Toolkit for Developing a Funding Strategy

How to use this toolkitYou have identified a need in your community, but don’t know how to develop the project and get it funded. Now what? The good news is that anyone, anywhere can get a project funded with persistence, creativity, and plain hard work.

This toolkit will help your team break down the enormous task of funding a project into smaller, easier steps. Most often, there are many important details to be worked through in developing a project before even beginning to think about how to get it funded.

This toolkit will help you identify what work remains, who will be responsible for its completion, and how to develop a schedule and funding strategy.

Encounter a road block along the way?

Contact the Planning and Development Department at Tanana Chiefs Conference:

LaVerne Huntington, Planning and Development Manager(907) 452-8251 ext. 3096Laverne.Huntington@tananachiefs.org

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Project PreparationWhile the fundraising process is long and requires early consideration, successful applications require you to demonstrate project readiness.

Project readiness means that your team has worked through a planning process and can instill confidence in the funding agency that your community is ready to start the project. This usually means at minimum you have a qualified team, an implementation plan, community support, a project budget and schedule.

To get started, answer as many questions as you can in this form. If you don’t have an answer yet, that’s okay! We will develop a plan for addressing any missing questions next.

Project DevelopmentWhat is the project and why is it needed?

What planning has been completed?

Where will the project be located?

Who owns the property or building?

If your entity does not own the property or building, what is your plan for using the site? (i.e. 10 year lease, deed transfer, purchase)

How has the community been involved in project development?

If not yet engaged, how do you plan to get key stakeholders involved in project development?

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Project Development ContinuedWho are your project partners?

Do any agreements or memorandums of understanding (MOU) need to be developed with project partners or stakeholders?

Yes No

If yes, do you have a template MOU you can repurpose for this project?

Yes No

List entities you have or would like to obtain letters of support from:

Is the project design complete?

Yes No

If no, what stage are you with project design? Need concept drawings still

Preliminary drawings complete

65% or more complete

Not applicable

Project FinancingHas a project budget been developed?

Yes No

If yes, how much is the project expected to cost? (Please attach to toolkit).

Who prepared the cost estimate and what are their qualifications?

What sources of funding have been secured or committed?

It’s difficult to get construction funding without drawings. If you

need help finding an architect or engineer to work with, contact TCC for help.

Project Preparation Continued

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Project Financing ContinuedList other identified funding sources:

What are sources of local match?

Often funding agencies look favorably upon applications that

include outside accounting support to verify project funds are spent properly. Consider including a Certified Professional Accountant if even just for annual review.

Project TeamMain point of contact (for communicating with the funding agency and project manager):

Project Manager (responsible for the day-to-day management of the project):

Grand Administration (responsible for all aspects of financial management of the grant):

Will you be hiring an accountant for managing/helping with grant finances?

Yes No

Construction Manager (person on the job site daily if applicable):

Consultant(s) (professionals hired for their expertise i.e. electrician, architect):

Do you need to hire a contractor, architect, engineer or other specialized consulting service?

Yes No

Stakeholder Liaisons (specific people linking to stakeholders like School District or City):

Other:

Do you need other project staffing support?

Yes No

If your project will take more than one year to complete, you can

often commit future tribal funds to the project as match. For instance, a community could pledge $10k of this year’s NAHASDA funds and $20k of next year’s funds to a housing construction project.

Project Preparation Continued

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Operations & SustainabilityHas a scope of work been developed?

Yes No

If no, who will develop a description on the scope of work to be completed?

When will the scope of work narrative be complete (a 1-2 pg. description):

Has a Business Plan or Feasibility Study been developed for the project?

Yes No N/A

Has an Operations & Maintenance (O&M) budget been developed?

Yes No N/A

What are estimated annual O&M costs?

How will O&M be funded?

Project Preparation Continued

Additional InformationAdd any other details you think should be known about project readiness.

Would you like assistance with project development and planning?

Yes No

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Readiness AssessmentIt’s common to complete project planning when writing a grant application, but before pursuing funds, minimum project details must be sorted out. Once you can check off the minimum requirements listed below, you can advance to the next phase of this toolkit.

If these activities aren’t complete, identify someone on your project team to complete the task and assign a deadline for completion. Attach the information requested below to the back of this toolkit.

Minimum Project Details Required

1-2 page project description

Resumes for the project team

List of potential match funding

Rough cost estimate

If pursuing construction funds:

Concept drawings (i.e. floor plans)

Tasks to be Completed (if needed)Project DescriptionWho is responsible?

Task deadline:

Resumes of Project TeamWho is responsible?

Task deadline:

List of Potential Match Funding Who is responsible?

Task deadline:

Cost EstimateWho is responsible?

Task deadline:

How to research fundingNow the fun part! Finding out what funding is available. In this step, you will research any possible funding source. Consult your favorite search engine and quickly sift through any possible opportunity. List each finding in the matrix provided.

A few tips• Don’t spend too much time

getting into the weeds on each funding program. Just get the major highlights documented—and then you can go back.

