Thinking Outside the Box:

1
Thinking Outside the Box

• How to Build Relationships
• and Secure Funding
• from Cities, Watersheds, and/or Counties

MNCN 2008 Annual Conference Kristen Denzer The
Advancement Company
2
Objectives for Today

• Learn to assess program(s) to determine the
  feasibility of funding by a city, watershed or
  county.
• Gain tools to identify the right person, and
  build solid relationships.
• Develop effective proposal-writing strategies to
  secure funding.

3
What this session is about

• Securing unsolicited (in most cases) funding and
  partnerships with local units of government (LUG)
  such as cities, counties, watersheds,
  conservation districts, etc.

4
What do I mean by funding and relationships?

• Funding Financial assistance for all or part of
  your project or program.
• Relationships Meeting and developing new
  partnerships and allies within LUGs to help
  ensure the success of your program or project.

5
Will this work for your organization?

• Almost all organizations have the opportunity to
  secure LUG funding.
• Examples
• Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy,
  Prevention and Parenting (MOAPP) Minneapolis,
  Hennepin County, and more.
• Friends of the Mississippi River St. Paul, Rice
  Creek Watershed District, and more.
• Examples from the audience

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Does it fit?

• How do you know whether your program would be
  fundable by a local unit of government (LUG)?
• Research
• LUG websites
• Similar organization websites

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It fits, now what?

• Who to contact?
• It depends
• City Program Manager/Coordinator (large cities)
  or City Manager or City Council (small cities)
• County Program Manager/Coordinator, County
  Administrator, County Board
• Watershed District Education staff, Watershed
  Board
• Conservation District Education staff, District
  Board

8
It fits, now what?

• Who to contact?
• What to say?
• Put together a case statement that includes
• 3-5 important bullet points about your program
• How your program serves the LUGs constituents
• How you would like to work with them
• Call the LUG and use your case statement as a
  guideline for your conversation ask for a short
  meeting to discuss further
• Keep timing in mind!

9
It fits, now what?

• Who to contact?
• What to say?
• Rallying the troops
• Show your contact that your program has support
  before the meeting
• Recruit constituents that live in that LUG and
  ask them to voice their support for your program
• Secure support from important stakeholders
• Send information to decision-makers about your
  program (city officials, mayor, city council,
  etc).

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So, you got a meeting

• Putting together a proposal for the meeting (1-3
  pages)
• What are your program goals?
• Why are these goals important to the LUG?
• Why should you be the one to meet these goals?
• What do you want from the LUG?
• Funding
• Promotion (utility bill inserts, city
  newsletters, website, etc)
• Budget
• How much do you need to accomplish the goals?
• The meeting
• Send proposal in advance (at least 1 week)
• The pitch
• Follow-up

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The Partnership

• Putting together a contract
• Include
• Terms of agreement (what you are doing for them,
  what they are doing for you)
• Payment Terms (how much and when)
• Other Services (are they providing free space, a
  utility bill insert, etc)
• Reporting

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You secured funding, now what?

• Make sure you keep it!
• Provide information and participant feedback
  regularly
• Invite decision-makers to attend programming
  (depending on program)

13
Examples

• Metro Blooms
• People Serving People
• Others in room?

14
Questions?

• Contact
• Kristen Denzer
• The Advancement Company
• kristen_at_advancementcompany.com
• 651-353-2085