, and diversity; and economic empowerment.

Safe and Vital Communities: The foundation is dedicated to fostering safe and vital communities that are economically strong, crime-free, and give residents a sense of belonging and commitment. Safe and Vital Communities funding priorities include teen safe driving, catastrophe response, and neighborhood revitalization.

Tolerance, Inclusion, and Diversity: The foundation is committed to programs that bring tolerance, inclusion, and value to people of all backgrounds regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, age, or physical challenges. Tolerance, inclusion, and diversity funding priorities include teaching tolerance to youth to help foster a generation free of bias and intolerance, and alleviating discrimination by encouraging communities to be free of prejudice.

Economic Empowerment: The foundation is committed to empowering Americans with the economic resources and knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their financial future. Economic empowerment funding priorities include helping domestic violence survivors build their financial security, and increasing Americans' financial and economic literacy.

A majority of foundation funding is dedicated to the foundation's two signature issues — teen safe driving and domestic violence. Teen safe driving grants support programs to make smart driving socially acceptable to teens by changing the way teens think and act in a car as a driver or passenger. Domestic violence grants fund programs that use financial education, job training, matched savings, and other economic empowerment tools to help domestic violence survivors build their financial independence as a way to get free and stay free from violence.

The Allstate Foundation also offers specialized grant programs to state and local domestic violence organizations.

Applicants must be a United States-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, or a municipal, state, or federal government entity.

Visit the Allstate Web site for complete funding guidelines, online application form, and an FAQ.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

The Basics About Grant Writing Specifically For A Capital Campaign

2011-02-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

A portion of the total money raised for a capital campaign should come in the form of grants. In this post, I discuss raising grants specifically for capital campaigns, but this information will be helpful to anyone seeking a grant for a large single increment (generally,$100,000 or larger).

In two previous posts I led up to this post. In How A Capital Campaign Is Different From Most Other Fundraising Methods I give a general overview of what a capital campaign is, and what is unique to it. Then explain the specifics of a capital campaign in How A Capital Campaign Works.

The necessary professional nonprofit best practices, knowledge of the common grant application process and its steps, the mechanics of good grant writing and its skill, and other knowledge, skills, and professionalism are still necessary when planning, undertaking, and conducting a grant writing campaign specifically for a capital campaign (which is usually going on concurrently with all of the organization's usual annual grant writing work). Anyone reading this who is not familiar with these basics is invited to review the "Labels" (in the lower right hand margin on this web page) to understand them further (i.e. "How To", "Grant Writing", "Best Practices" labels, etc.). Reviewing, too, what has been explained about capital campaigns thus far: capital campaigns are most usually a historic one (maybe two) time event in the history of the organization, they raise some of the large amounts of money in one campaign in one period of time, the amount of money to be raised and the time taken to raise the capital funds are both planned in advance and finite, capital campaigns are such lofty goals and unique campaigns that it is nearly imperative that a nonprofit bring one or more new board members with previous successful capital campaign experience, and capital campaigns leave nonprofit organizations (after they are completed) not just with a well funded endowment fund or a new building but they also leave organizations in a particularly strategic and strong position in their community as their message (mission, goals, achievements, and potential) are understood among community members of all kinds, and they have positioned the organization to conduct some of its most successful (and larger amount) fundraising for the finished campaign but also going forward.

When a nonprofit conducts grant writing as a portion of the total fundraising effort for a capital campaign there are some unique specifics to this type of grant writing.

__ There is a single purpose or use for the grant if it is raised. This makes for a very focused, clear, and on point grant proposal (or grant application).

__ When a foundation or other type of organization that gives grants becomes aware of your organization's capital campaign and understands the nonprofit's goal and reason or need for the capital, they might know major donors who would be interested in giving (as individuals) to your nonprofit towards the capital campaign. It is not always the case, but it is not unusual for a grant donor's program manager to share a few potential major donor leads with an applicant nonprofit's executive director or board member in the course of discussion about the campaign and grant application.