• There are several different categories of funding so search for opportunities within each:

» Federal Grants/Low-Interest Loans

» State Grants/Low-Interest Loans

» Local (Municipal, Tribal, Community) Contributions

» Private Foundations (National, State, Local)

» Other possible opportunities reside in donated or at-cost material and equipment costs, local philanthropists, naming rights, etc.

• Think about what else your project can

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accomplish that helps others with their objectives (often a source of hidden funding!). For instance, can your project include renewable energy sources? Could your project ‘cap’ a brownfield property? Are you providing a healthy and safe environment that will benefit health and wellness initiatives for youth? How does your project benefit quality of life in your community and economic development?

• Break your project into smaller fundable elements—and ask yourself if a specific funding source would want to support one piece of the project.

• Research how similar projects were funded. Contact them directly and ask for advice on lessons learned. If possible, get copies of their successful grant applications.

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(Insert project name here)

Funding Research Matrix

Funding Agency Program Eligible Projects Eligible Applicants Funding Available Application Deadline Website

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(Insert project name here)

Funding Agency Program Eligible Projects Eligible Applicants Funding Available Application Deadline Website

Funding Research Matrix (Continued)

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Prioritize your pursuitsPursuing funding is a big effort and not all opportunities represent the same likelihood of success. At this stage, you cull through your list of 8-20 (approximately) funding sources and identify your best 2-5 opportunities.

To drill down to your best opportunities, consider the following questions:

Name of the Funding Program:

Why would this Funding Program want to support your project?

Eligibility—be 100% positive your organization and project is eligible.

This often requires direct phone calls or meetings with the funding agency to be confident that you qualify.

How are you eligible?

A discussion on partnerships Typically funding is available to municipalities, federally recognized tribes, or other forms of government, school-districts, or 501(c)3 non-profits. To maximize your funding opportunities, your project team should look for ways to partner with other organizations to corroboratively pursue funding. For instance, if you are a tribe, you could partner with your local city government and Tanana Chiefs Conference (a non-profit) to show collaboration and strong team qualifications. We advise establishing a memorandum of understanding early on to establish how your organizations will work together.

Have you discussed your project directly with the funding agency?

Yes No

Who did you speak with?

What was their feedback?

Have you read the most recent Funding Announcement or Grant Guidelines?

Yes No

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What must be in place to apply? (i.e. drawings, proof of land ownership, benefit-cost analysis, etc.)

How much time do you estimate needing to apply?

What percentage of applications are successful?

Why wouldn’t this project get funded?

Has a project like yours been funded in the past?

Yes No

If so, what was the project and did you contact them to request a copy of their application?

Timing—knowing when to pursue a grant is key to strategy. Some

agencies prefer to be ‘last-in’—meaning you already secured other funding for the project before they get involved. It’s important to know in which order you will pursue different opportunities so you can leverage them against each other.

Who will do the independent review of your proposal?

When is the best time to apply? (Or deadline)

Who do you need to partner with to make this project a success?

Prioritize your pursuits continued

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Put together your strategyThis is a fluid document designed to provide your project team with a road map. Define your strategy for funding the entire project, timing for pursuits, and monthly action items. This document will change as your progress, but gives you a simple way to review your fundraising plan and what needs to be done.

Use the space to the right for notes, and use the matrix on the following page to list your top pursuits.

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(Insert project name here)

Matrix for Top Funding Priorities

Funding Program What will the program fund? Deadline Pursuit Strategy

The pursuit!If you have thoroughly planned through how you will implement a successful project and prioritized funding pursuits carefully —the next part is easy! Well, it’s not quite easy, applications can take a month and 160 hours to prepare. If you are prepared to apply, however, the process will go smoothly. The other tidbit of good news is that once you develop your first application, subsequent proposals get easier as you recycle content.

A few tidbits of advice• Answer the question—seems simple

enough! But all too often applicants only partially answer the question. Be very pointed and succinct in your responses. No more than 25 words per sentence.

• Start the application backwards—once you have applied your analytical skills to the meatiest part of the application (typically in the mid and latter sections of the narrative), it becomes much easier to put forth your strongest argument for why the project should be funded in the beginning section.

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• Keep the funding announcement and application guidelines by your side—every step of the way, develop your narrative and required attachments exactly as specified in the guidelines. After your first draft is completed, go through it again with a fine tooth comb to make sure you answered each section perfectly.

• Leverage the power of procrastination—Most people perform best at the last minute. You can’t actually put together your best application the night before the deadline, but you can still evoke those same behaviors during the grant writing process. Require yourself to provide a draft copy of your application to an independent reviewer at least a week before the deadline.

The award! (or debrief)

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It can be several months before you find out if your application was successful. If awarded, congratulations! Now it is critical to be the best grantee you can be! Be responsive, timely in submitting reports, and diligent in following agency rules. If your application wasn’t successful—don’t despair. Even an outstanding proposal, fully vetted with a high likelihood of success, can still fall short in this extremely competitive environment. Always have a debrief interview with the funding agency to learn where you scored poorly. Pick yourself up, dust off, and get back out there!

Run into a snag? Want to bounce ideas? Feel free to email our your team at Tanana Chiefs Conference:

LaVerne Huntington, Planning and Development Manager (907) 452-8251 ext. 3096Laverne.Huntington@tananachiefs.org