WELCOME!

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About

Foundation, Corporate, and Government Grants,

featuring Betsy Baker

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Our Speaker

Betsy Baker, MPA

President of YourGrantAuthority.com

Author, Trainer, Coach, Speaker, Grant Writing

Consultant

Betsy is a regular presenter for the Foundation Center,

the Grant Professionals Association, the Georgia Center

for Nonprofits and United Way agencies and is a regular

contributor to Opportunity Knocks!, CharityHowTo and

CharityChannel.

Master's in Public Administration, Auburn University

Agenda

• Review of: ▫ Corporate Sponsorship ▫ Private Foundation ▫ Government Funding

• Critical steps to writing a winning proposal

• Resources to identifying grant funders

• Q&A

Corporate Foundations

• A corporate foundation is a charitable foundation which serves as a channel for

distribution of a firm’s profit for nonprofit activities

▫ The company-sponsored foundation often maintains close ties with the donor

company, but it is a separate, legal organization, sometimes with its own

endowment, and is subject to the same rules and regulations as other private

foundations

• According to the Council on Foundations, there are more than 2,000 corporate

foundations in the United States holding an estimated $11 billion in assets

• It serves as an expression of corporate social responsibility.

▫ McDonald’s – Ronald McDonald houses

▫ Boeing – Math education

▫ Target – Local schools

Corporate Foundations – What are they

looking for? • An opportunity to further their specific mission

• An opportunity to reach as many people as possible

• An opportunity to impress “branding” on the community they serve

• Get to know the company, their brands and their interest

• The “sweet spot” – where society’s needs meet corporate objectives

• Find information on the company’s website under “community” or “corporate citizenship”

Are you ready for Corporate Funding?

• Do you have an established marketing effort in place?

▫ Examples include: e-mail, a website, events, newsletters, conferences, television, radio and print advertising

• What do you know about your organization's demographics?

▫ Where they live? Whether they are young families, empty nesters, or teens?

• Have you worked with corporate sponsors before?

▫ Do you have testimonials from a corporate executives about the value of your organization? Do you feature those in press kits or other marketing materials?

Foundation Grants

• Also a nonprofit organization, a private foundation is usually created with a single primary donation from an individual or business whose funds and programs are managed by its own trustees (aka Board of Directors)

• Usually generates income by investment of its initial donation, often disbursing the bulk of its investment income each year to charitable activities – not from private donations

Two Types of Private Foundations

• Private operating – actually run the charitable activities or organizations they fund with their investment income

▫ Art museum – money is used for their own activities serving the public

• Private non-operating – simply disburse funds to other charitable organizations

▫ Family foundations are an example

Government Grants

• The U.S. government is not giving away free grant money!

• “A form of gift that entails certain obligations on the part of the grantee and expectations on the part of the grantor.” Jay M. Shafritz, American Government and Politics

• Obligations – Getting a government grant will get you loads of them and not fulfilling them will get you a load of legal troubles.

• Can apply for city/county, state and federal

What’s Expected of

Government Grantees • Project expenditures must be strictly accounted

for

• Granted funds must be spent or they go back into the Treasury

• Any project changes must be approved by the Program Officer (federal government employee)

• The project should be completed with apparent success

How to Write a Winning Proposal

• Meet funders objectives ▫ Different for private, corporate and government grants

• Review their restrictions and ensure you meet them

• Ensure your budget aligns with their guidelines

• Tell a good story

• Follow directions

• Timeliness – ensure your proposal is submitted on time!

10 Steps to Effective Proposal Writing

Step One: • Effectively state your organization’s purpose and

mission Step Two: • Show need for the work of your organization

▫ Demonstrating need is critical and is best illustrated

through relevant statistics of the problem and specific examples

▫ Should show why the organization exists, how they’re

meeting a need and the severity of the need

10 Steps to Effective Proposal Writing

Step Three: • Detail your organization’s expertise and experience

in helping solve the stated problem in your community ▫ What gives you the edge over competing nonprofits? ▫ Describe in terms of benefits, not features

Step Four: • Write clear and measurable grant objectives

▫ Describe what you want to specifically accomplish and how you will achieve those accomplishments

10 Steps to Effective Proposal Writing

Step Five:

• Determine how your staff will fulfill a grant project

Step Six:

• Write a detailed evaluation plan to measure your progress

Step Seven:

• Present your official request for funding for maximum impact

10 Steps to Effective Proposal Writing

Step Eight:

• Build an efficient project budget

Step Nine:

• Establish proof of community support

Step Ten:

• Include requested documentation and an engaging cover letter

Identifying Grant Funders: What are

you searching for? • Eligibility • Foundation’s Purpose • Funding Restrictions • What the Foundation Funds • What the Foundation Does Not Fund

Free Grant Funding Resources

• FREE Research – Foundation Websites • More FREE Research – Form 990’s (found on the

www.FoundationCenter.org website) – find who they’re funding

• The Foundation Center also produces The RFP Bulletin – send grant opportunities right to your inbox!

• Also register at www.NozaSearch.com for grant activity updates

• FREE continued…Chronicle of Philanthropy, www.philanthropy.com →Fund Raising Tab→ Guide to Grants→ Guide to Grants Database

• Also FREE – The Grantsmanship Center, www.TGCI.com → Funding Sources Tab → View top givers by state

• FREE – www.FundsNetServices.com – funding by category

Fee-Based Grant Funding Resources

• The Foundation Center’s Foundation Directory Online (FDO) – different subscription levels available

• www.GrantStation.com – offers member benefits including grant research opportunities

• www.BigDatabase.com – BIG Online – Their Grant Development Services offers products and services useful to a grant writer

Finding Federal Grant Opportunities

• www.Grants.gov – The Best Source! - sign up for daily announcements or search by agencies and programs

Questions?

Want a fr.ee rating system for your grant proposals? “Like” me on Facebook and receive a complimentary copy of my

Grant S.A.T. – a 75-item rating system that scores your grant

proposals before ever sending them out.

(Be sure to email me at betsy <at> YouGrantAuthority <dot> com so I can

send you the system.)

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Contact Information • Connect with Betsy on her website,

www.YourGrantAuthority.com or via email at

betsy<at>YourGrantAuthority<dot> com

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