__ These same foundations, and others that your organization applies to for the capital campaign, will want to see what the community's take is on your organization, what the capital will fund (i.e. an endowment or a building), what your organization's potential is to further your organization's mission and current (and future) organizational goals, and more. How do they take this 'temperature reading'? One way is they take note of how interested potential major donors (people who, by virtue of their ability to donate in large increments, and evidenced by the causes and types of work that they usually donate towards, would be expected to be interested in funding your organization's capital campaign) are in giving to your organization's capital campaign. Being able to demonstrate to all types of donors, including grant donors, that your nonprofit's community is supporting the usual fundraising and additionally the capital campaign is very compelling for them to give, too. This is not unique to capital campaigns, but rather always the case - but this point is especially crucial if a nonprofit wants to successfully raise the funds it needs for its capital goal.

__ As stated in How A Capital Campaign Is Different From Most Other Fundraising Methods, it is not unusual for nonprofits, before they begin planning a capital campaign, to take a 'temperature reading' of their own to determine how viable or it is likely that their capital campaign effort would work. Speaking specifically of raising grants for a capital campaign, it is not unusual for potential grant donors (any entity that your organization is going to apply to for a grant for the capital campaign) to request a copy of the feasibility study and its findings as a part of the grant application the applicant organization will be asked to submit. Can you blame them? If a nonprofit applies to a foundation for, say, a $2million grant is it logical that the grant donor considering the request would want to see proof that it is already determined that the capital campaign effort the organization is conducting is viable? I mean, who wants to donate any amount at all, let alone millions of dollars, to a campaign and organization that can't demonstrate it can succeed at raising the total funds necessary?

__ As is always the case, the grant proposal or application should always be written from the standpoint of the community and specifically its need that the nonprofit is uniquely meeting. Writing any grant application but especially a larger increment grant request from the standpoint of the nonprofit rather than the beneficiaries of the organization work is a red flag to any grant donor that reads it that your organization doesn't understand basic fundraising best practices (and could extrapolate that your organization may not do well in the campaign).

In my next instructive blog post, Who Does What In A Capital Campaign, I will explain what people are involved in a capital campaign, what roles they typically fulfill, and what tasks they are usually responsible for.

Applications Sought for Funding for Women-Led Journalism

2011-02-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

From The Foundation Center...

[For more information about this grant opportunity, see "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post, below.]

Deadline: April 4, 2011

J-Lab and McCormick Foundation Seek Applicants for New Media Women Entrepreneurs Program

J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism and the McCormick Foundation are seeking to fund four women-led journalism projects through the McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs program.
The program seeks to support individuals interested in creating new Web sites, mobile news services, and other entrepreneurial initiatives that offer interactive opportunities to engage, inspire, and improve news and information in a geographic community or a community of interest.

The McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs program will provide one-time grants of $12,000 to women who have the vision, skills, and experience to launch a new venture. These can be solo ideas or team projects spearheaded by women.

Funding is available for start-ups only. Projects must launch at least a live beta within ten months, and must have a plan for continuing after initial funding has ended. Projects may be independent or housed within traditional media.

Award recipients will receive funding through a subcontract if they are an individual or affiliated with a business, and through a grant if they are affiliated with a nonprofit institution.

Visit the program's Web site for complete application guidelines.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

New York Times Takes Google To Task for Taking Philanthropy Lightly, Despite Many Attempts to Get It Right

2011-01-30T18:02:00.000-08:00

In The New York Times' January 29, 2011 Business Day feature, Google Finds It Hard To Reinvent Philanthropy, Stephanie Strom and Miguel Helft reflect on Google's charitable arm's giving, since 2004 when one of Google's founders, Larry Page, described what that charitable arm, called Google.org, now just DotOrg, upon its launch, would do. Strom and Helft consider whether DotOrg has met Page's 2004 hoped outcomes and achievements, but get from insiders who have worked for and with DotOrg, the inside scoop on some unfortunate findings. As many nonprofit executives and fundraisers have known for years, things haven't gone very well. The authors investigate from former DotOrg insiders what's gone wrong and why it went wrong.

For years it has befuddled many of us professionals working in philanthropy. Why (incredibly) has one of the most innovative, impact-ful, and game-changing companies ever to operate on Earth not done more to give to the community, at large? Heck, wouldn't it be swell if all of those wealthy Google employees, simply as individuals (capable of some phenomenal individual giving) understood philanthropy better than they apparently do. Google, from the beginning, conducted its charitable activities as a for-profit operation rather than as a more traditional foundation. The article states that DotOrg's executives felt operating as a nonprofit would stifle the charitable arm's then goals. Strom and Helft's article does not elaborate why DotOrg's leaders decided this.

