I aint afraid o no Grants:

Strategies to Develop a Grant-Seeking Plan1I aint afraid o no Grants:

Co-presented at 2014 TEFN Annual ConferenceApril 4th, 2014Erica V. Ekwurzel, CFRE, Advocacy In MotionEllen Moutos-Lee, Regional Foundation LibraryTitle: I aint afraid o no Grants: Strategies to Develop a Grant-Seeking PlanProgram Description:Frightened and scared by the thought of grants as a means to diversify your foundations revenue? Who ya gonna call? Grantbusters! Join veteran grants trainer accompanied by a philanthropic strategist as they present an overview of the world of family & private grants, walk participants through a real-time demonstration of The Foundation Directorytools and bust common myths of philanthropic grantseeking. Participants are guaranteed to walk away singing,I aint afraid o no grants.

1If there's somethin' lacking from diversifying your funding base If you feel all alone and lost in the land of private grantsIf you're seein' grant applications runnin' through your head.

2Who ya gonna call?

Play instrumental music of Ghostbusters: http://mp3skull.com/mp3/ghostbusters_instrumental.html2Understanding the Grantmaking LandscapeTypes of grantmakersProposal processesCultivation & Stewardship

Importance of Prospect Research

Resources to Turn for Help

Top 3 Grantbustin Myths

3Program HighlightsUnderstanding the Grantmaking Landscape (i.e. types of grantmakers, general processes, cultivation & stewardship practices for these types of funds, etc.)Importance of Prospect Research (i.e. efficient with time, relationship mapping & knowing your donor, 990s, grant history, etc.)Resources to Turn for Help (i.e. Foundation Center tools, including walk-thru, Funding Information Network, trainings, books, etc.)(Ellen will bring Winning Proposals Foundation Center book)==>> weaving in top 2-3 myths in grantseeking/prospecting we've come across in our professional experience as funder/grantseeker (....this sounds funny, but maybe we play off of the song, "Ghostbusters" and make it 'Grant-busters' as we are mythbusters of grants! 3Types of Funding OrganizationsCorporate giving programsCommunity foundationsGrantmaking public charitiesPrivate foundationsFamilyIndependentCorporate

4Landscape of Grantmaking EntitiesExamples:IBM Employee Giving (company matches donations as well as enable employee volunteer time)Communities Foundations of Texas (Dallas) as well the Amarillo, Lubbock, SA, AustinISD Foundation & LIVESTRONG Foundation(family) Michael & Susan Dell Foundation(independent) Texas Pioneer Foundation(corporate) Dell Foundation

481,777 total foundations40K family foundation2,355 TX family fdns>60% of all private foundations formed in last 15 yearsPrivate foundations required to grants of at least 5% of their average assets annually70% grants for educational purposes (2010 FC stat)5(not so) Frightening Facts about FoundationsLess than 30% of family foundations have websitesMajority are family foundationsAvg. private foundation donor younger than generation agoProactive trends: not waiting until retirement & replenish $$6More (not so) Frightening Facts about FoundationsCharacteristics of small foundations:Few or no staffKeep a low profileTendency to fund locallyMake grants to nonprofit organizations with which they are personally acquainted

7How Foundations OperateMany do not consider unsolicited requestsBest to approach through personal relationships

78Different Ways the Grant Process WorksLevel of Foundation Staffing & OperationsBrief, plain language & to-the-pointLogic & qualitative stories of impact (history & sought-after)

Common components of grant application:Amount requestedSpecific purpose of fundsWhy it is neededWho it will help & how manyWhat you hope to accomplish8Amount requestedSpecific purpose of fundsWhy it is neededWho it will help & how manyWhat you hope to accomplish

9Core Items of Grant ApplicationDont Expect Quick ResultsOften part-time philanthropistsSmall or no staff3 or 4 funding cycles annually10Timing of GrantsFoundation Center Online DirectoryWho funds my area of interest?Who funds my geographic region?Who funds the type of support needed?11Importance of Prospect ResearchThe Foundation Center Online Directory (FDO) allows you to locate foundations that are funding the types of programs and services you provide, ex: education, k-12, human services, arts & culture, etc.FDO also allows you to find foundations that are located in or fund in your geographic location or region. In addition, you can search for types of support, ex: general operating, equipment, capital campaigns

Click on FDO and show examples11What is a 990?Exempt organizations must file some version of Form 990 with IRS each yearForm 990 has information on organizations finances and activitiesForm 990-PF gives complete list of grants awarded for specified fiscal year and will help you learn more about a foundations giving history12Dont be afraid of 990s!990-PF (private foundation) gives you information on foundations assets, financial activities, trustees and officers and most importantly, a complete list of grants awarded for the specified year. A vital tool for grantseekers when researching a foundations past giving patterns and a tool to research foundations without websites.

Form 990- has information on public charities finances and activities including assets, total figures for donations and grants received and whether the charity makes grants, they are not required to disclose names of contributors

Information is a bit dated, total lag time from end of foundations fiscal year and when its IRS filing is publicly available can be from 12-18 months, but everyone has the same dated information.12

13990 PF example:990s provide all financial information on foundation giving, this screen demonstrates the area of the 990 where you find the grant recipient, location of recipient and grant amount13Foundation Center: www.foundationcenter.org

Guidestar: www.guidestar.org

Urban Institute: http://nccs.urban.org/statistics

CTEF Giving Profile: www.centraltexasedfunders.org

FC Funding Information Networks: foundationcenter.org/fin/l20+ Networks around Texas14Online Resources to Turn for HelpFoundation Center- In addition to FDO there is free information on grantwriting, grantseeking, RFPs and a comprehensive Q&A section

Guidestar-provides information on tax exempt organizations, good place to look at 990s

Urban Institute-provides high quality data on research, nonprofits, 14Insert Slide shot of Texas List15Where to find Funding Information Networks in Texas

Foundation Center Funding Information Networks are located throughout the U.S. and abroad.Funding Information Networks provides the public with free access to the databases (mention all three databases).Check Foundation Center website for locations and hours of operations (mention some are in public libraries, academic libraries, community foundations, nonprofits centers)15#1: Grants are the revenues silver bullet.

#2: Quantity supersedes quality.

#3: No always mean no

16Top 3 Grantbustin Myths#2: One proposal is not good for all.

1617Who Supports Nonprofits?

Rejection is part of the process of finding funding

Reasons for rejection may have nothing to do with the quality of your program or proposal:Funding priorities may have changedReached annual quota for funding

Contact them again next year. Strengthen personal relationships and program awareness.

18Dont Let Rejection Discourage YouThank You!

Erica V. EkwurzelEllen Moutos-LeeAdvocacy In Motion ConsultingRegional Foundation Libraryerica@civicaim.comellenml@austin.utexas.edu

CivicAIMRegionalFoundationLibrary

19Questions & Comments

19Ghostbusters - Instrumental TitleRay Parker Jr.Ghostbusters, track 101984Soundtrack287158.16