Finding the Right Funders

In the philanthropic Dark Ages (before 1969) there was no rule that said foundations had to make any grants with their money. Congress more or less closed that loophole with the Tax Reform Act of ’69. There were complications and ambiguities, but in 1976 the “five percent payout requirement” was set in stone. It’s been the default standard for grant-making foundations ever since.

When first diving into a high-quality funder research database, you’ll probably feel giddy with relief. With only a few clicks you can find “go” and “no-go” indicators to flush out those grantmakers most likely to support your work. But relief will soon morph into disappointment as one synopsis after another warns that the funder does not accept unsolicited proposals.

When you’re looking for grantmakers to support your organization’s work, a Google search won’t do the job. Most private foundations don’t have websites and most don’t have staff.

When looking for the grantmakers most likely to support your organization’s work, start close to home. The idea of a fat grant from a large national-level foundation is alluring, but unless your organization is doing work of national importance, these large funders probably aren’t a good bet.

Jennie Rosenbaum (right) with one of her high school students at graduation.

 

Diapers to diplomas. That’s the unofficial mantra of Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP). Project Grantsmanship alum and Director of Development & Evaluation, Jennie Rosenbaum, is an advocate for students. She bridges the gap between nonprofits and schools: Nonprofits in education & youth development need schools and schools need the support of nonprofits, but these two groups don’t always work in alignment. With differing needs and visions, it can help to have a person who can straddle both camps.

Logic models – charts that illustrate connections between program activities and outcomes – are great tools for planning programs to address community needs, but many nonprofits use them only to help explain a program they’ve already planned. That’s a backwards approach. You’re much more likely to have real impact on the problem your organization wants to address if you use a logic model to guide the planning process.

 

We’re excited to start our Alumni Spotlight Series. First up is Project Grantsmanship alum, Jess Peláez, Founder & CEO of Blueprint Earth.

 

 

Having zero experience with grants and writing proposals, I was unsure of what to expect from the 5-day Grantsmanship Training Program. I knew the basics from what I’d seen working across the training room and from what I’d read on the Grantsmanship Training Program Curriculum webpage during my first few days as the Publications and Research Coordinator at The Grantsmanship Center.

The following is a quick breakdown of the week-long training, and some behind the scenes insight on the Grantsmanship Training Program.

We often hear grantseekers say they aren’t sure whether their organization is eligible for federal grants. The federal government makes thousands of grant awards annually to many types of organizations, and even to some individuals. Don’t write off this important funding source until you’ve examined the possibilities.  Here are a few thoughts to consider.

 

                                                                                                                                                                              

Our vision for this blog is simple—to present the best thinking in the field of grant development—what we call grantsmanship.

 

First I want to establish The Grantsmanship Center’s footing because, historically, we’ve got a lot to live up to. Norton Kiritz established The Grantsmanship Center because he was deeply concerned that nonprofits making valuable social contributions had trouble getting grants. Norton began teaching proposal writing when no one else was doing it. In 1972, he founded The Grantsmanship Center because it needed to be done and no one else was leading the way.