How Can You Get More Grants? Don’t Chase the Money! Here is what I know for sure, a motto if you will – Don’t chase the money. Chase your dream! The money will follow. What do I mean by chasing money? Don’t go after a sponsor, a grant or an investor for their money. Be aggressive in planning your dream, your vision, your impact. Go to a funder with you plan in hand. Approach a funder as a partner, an investor in YOUR vision. There are many funding opportunities for all kinds of things from social enterprises to nonprofits, from…read more →
The Program Officer: Friend or Foe The word “philanthropy” derives from the Ancient Greek phrase philanthropia, meaning “to love people.” When you think about a foundation program officer do you imagine a benevolent professional who loves, or at least cares, about the very people who benefit from the grant awards or do you feel like program officers are all politics, pressure and power? Would you be surprised to know that your perception and your actions have more to do with your answer than it has to do with the position of a program officer, philanthropy or foundations? Sure, grants have…read more →
Why Would an Organization Pay a Grant Writer without an “Award Guarantee”? I’ve been asked this type question many times. Recently, I came across an excellent response by Michael Wells, owner of Grants Northwest. ”What kind of organization would hire a lawyer without assurances they'll win their case? What kind of person will hire a surgeon without assurances the surgery will be successful? What kind of person would hire a financial consultant without assurances they'll make money? People and organizations hire professionals on expectations of increasing their odds of success, not guarantees. I think this is true of anything in…read more →
Letters of Support, a.k.a. Letters of Commitment, document your partnerships and the contributions they bring to the project. Follow these 5 keys to secure great letters of support: Ask early! Put your partners and supporters on alert as soon as you decide to apply for a grant. Give them a brief summary of the grant purpose, the estimated deadline for their letter, when you will provide more details about the proposed project and when they can expect a draft from your organization. The more time you give your partners and supporters the more likely you are to get…read more →
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