Grant Prospecting and Proposal Writing

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Grant Prospecting and Proposal Writing

• Bill Morgan
• Foundation Corporate Relations Manager
• Los Angeles Regional Foodbank
• 323-234-3030 ext. 155
• bmorgan_at_lafoodbank.org

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What kind of organizations make grants?

• Charitable Foundations
• Corporate Giving Programs
• Government Agencies

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How can I get a list of granting organizations
and their guidelines?

• Develop a list the hard way through a number of
  sources.
• Get a subscription to a grantmaker database.
• Go to the Center for Non Profit Management and
  use their free FC Online service.

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Center for Non Profit Management

• Library ScheduleMon, Wed, Fri 12-5pmTue, Th
  10-3pmClosed on Weekends and Major Holidays
• Contact InfoNonprofit Resource Library1000 N.
  Alameda StreetSuite 250Los Angeles, CA
  90012Phone [phone]Fax [phone]Email
  library_at_cnmsocal.org

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Center for Non Profit Management

• The Basics of Grantseeking Grant Databases
  (Free Class)
• May 5, June 2 200pm 400pm
• Demonstration of FC Search
• Proposal Writing Basics in Spanish
• Wednesday, April 16 1000am 1200pm
• Boys Girls Club of East Los Angeles
• 324 N. McDonnell Ave, LA 90022
• (Free class and free copy of the Foundation
  Centers Guide to Proposal Writing)

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How do charitable foundations operate?

• Private Foundations
• Usually a single source of funds.
• Family Foundations less structured
• Large Foundations staff and board
• Community Foundations
• Large pooled funds from many sources with
  community oversight.
• Offers donors another philanthropic option.

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How do corporate giving programs operate?

• Large corporations Corporate Foundation
• Smaller corporations less structure, more
  diversity

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What do I look for in a funding organization?

• They accept unsolicited proposals.
• Their program focus and geographic focus is a
  match with your organization.
• They have given to similar organizations.

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What are the elements of a basic proposal?

• Cover letter, which summarizes proposal and
  includes request amount.
• Introduction/ Executive Statement (with request
  amount).
• Organization history and mission
• Problem/Need Statement

• Description of program (s)
• Objectives
• Organizational Capacity
• Evaluation
• Budget
• Conclusion

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How long should a proposal be?

• Basic Proposal Cover letter and 3 to 4 pages
• Guidelines with specific prompts/questions can be
  longer.
• Government and some larger foundation proposals
  can be 20 pages.

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What other kinds of information might I need to
provide as part of my grant application?

• Ethnicity and sex of people served, board, and
  staff
• Story of a program recipient
• Strategic plan summary
• Staff, key volunteer qualifications
• Anything else they want to know.

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What kinds of grant applications can I expect to
find?

• The submission of your existing basic proposal.
• A set of step by step prompts, asking you to
  address specific questions in order.
• An application form.
• An online application.
• PAY STRICT ATTENTION TO THE INSTRUCTIONS

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What documents will I need to submit with the
application?

• 501 (c) 3 letter
• Operating/Program Budget
• Audited Financials/990 Return
• Annual Report
• List of Board Members with affiliations
• A list of other major funders.

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How much should we ask for?

• Look to see what size grants the foundation or
  corporation generally makes.
• Most foundations and corporations will only fund
  a portion of a program or operating budget.

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When should we submit a letter of inquiry?

• A letter of inquiry (LOI) is a 1-2 page letter
  that briefly describes the program/project you
  would like funding for and the need behind the
  program.
• Some foundations and corporations use the LOI as
  an intermediary step in the application process.
  

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What role should my board of directors play in
the grant process?

• Make community contacts at funding organizations
• Donate
• Raise Funds

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Is it better to ask for operating support or
program support?

• It depends on your organization and the one you
  are applying to.
• If no restrictions are mentioned in the grant
  guidelines, apply where you have the greatest
  need.

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What are foundations and corporations looking for
in an organization they grant to?

• 501(c)(3) status.
• Serve clients without discriminating on the basis
  of race, sex, age, color, national origin,
  religion, sexual preference, veteran status,
  marital status, disability or medical condition.

• At least one-years financial history, supported
  by audited financials or 990 tax return.
• A history of successful programs and financial
  stability.
• A diverse and supportive Board of Directors.

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Does it help to know someone at the funding
organization?

• Yes, but to varying degrees depending on the
  funding organization.
• Board to Board contact is ideal.
• A staff to staff connection can be helpful.

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If my organization is faith based, does it affect
our ability to acquire grant money?

• If your organization, doesnt proselytize,
  require religious participation, or discriminate,
  then, generally, no.
• If your organization does require religious
  participation, there are funding sources
  available.

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How long after I submit a proposal can I expect
an answer?

• Generally, about 3 months.
• Some organizations can take more than a year, and
  some less than a month.

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Can I call to check on the status of my proposal?

• If not otherwise stated in the grantmakers
  guidelines, yes.
• Call about a week after submission is the best
  time to call, to make sure the proposal has been
  received and to inquire about the date their
  board will be meeting on it and others in that
  grant cycle.
• After this initial call its best wait until a
  few days after the date they have given you for a
  decision.

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If we are declined, will we know why?

• Decline letter will probably not give much
  information
• It is worthwhile to get a program officer (or
  equivalent) on the phone and get a post-mortem.

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If we are approved, what is expected of us?

• Acknowledge the grant.
• Report on the grant.
• Ask again.

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How do we get money for a Capital Campaign?

• There are a number of foundations who specialize
  in capital gifts
• A detailed plan for raising the funds and
  completing the project should be in place.
• 10 of the campaign goal should be raised first
  by the Board.

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Does receiving a grant from a foundation or
corporation help us garner other grants?

• Yes, granting organizations like to see that
  theyre in good company.
• It assures them that other known foundations
  and/or corporations have vetted your organization
  through their giving process.

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Is it a good idea to hire a grant writing
consultant?

• A small grant submission program can be
  maintained by volunteers.
• It can be useful with the initial proposal, or a
  large, complicated proposal to hire a consultant.

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Can we pay a consultant based on how much they
acquire in grants?

• The Association of Fundraising Professionals
  considers this kind of payment structure
  unethical.
• Some organizations do structure things this way.
• With grant writing, in particular, this is not
  the best option.
• The best approach is to budget funds for grant
  writing for the year and work with a consultant
  within this budgeted amount.

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Should our organization focus on trying to
acquire government grants?

• Local government grants that fund the work your
  organization is already doing are ideal.
• Many government grants are for initiatives that
  might expand programming in a direction your
  board hasnt planned for.
• Service contracts with local agencies are one
  form of government grants.
• Government proposals can be very competitive,
  time consuming and expensive.
• Focus on government applications that are a good
  fit with your organization.

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Resources

• The Center for Non Profit Management
  http//www.cnmsocal.org/
• Grant Proposal Writing Tips - http//www.cpb.org/g
  rants/grantwriting.html
• Basic Elements of a Grant Proposal -
  http//offices.colgate.edu/grants/tips/basic-eleme
  nts.html
• Foundation Center, Free, Online, Short Proposal
  Writing Course - http//foundationcenter.org/getst
  arted/tutorials/shortcourse/index.html