Christine Sculati's blog » foundations

Successful grant seeking relies on research, connecting and learning

christine — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:24:31 +0000

Writing grant proposals is only one step in the process of building successful grant funding partnerships with foundations.

To illuminate the path, today The Chronicle of Philanthropy posted a video for grant seekers on The Giveaway blog titled, “Common Mistakes Made by Grant Applicants.” Follow this blog for news and analysis on how people and foundations are donating their money.

The video features short clips of interviews with grant makers and consultants who attended the April 2011 Council on Foundations Annual Conference in Philadelphia. They highlighted common mistakes and offered tips:

Grant maker tips to avoid common mistakes

Do no over promise, exaggerate or propose unrealistic ideas.
When foundations encourage it, take advantage of calling to find out what they are really interested in.
Do not miss strong opportunities (e.g., if a grant maker selects your nonprofit as a potentially good parnter, don’t fail to follow up!)

Read the post’s comments for additional tips offered by other readers. Some include:

Avoid careless typos such as the misspelling of a foundation’s name or company name.
Do your homework: Research the proper way to apply and the appropriate contact name and title.
Find out what an appropriate ask amount would be for a particular foundation. Do your research and make contact with the foundation.

Over the years, I have attended many presentations and panels organized to give grant seekers a chance to hear directly from the representatives of foundations and institutional funders. Oftentimes, I hear that they receive a large number of applications that have no alignment with their interests. Worse, sometimes letters are addressed to the wrong foundation.

The bottom line is that successful grant seeking relies on research, connecting and learning. It is not a numbers game.

3 California foundations offer guidance to grant seekers

christine — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:32:38 +0000

THE WORDS, “if you know one foundation, you know one foundation,” rang true for three panelists who spoke at the Foundation Center in San Francisco last week during Funding for Health and Human Services Month. Local foundation representatives advised grant seekers on what they like and what they don’t like when it comes to grant funding requests. And guess what?

If you know one foundation, you know one foundation

The Panelists:

Mary L. Gregory, Executive Director, Bella Vista Foundation
Fatima Angeles, Director of Evaluation and Organizational Learning, The California Wellness Foundation
Carrie Varoquiers, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and President, McKesson Foundation

**Guidance from Three Unique California Foundations**
Key insights	Bella Vista Foundation	The California Wellness Foundation	McKesson Foundation
Type of Foundation	Family	Healthcare conversion	Corporate
Geographic focus	Varies by focus area	Statewide	Nationwide with HQ in San Francisco
What are your funding priorities?	Early Childhood Ecosystem Restoration	8 Health Areas and a Special Projects fund	Community Health Centers (by invitation only through National Association of CHCs) Mobile health research
How can a grantseeker cultivate a relationship?	Review the website carefully; call with questions regarding a possible "fit."	Go to the website: "Everything is there." Mail in a 1-2 page letter of inquiry (10% chance of receiving invitation to write full proposal).	Go to the website for next chance to submit a letter of intent for mobile health research projects.
What are you looking for in a proposal?	Show evidence of your expertise.	Describe your organization’s target population, not the merits of your executive director. What does your organization do and why are you the one to do it? What is your voice in the policy arena?	Promising research to find out what works in mobile health. Evidence does not exist today.
What are red flags?	Don’t "parrot back" our words from the guidelines.	Will disqualify your letter of inquiry if it exceeds 2 pages.	Letters addressed to the wrong name
Tips for funded programs	Write thoughtful progress reports.	Write thoughtful progress reports.	Write thoughtful progress reports.

12 tips for nonprofits seeking grant money

christine — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 00:06:57 +0000

Are you wondering how to connect with grant makers in today’s increasingly competitive environment?

The key is to understand what motivates funders to connect with your cause and how your project’s fit in to their funding priorities and initiatives. The Foundation Center, a nonprofit resource for grant seekers, offers a valuable way for nonprofits to gain these critical insights. They offer classes and access to databases through their San Francisco library as well as cooperating collections, like the Berkeley Public Library.

The main library in downtown Berkeley was the venue for a recent Foundation Center event. As part of Health and Human Services month, the Foundation Center invited representatives from three East Bay funding organizations to speak to nonprofit grant seekers. They described their funding guidelines, how to introduce your organization’s work to them and tips on submitting your proposal, if there is a fit.

The Panelists:
The panelists came from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives: one from a government agency, one from a corporate giving program and one from a nonprofit health organization.

Mark Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of First 5 Alameda County
Susan Houghton, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations for the Northern California Division of Safeway, Inc. and Safeway Foundation
Angela Jenkins, Community Benefit Manager for Kaiser Permanente’s East Bay Community Benefit Program

12 tips for nonprofits seeking grant money
I created a list of tips shared by the panelists.