It does sound, though, like the culture at Google, 'innovate at the bleeding edge of all fields by Google's great trade, collecting and making use of data' (oddly) befuddled the engineers or staff at Google's Mountain View, California (main) corporate campus, when they reviewed DotOrg's work, reviewing grant applications, considering DotOrg's potential to do good, etc. The article quotes different former DotOrg executives and employees (most of whom would not go on the record with their names for fear of damaging a relationship with Google, interestingly) as being mostly disappointed with the way DotOrg was managed, how little it was a part of Google, and how little interest DotOrg seemed to have from Google's executives and founders. Of course, innovation, at the bleeding edge, and making use of collected data is ripe for real-world solutions to issues challenging communities world-wide. What it sounds like, from the article, is that no Google executive understood (or still understands) how professional nonprofit best practices work, how modern day professional philanthropy operates (whether you're doing it via a nonprofit or for-profit charitable arm), and how to go about setting and then evaluating for intended goals in philanthropic operations (on both sides of giving: donating and then evaluating the recipient organization's program for its outcomes and lessons learned, after the grant was spent). How is anyone befuddled with such poor operations management apparent? It sounds much more like Google's executives felt an off the cuff need to 'give back', yanked a couple of mucky mucks from the philanthropic sector, and said, "Go do some good...". Google's executives didn't seem to have much time, thereafter, for anything much else, the article indicates.

The article does generally indicate that DotOrg was never clearly defined nor included in the Google culture, at large. DotOrg never had: a clear mission; clearly defined finite goals; expected outcomes (or ways to measure any outcomes); clearly defined fields of philanthropic interest where the charity arm would focus its giving attention; clear process or schedule to consistently, efficiently, but effectively involve Google's executives (and founders); and the charitable arm was never fully integrated nor managed to be an integrated part of the Google whole.

Of lesser importance is who's fault any of the failures were.

The great travesty is, of course, that, according to the article, there are causes and issues that are important to Google's executives (i.e. the environment, world health, green innovation, higher education, etc.) and those causes have, in all honesty, missed out because of Google (or its lacking charitable effort). DotOrg's original promoter, Page, hoped "... this institution may eclipse Google itself in terms of overall world impact by ambitiously applying innovation and significant resources to the largest of the world’s problems,” that the article quotes . Page wrote this wish in a letter to Google's investors in 2004. All well meaning intentions aside, Google, had real work to do. Philanthropic work, the work of nonprofits, is professional business (all aspects of it) and no concern seemed to have been given to starting, planning, regularly evaluating, and hiring for a viable, professionally conducted, and goal-meeting philanthropic program. One of the world's largest earners missed an opportunity, and according to the article, not just once, in its endeavor.

Have they learned? Having learned any lesson that caused improvements strengthening DotOrg and its potential (per Page's ambition) would be a win (for Google, DotOrg, and the community at large). It is not clear yet. The article closes by sharing DotOrg's current leader's intention. To quote the article, she says, "Yet for now, the high bar set by Mr. Page remains little more than a tantalizing target for DotOrg. “It is a pretty tall order to try to exceed the impact of Google,” Ms. Smith said. “But we are going to try.”".

I'm not clear why she intends to "try". There are a myriad of bleeding edge, in their own right, philanthropic successes that exemplify how it's done, when philanthropy is done such that the donors' goals and the beneficiaries of the nonprofits those donors help win. Also, there are tremendous resources in the form of community foundations (which most often offer its members excellent education and direction on how to give such that (once again) the donor achieves their goals by meeting the real and current needs in the community at large that interest them). Google's leaders might have some school yet to attend, dare I write it. While their brainiac talent are famous for being the 'creme de la creme' in engineering, it might be a thing for Google's leaders to understand that philanthropy requires many, various, well established, professional, and unique skill sets, for each given aspect of philanthropic work (which of course is vast), because obviously Google's leadership do not retain it. It didn't take this Times article to point it out. It has long been a mystery to any of us working in philanthropy where the Hell Google has been. They are the ones who set out to give back. We're all glad they've done well. There are struggling nonprofits, though, working on real issues (and by the way, working with exceptional talent in their respective fields, among many excellent nonprofits) that could use a powerful, talented, resource-rich, and yes, wealthy partner/investor like Google. Google's founders/executives might feel they're too busy to bother and why not plunk yet someone else into the executive helm of DotOrg, to alleviate their schedules? As best practices on both sides of philanthropy have borne out, the fact is, Google will not achieve its philanthropic goals (whatever those might be and who is certain of what those are) until its progenitors take an interest, educate themselves to some effective degree in contemporary professional philanthropic and nonprofit best practices (and process), and actively get involved in an affirmative spirit in DotOrg's mission, goals, work, and outcomes.

