Philanthropy Front and Center - Washington, DC

Frightening Proposals

Foundation staff review stacks upon stacks of grant proposals each year. From time to time, they may even see proposals that are downright scary. In the spirit of Halloween, here are three 'monster' proposals that you should hope to avoid.

Frankenstein's Monster
Sure - it sounds easy enough. Everyone writes their respective sections of the proposal and then puts them together in one document and sends it to the funder. Too often, however, the result can be a loosely-stitched-together proposal that is confusing and full of inconsistencies and repetition. Reviewers can tell when a proposal has been patched together without substantial revision, and a narrative that is disorganized and incoherent is much less convincing than one with a uniform voice that flows smoothly from section to section.

While it's not uncommon for several different individuals in an organization to be involved in the proposal writing process, it is imperative that one person take the lead when it comes to editing and formatting the final document. This individual should review the proposal for accuracy, consistency, organization, and especially continuity. A well-edited proposal will flow naturally from section to section and convey the story of your organization and its programs with ease.

The Blob
It starts with an executive summary and a statement of need. Then the narrative hits the project description and continues to grow - rapidly surpassing 3, 5, 10 pages - until the proposal has become a bloated mass of paper and ink.

Brevity can be one of the most difficult traits to develop as a proposal writer. There is a compelling urge to include as much detail as possible when describing programs to prospective funders. However, this can cause a proposal to become lengthy and cumbersome for the reader. Besides, most applications now come with strict guidelines that limit sections of the proposal to certain page lengths. How can a proposal writer cope with these restrictions?

First, it's all about finding the right amount of detail to include. For example, if you are seeking funding for a tutoring program, the grantmaker probably doesn't need to be told how many desks are in each classroom. They might want to know, however, the number of volunteer tutors you plan to recruit and how. Other ways to keep your proposal concise include using simple, direct language and avoiding long, rambling sentences. Having an outline can also help you stay focused and remember the key points you want to get across to the reader in each section. Brevity doesn't just apply to the narrative, either, so remember to limit your attachments and supporting materials to those items that the funder specifically requests in their guidelines.

Night of the Living Dead
Who among us hasn't pulled an all-nighter? Whether it was cramming for that final exam in college or staying up to get that presentation ready for the big meeting, we've all been guilty of procrastination at some point in our lives. Still, this is no way to succeed in grantseeking.

What quality do reviewers look for most in a proposal? Clarity. This is something that you're not likely to achieve while hunched over your laptop at 2 o'clock in the morning. Moreover, the less time you leave to check through a proposal, the more likely it is that the reviewer will find troubling mistakes in grammar and spelling that may contribute  to a negative response. How do you fight the urge to put off finishing a proposal until just before the deadline?

Keeping an updated grants calendar with important submission deadlines and follow-up dates will help you stay on track with your proposals. Going even further, creating self-imposed due dates for proposals well in advance of actual deadlines is one way of ensuring that you have plenty of time to revise and edit the document before sending it off. Also, on those occasions when you become aware of a new opportunity only at the last minute, consider waiting until the next funding cycle to apply. Keep in mind - you only get one chance to make a first impression with a grantmaker. Don't let it be a frightening one!

Want some more tips on proposal writing? Try these titles from our collection:

Grant Proposal Makeover: Transform Your Request from No to Yes.
By Cheryl A. Clarke and Susan P. Fox.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2007.

The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing
(5th ed.)By Jane C. Geever.
New York: Foundation Center, 2007.

Thanks to Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta for this great post!

Foundation staff review stacks upon stacks of grant proposals each year. From time to time, they may even see proposals that are downright scary. In the spirit of Halloween, here are three 'monster' proposals that you should hope to avoid.

Frankenstein's Monster
Sure - it sounds easy enough. Everyone writes their respective sections of the proposal and then puts them together in one document and sends it to the funder. Too often, however, the result can be a loosely-stitched-together proposal that is confusing and full of inconsistencies and repetition. Reviewers can tell when a proposal has been patched together without substantial revision, and a narrative that is disorganized and incoherent is much less convincing than one with a uniform voice that flows smoothly from section to section.

While it's not uncommon for several different individuals in an organization to be involved in the proposal writing process, it is imperative that one person take the lead when it comes to editing and formatting the final document. This individual should review the proposal for accuracy, consistency, organization, and especially continuity. A well-edited proposal will flow naturally from section to section and convey the story of your organization and its programs with ease.

The Blob
It starts with an executive summary and a statement of need. Then the narrative hits the project description and continues to grow - rapidly surpassing 3, 5, 10 pages - until the proposal has become a bloated mass of paper and ink.