When you apply for a grant, a real person is reviewing your application. If you address it “Dear Recipient,” it will go into the trash.
Funders might have more than one giving mechanism (foundation grants, employee giving program, corporate charitable giving, event sponsorships, etc.). Figure out the best point of entry for your project or program.
When contacting a funder, be sure to find out what method they prefer. For example, a funder might prefer initial contact by phone, email, letter or online inquiry.
Before you contact a funder, do your homework. All of the panelists pointed to their websites for guidance on grantmaking and giving priorities.
After you receive a grant, be sure to stay connected with your funders. After your last grant or contribution, did you send an update? Send a photo? Invite the funder to an event? Involve employees (in the case of a corporate giving program) to be involved in your work?
Does the funder require that your program follow evidenced-based approaches (i.e., informed by scientific research) or have measurable results? Or are they more interested in you trying something innovative and new to solve a problem?
Does your program’s objectives or goals align with the strategic plans of the funder?
Have you asked your current funders for introductions to other potential contributors? Will they consider co-hosting a funder briefing?
Is your GuideStar.org listing up-to-date?
Choose your board members wisely.
Don’t be shy about developing relationships with local government officials and their staff. Advocate for how your services are important to the community they were elected to serve.
Are you marketing your programs to build visibility for your issue and organization?

Meet health grantmakers at the Foundation Center in April

christine — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 00:50:06 +0000

In my last post I wrote about “Park Prescriptions” and “Healthy Parks Healthy People,” campaigns organized by the Institutes at the Golden Gate and the National Park Service to strengthen the connections between the healthcare system and public lands.

If your organization or agency is behind the movement, then you might want to know that April is Health and Human Services Month at the Foundation Center, a nonprofit resource center on philanthropy.

This month they are hosting three “Meet the Grantmaker” panels – two in downtown San Francisco and one in Berkeley. Funders will discuss their organizations’ guidelines, how to introduce your organization’s work to them, tips on submitting your proposal and trends in health and human services grantmaking.

Several other programs will present resources, tips and tools for strengthening your chances of succeeding with grants. To register, visit the Foundation Center’s website. All events are free, but they typically fill up early.

Meet the Grantmakers: Funding for East Bay Health & Human Service Organizations

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 10:00 am – 12:00 pm in Berkeley.

Panelists:

Safeway Inc. Corporate Giving Program
Kaiser Permanente-East Bay
First 5 Alameda County
Y & H Soda Foundation

Meet the Grantmakers for the Bay Area: A Program for Health & Human Service Organizations

Thursday, April 28, 2011 10:00 am – 12:00 pm in San Francisco

Panelists:

Fatima Angeles, Director of Evaluation and Organizational Learning, The California Wellness Foundation
Mary L. Gregory, Executive Director, Bella Vista Foundation
Christine Tran, Program Officer, Blue Shield of California Foundation
Carrie Varoquiers, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and President, McKesson Foundation

More April Events

Securing Corporate Support for Health & Human Services
Thursday, April 21, 10:00 am-12:00 pm in San Francisco
Explore best practices in gaining corporate support and meet local corporate funders.

10 Marketing Mistakes to Avoid for Health and Human Service Organizations
Monday, April 25, 2:00-3:30 pm in San Francisco
Learn best practices in marketing for health and human service organizations.

Think Sustainable: Earning Income for Your Health and Human Service Nonprofit
Tuesday, April 26, 10:00-11:30 am in San Francisco
Discover how to develop an earned income strategy.

What’s Our Value? Using Evaluation to Make the Case for Health and Human Services in Tight Times
Wednesday, April 27, 1:00-2:30 pm in San Francisco
Gain knowledge of the latest thinking in program evaluation and receive tools that will help you initiate internal evaluation efforts.

Visit the Foundation Center’s website to see a full list of opportunities.

Is your nonprofit newsworthy?

christine — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:59:49 +0000

If you have not discovered the Live Chats with The Chronicle of Philanthropy, you will not want to miss checking out some of their informative expert-led discussions on many subjects of interest to nonprofits – from fundraising and marketing to social media and media outreach.

The next topic is: Getting Good News Coverage: How to Persuade Journalists to Cover Your Cause on December 1, 9 a.m. Pacific Time.

For many nonprofits, a good way to get the attention of prospective donors, volunteers, public officials, clients and constituents is by building visibility through the media.

The moderator, Peter Panepento, and experts plan to cover:

How to get the attention of journalists in a competitive landscape
The most effective pitches
The most common errors nonprofit groups make when they approach reporters and editors
How to build productive relationships with reporters and editors

For the chats you can submit your questions in advance or follow along on with the conversation.