As we all know, outside of Google's Mountain View offices, the world could use Google's interest in solving issues.

Seeking Grant Money Today

National Council of Nonprofits Declares 2012 the Year of the Nonprofit Video - Why Take Note? See...

Grants for LGBTQ Youth Who Have Transformed Their Experiences With Bigotry and Discrimination Into Something Good To Improve the Community

Nominations of LGBTQ Youth Activists Invited for Colin Higgins Youth Courage Awards

What Are Endowments or Endowment Funds And Does Our Nonprofit Need One? Probably...

Grants for Schools Encouraging Emotional Development To Enable Children To Become Real World Problem Solvers (All Countries and Nations)

Ashoka Changemakers Invites Global Entries for Activating Empathy: Transforming Schools to Teach What Matters

Three Contemporary Articles Discussing Findings Proving the Widening U.S. Class Disparity

Grants for U.S. Public Schools in Farming Communities for Science and/or Math Education (in 39 states)

Monsanto Fund Invites Farmers to Nominate School Districts for America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Grant Program

Looking To Implement New Fundraising Methods? Has Your Nonprofit Considered These?

Fund Offering Support Efforts Building Nuclear Weapons-Free World

Ploughshares Fund Offers Support for Efforts to Build Nuclear Weapons-Free World

Grants for Community Public Lands Organizations

National Environmental Education Foundation Offers Funding for Volunteer Groups Serving Public Lands

The Southern Oregon Historical Society Has Raised Some Eyebrows... What Could They Have Done Differently?

Grants for Public Schools' Music Programs and Independent Music Programs

Muzak Heart and Soul Foundation Invites Applications From Music Education Programs for Music Matters Grant Program

Making the Case to the Team, Board, or Executive Director

Year Long Fellowship for Emerging Independent Film Producers

Sundance Institute Invites Applications From Emerging Independent Film Producers for Creative Producing Fellowship and Lab

Tips to Improve and Lessen the Costs of Nonprofit Operations

Grants for Independent Family Livestock and Poultry Farmers Working to Improve the Animals' Quality of Life

Food Animal Concerns Trust Launches Grant Program to Help Farmers Improve Conditions for Livestock

How To Increase Fundraising & Spend Less In the Coming New Year

Grants for Community-Based Wetland, Riparian, and Coastal Habitat Restoration

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Invites Applications for Five Star Restoration Grant Program

A Real World Example Demonstrating Why Nonprofits' Mission Statements Are More Important Than The Almighty Dollar

Grants and IBM Expertise for U.S. and International Cities' Governments' Offices and Districts (i.e. Port Authorities, School Districts, Etc.)

IBM Invites Cities Around the World to Apply for Second Year of Smarter Cities Challenge

Grants for Communities Using Arts and Culture to Revitalize Their Community

Kresge Foundation Invites Preliminary Applications for Arts and Community Building and Artists' Skills and Resources Grant Opportunities

What Are The Typical Different Fundraising Methods Nonnprofits Use To Raise Support? See...

Three Different Grants For Atheletics and Sports: U.S. Soccer for Youth, U.S. Football for Youth, and U.S. Girls Sports Ages 8 - 13

1. U.S. Soccer Foundation Invites Applications for Social Innovation Fund Subgrant Program

2. National Football League Grassroots Field Grant Program Offers Funding to Improve Youth Football Fields

3. Women's Sports Foundation Invites Grant Applications for Pennsylvania GoGirlGo! Funding Program

Why Volunteers Are More Than Invaluable People-Power, Who Also Enable Any Nonprofit's Fundraising To Raise More, and How To Do So...

