Nonprofit Grant Development

Partner Service & Sales Training

Grant Funding Overview

I. Grant Funding Overview II. Proposal Outline & ContentsIII. Funder IdentificationIV. BizCentral USA Services & Processes

Grant Writing

• The process of grant writing includes identifying a community need, matching that need to the mission of the funding source, communicating with the funding source regarding the need, implementing the funded project, and reporting back to the funder.

Identifying Projects

• What are the unmet needs in the community that the applicant agency is positioned to meet?

• Once a project is identified, consider anticipated results.

• If the project is implemented:• Who would do it?• Where would it be done?• Who would benefit from it?• What would the specific benefits be?

Developing the Idea

• Developing a proposal idea requires knowledge of the applicant agency and the funder. You must know both agencies’:– Missions– Board Affiliations– Organizational and Administrative Structures– Current Services and Projects– Anticipated Results

Grant Development Overview

• In the public and nonprofit sectors, foundation and government grant funding is a major source of operational revenue.

• Knowing the steps involved is essential for those working in an organization's development department.

• Eloquent writing skills-including exceptional spelling and grammar, and the ability to follow directions are essential.

Proposal Outline & Contents

I. Grant Funding Overview II. Proposal Outline & ContentsIII. Funder IdentificationIV. BizCentral USA Services & Processes

Grant Proposals

• Grant proposals generally include versions of the following sections:– Executive Summary– Introduction (Organizational Background)– Need Statement (Problem Statement)– Objectives– Methodology– Evaluation Techniques– Sustainability– Budget

Executive Summary

• Should be the last section written, but comes first in the outline. Provides a basic overview of the proposal.

• States overall impact the funder will have on the community through the project.

• Must reflect the funder’s mission, interests, and values.

• Reiterates the qualifications of the agency to carry out the project.

Introduction

• Used to introduce the applicant agency to the funder.

• Clearly describes the experience and expertise of the applicant agency.

• “Shakes hands” with the funder.

Need Statement

• Defines the community need to be addressed.

• Most critical section of a proposal.

• Establishes baseline data, clearly states statistics on the need to be addressed by the proposed project.

Objectives

• Defines clear goals and objectives.• Should tie directly to the need statement.• Should contain at least one goal and two

objectives.• Goal- Broad based statement of the ultimate

expected result.• Objective- Measurable, time-specific result

expected of the project.

• Usually the longest section of the proposal.

• Lets funder know exactly what you will be doing with the funds requested for the project.

• Paints a detailed picture of the project in an easy to read narrative.

• Describes Who, What, When, Where, and How.

Methodology

Evaluation

• Process that determines the effectiveness and efficiency of the project.

• Ties directly with the objectives section.• Describes who will be responsible for

measuring the objective and determining whether it has been met or not.

Sustainability

• A.K.A. Future funding• No funding source wants to support your project

forever.• Should provide a specific plan for future funding

of the project.• Explains how the project will continue once the

funding being requested runs out.

Budget

• Translates the methodology section of the proposal into dollars.

• Paints a picture of the project with numbers.• Should place a dollar value to what has been

described.• Funder may request a specific budget forms.• May be best to use a spreadsheet program.

Funder Identification

I. Grant Funding Overview II. Proposal Outline & ContentsIII. Funder IdentificationIV. BizCentral USA Services & Processes

Funders

• Just as nonprofits have missions, so do funders.• Foundations and corporate giving programs

typically publish their funding missions. Funder missions can be located through:– Annual Reports– Websites– Key word searches– Licensing Agencies

Types of Funders

• Four major types of grant sources exist today:– Foundations

– Corporations

– Individuals

– Government

Foundations

• All foundations are set up with a mission and bylaws that must be adhered to.

• Foundations have duties to be publicly accountable.

• There are more than 63,000 private and community foundations in the U.S. today.

• Total foundation giving exceeds $30 billion annually.

Foundations

• There are 3 types of foundations that may provide funding:– Private (foundation/independent)

– Corporate or Company-sponsored

– Community Foundations

Private Foundations

• Usually set up by wealthy families or individuals

• Assets generally come from one source and are invested to earn income

• Usually set up to benefit a specific cause or causes

• The bylaws stipulate the types of causes it will support and the types of agencies it will fund

Corporate Foundations

• Must have the approval of its corporate board or shareholders

• Will typically fund programs within their geographic service area

• Most fund initiatives that will somehow be of benefit to their employees

• Most like direct benefit to their surrounding community

Community Foundations

• Set up within specific geographical locations.

• Make grant awards only within their geographical area.

• Awards are typically small, and not for multiple years.

• A community foundation usually accepts contributions from various sources, who advise on the use of the funding.

Corporations

• Corporate philanthropy is becoming increasingly popular.

• This type of contribution involves donation of shareholder funds or corporate profits directly contributed to support a cause or effort.

• Amount of award is typically smaller than those from corporate foundations.

Government

• Government grantors include city, county, municipality, state, and federal agencies or departments.

• Government funding is highly complex and bureaucratic.

• There are three types of government grants: block grants, programmatic grants, and discretionary grants.

Services & Processes

I. Grant Funding Overview II. Proposal Outline & ContentsIII. Funder IdentificationIV. BizCentral USA Services & Processes

Grant Writing Services & Practices

• CharityNet USA provides comprehensive grant writing services offering a variety of package and a la carte options, including:– Grant package 10/20– Full Proposals– Short Proposals– Letter of Intent– Funder Research– Problem Statement Research– Government Grant RFP Reviews/ Writing

Pricing

• Prices charged for grant proposal writing services will vary, depending on the services requested.

• Payment plans are available in 2 parts on la carte items, and 3 parts on grant packages.

• CharityNet USA does not guarantee approval of funding, as that decision is at the discretion of each funding agency.

• We do, however, guarantee the funder leads we provide will be appropriate for the organization’s mission and geographical location.

Our Process

• Once a sale has been made on one of our grant services, clients are given access to our Grant Services “Steps Page”

• Here, they will find a variety of information, tips, samples, and questionnaires.

• Step 1: Clients will complete the grant questionnaire, and submit any other required documents, including a budget.

• Step 2: An interview will be set up once the questionnaire and budget are completed.

Our Process

• Step 3: Once all information is gathered, their service will be completed usually within 10-15 business days.

• Step 4: During this timeframe, a draft of the proposal will be sent to the client for approval. Revisions must be supplied within 7 days, or we will assume the draft is approved as is.

• Step 5: Finally, the completed proposal, along with funder research, is sent to the client once final payment is made.

Grant Writing Summary

• Always remember that proper spelling, grammar, and formatting are essential.

• Follow binding directions closely.• Recognize the competitive factor.• Prepare for rejection, follow-up, and

restructuring.