The Chronicle also maintains transcripts of past discussions. A few of my favorites include:

Creating Effective Marketing Messages with Nancy E. Schwartz, author of the Getting Attention blog
The Philosophy of Giving with Karen Ansara, co-founder of The Ansara Family Fund, a donor-advised fund at the Boston Foundation, and Anne Ellinger, co-director of Bolder Giving
Building Meaningful Alliances With Other Nonprofit Groups with Clara Miller and Thomas A. McLaughlin of the Nonprofit Finance Fund and Elizabeth Boone, artistic and executive director of Miami Light Project
Foundation Giving: What Might the Future Hold? with Bradford K. Smith, president of the Foundation Center
Shaking Up Journalism and Philanthropy with Alberto Ibargüen, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
What’s the Payoff? How Charities Can Figure Out How Much Time and Money to Invest in Social Networking with Beth Kanter, social media guru

The San Francisco Foundation to host 2009 Community Leadership Awards

christine — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:58:56 +0000

Each year the San Francisco Foundation awards $10,000 to individual leaders and $20,000 awards to organizations to showcase individuals and organizations that take outstanding initiative to create community impact and inspire others to follow their lead in service.

This year’s award celebration will be next Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at the Herbst Theatre. The 2009 Community Leadership Award Winners are Mary Lou Breslin, co-founder of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund; Michael Franti, artist, activist, founder of Spearhead; Eugene Rodriguez, founder of Los Cenzontles Mexican Cultural Arts Center; Children’s Book Press, the first independent, nonprofit publisher of bilingual, multicultural books and stories for children; and National Center for Lesbian Rights. The Foundation will also present the Koshland Young Leader Awards to recognize eight high school students serving as leaders in their communities.

Last year’s award winners included Van Jones, co-founder and Board Member of the Ella Baker Center; Malcolm Margolin, Writer, Publisher, and Founder of Heyday Books; Elizabeth “Betita” Martinez, Organizer, Educator, Writer; and Asian Women’s Shelter.

Building and funding programs to promote play

christine — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:13:12 +0000

Youth development advocates nationwide have been building a movement to prioritize play and outdoor time for children and youth – through recess, sports and adventures in nature. Backing them up are new research studies from the fields of pediatrics and youth development, linking the influences that regular play and outdoor learning time have on success in school and life.

This afternoon the inaugural Sports4Kids Play On conference kicks off three days of keynotes and sessions dedicated to the topic of play – its multiple benefits and how to build programs to make a difference in our schools and communities. The conference runs May 18 – 20 at San Francisco’s Mission Bay Conference center. This conference comes at a time when many children and youth-oriented nonprofits are developing community programs that get kids outside to play in safe, fun, and supportive environments while learning, connecting and being physically active.

Finding funding and understanding philanthropic priorities is key to making outdoor and sports-based programs a success, so I am looking forward to today’s afternoon session featuring speakers from health-driven foundations including the The California Endowment, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Kaiser Permanente followed by a discussion with Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play and often called one of the country’s premiere experts on play behavior.

“Corporate Philanthropy in Turbulent Times” program on November 14 in San Francisco

christine — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:17:40 +0000

Every year the Foundation Center in San Francisco hosts a forum on regional corporate philanthropy trends in the Bay Area. In light of the state of the economy and possible fundraising impacts on the social sector, this is a good time to hear from corporate giving officers.

Representatives from Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Intel, and Cisco Foundation will present trends in corporate philanthropy and forecast their giving for next year and beyond. Some nonprofits are wondering if we will see impacts reminiscent of the economic fallout earlier in the decade, when giving portfolios shrank and competition for grants and charitable donations became fiercer.

Janet Camarena, the director of the San Francisco Foundation Center, will moderate the forum. She recently launched a new blog for the Center and has invited the community to post questions to the blog for consideration during the November 14, 2008 forum.

Co-sponsored by San Francisco Business Times and the Development Executives Roundtable (DER), this popular forum typically fills to capacity early.

Go to DER’s Web site to register.

The forum is free if you bring your own lunch, $12 for DER members and $10 for non-members.

UPDATE:
The Foundation Center’s video recording of this event is now available on their Web site.

What does an effective nonprofit look like?

christine — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:39:58 +0000

A recent “Meet the Grantmakers” panel at the Foundation Center in San Francisco brought together Jacob Harold of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Anne Valley of The James Irvine Foundation, and Linda Wood of The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund to focus on the theme of “organizational effectiveness.” Threaded throughout the discussions were topics raised at the March 10-12, 2008 conference convened by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations – also known as GEO. GEO promotes organizational effectiveness by identifying and promoting grantmaking practices that improve grantee performance. If your organization passed the letter of inquiry and proposal stages with a funder and needs to get ready for a site visit, the Foundation Center panelists would encourage you to download a free copy of “The Due Diligence Tool.” Many grantmakers are now using this GEO publication to assess nonprofits when making funding decisions. The guide pulls together best practices from a variety of U.S. foundations from small family foundations to large private foundations.