Facility Investment and Building Reserve Grants for U.S. Arts and Culture Nonprofits

Kresge Foundation's Arts and Culture Program Announces Final Call for Facility Investment and Building Reserve Grant Applications

For Improved Grant Proposals, Be Sure to Be Succinct - Why It's Helpful and How to Be Succinct:

Matching Grants Program for Citizen Based Monitoring Field Work Benefiting American National Forests and Grasslands

National Forest Foundation Announces 2012 Matching Awards Program Guidelines

Transparency, Why It Matters Now More Than Ever, What It Really Is, & Why Your Organization Should Be As Transparent As Possible

Grants for People, Organizations, & Agencies Working To Create Sustainable Fisheries In the United States

Fisheries Innovation Fund Invites Pre-Proposals

In Order To Raise Grants, It's Helpful to Understand Grant Donors & Where They Are Coming From

Nominate A Software Developer Who Has Created Open Source Software for the Nonprofit Sector

Nominations Open for Public Interest Computing Prize

Want To Increase Your Nonprofit's Grant Raising Success Rate? Then...

Matching Grants for Sea Turtle Research, or Assessment, or Bycatch Reduction and Conservation Projects in the Western Hemisphere

Sea Turtle Conservation Fund Invites Pre-Proposals for Spring 2012 Grant Round

How to Create A Budget For A Grant Proposal and Also, How To Budget In Order To Afford Grant Writing

Grants for U.S. Nonprofits Providing Disaster Recovery and Rebuilding After Hurricane Irene

AmeriCares Launches U.S. Disaster Recovery Grant Program to Aid Survivors of Storms and Flooding

Contribute Assistance For Victims of Hurricane Irene

Grants for U.S. K - 12 Students Attending Museums, Historic Sites, and Cultural Organizations

Target Accepting Applications for K-12 Field Trip Grants Program

Watch What Message Your Nonprofit Sends By Being Clear Everywhere It Connects At All With the Public

Grants for U.S. Nonprofits, Tribes, Local or State Governments Studying Value and Impact of the Arts

National Endowment for the Arts Offers Grants to Research Value and Impact of the Arts

Why Successes or Having An Accomplished Track Record Is Important for Any Nonprofit to Be Able To Raise Funds

Grants for Projects Fully Studying and Finding Solutions for U.S. Unwanted Horse

Morris Animal Foundation to Fund Research on Unwanted Horses

Grants for Nonprofits Innovating Address the Issue of Coal Waste Providing Transformative Change

Educational Foundation of America Invites Proposals for Work Pertaining to Coal Waste

What the U.S. Losing Its Credit Rating Means, An Example of How (In Part) Our Nation Got Here, and What Is the U.S.'s Next Step

Grants for U.S. Educational Institutions or Nonprofits Researching the Economic Impact of Bicycling Facilities

Bikes Belong Foundation Offers Research Grants to Study Economic Impact of Bicycling

From Planning A Nonprofit's Grant Writing Work, to How Each Step of the Grant Raising Process Is Conducted According to Professional Best Practices (and Why)...

Grants for Nonprofits or Individuals Archiving or Preserving the Sound Heritage of America, And Also for Studies of Music On the Human Condition

Grammy Foundation Offers Grants for Music Research and Preservation Projects

Some Suggestions Based on A Fundraising Event That I Just Attended That Could Have Done Better, So Your Organization Doesn't Make the Same Unfortunate Omissions

Grants for Ghanan, Nicaraguan, and Pacific Islander Countries' Disabled Persons' Nonprofits

Disability Rights Fund Invites Grant Applications From Disabled Persons' Organizations in Ghana, Nicaragua, and Pacific Island Countries

For U.S. Charitable Organizations That Had Their Official Charity Status Revoked By the IRS, June 2011

Grants for U.S. Residents, Age 16+, Who Are NASCAR Fans and Are Making Significant Impact On the Lives of Children

NASCAR Foundation Invites Nominations for New Award to Recognize Volunteer Efforts of NASCAR Fans on Behalf of Children

How To Raise Donations, How To Increase Donations, & How to Retain Donors Who Give Again

Matching Grants for Nonprofits, Native American tribes, and Universities Doing Conservation Benefitting National Forests or Grasslands in the U.S.