Brevity can be one of the most difficult traits to develop as a proposal writer. There is a compelling urge to include as much detail as possible when describing programs to prospective funders. However, this can cause a proposal to become lengthy and cumbersome for the reader. Besides, most applications now come with strict guidelines that limit sections of the proposal to certain page lengths. How can a proposal writer cope with these restrictions?

First, it's all about finding the right amount of detail to include. For example, if you are seeking funding for a tutoring program, the grantmaker probably doesn't need to be told how many desks are in each classroom. They might want to know, however, the number of volunteer tutors you plan to recruit and how. Other ways to keep your proposal concise include using simple, direct language and avoiding long, rambling sentences. Having an outline can also help you stay focused and remember the key points you want to get across to the reader in each section. Brevity doesn't just apply to the narrative, either, so remember to limit your attachments and supporting materials to those items that the funder specifically requests in their guidelines.

Night of the Living Dead
Who among us hasn't pulled an all-nighter? Whether it was cramming for that final exam in college or staying up to get that presentation ready for the big meeting, we've all been guilty of procrastination at some point in our lives. Still, this is no way to succeed in grantseeking.

What quality do reviewers look for most in a proposal? Clarity. This is something that you're not likely to achieve while hunched over your laptop at 2 o'clock in the morning. Moreover, the less time you leave to check through a proposal, the more likely it is that the reviewer will find troubling mistakes in grammar and spelling that may contribute  to a negative response. How do you fight the urge to put off finishing a proposal until just before the deadline?

Keeping an updated grants calendar with important submission deadlines and follow-up dates will help you stay on track with your proposals. Going even further, creating self-imposed due dates for proposals well in advance of actual deadlines is one way of ensuring that you have plenty of time to revise and edit the document before sending it off. Also, on those occasions when you become aware of a new opportunity only at the last minute, consider waiting until the next funding cycle to apply. Keep in mind - you only get one chance to make a first impression with a grantmaker. Don't let it be a frightening one!

Want some more tips on proposal writing? Try these titles from our collection:

Grant Proposal Makeover: Transform Your Request from No to Yes.
By Cheryl A. Clarke and Susan P. Fox.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2007.

The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing
(5th ed.)By Jane C. Geever.
New York: Foundation Center, 2007.

Thanks to Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta for this great post!

Funding Information for Artists and Arts Organizations

October is Funding for the Arts Month at the Foundation Center, so we have put together information to help artists and arts organizations find funding, which has become a real challenge in the current economy.

Individual Artists

You might want to begin by reviewing our reference guides listing resources specifically for artists, video and filmmakers, musicians, and writers. These guides list both books and web sites with funding information, such as:

• Funding lists for different disciplines | Women Arts
  This site brings together resources for funding for female artists of all disciplines, including links to emergency funding.
• Grants - International Documentary Association
  Provides a listing of grants with and without deadlines and information on fiscal sponsorship.
• Music Grants
  Michigan State University Library's comprehensive listing of funding opportunities including web sites, databases, books, and announcements.
• Grants and Awards Database | Poets & Writers
  Interactive and searchable details of writing contests and awards published in Poets & Writers magazine during the past year. Entries include information about deadlines and application requirements and procedures.

You can look for artist grants from foundations using our database Foundation Grants to Individuals Online, which is available for free use at Foundation Center libraries and our partner Funding Information Centers. You can also subscribe to this database yourself for a low monthly fee.

Arts Organizations

Those working with arts organizations may want to start by reviewing the information resources offered on our special web portal, Focus on Funding for the Arts. Here you will find a map showing arts funders by state and by categories like performing arts, visual arts, and museums. You will also find reports on arts in the nonprofit sector, interviews with art leaders, and a link to sign up for our free monthly e-newsletter, Arts Funding Watch.

To get more details on arts funders, like their application guidelines, or to search for funders by the types of support they offer, try Foundation Directory Online, which has information on almost 100,000 US grantmakers, including over 17,000 with an interest in the arts. You can subscribe to this database, or visit one of our locations to use it for free.

Both Artists and Arts Organizations

You can learn about current Requests for Proposals (or RFPs) in the Philanthropy News Digest section of our web site. Some foundations publish RFPs when they have set aside funds for a special program or topic and are inviting applications or proposals. You can browse by the subject Arts and Culture to find open grants for both artists and arts groups. You can also register to receive our weekly RFP Bulletin to find out about new RFPs.

If you are looking for information on local art support, a list of DC area organizations that provide funding for individual artists and/or art nonprofits is available on our web site.

Is Your Organization Raising Money Online?

Did you know that the only form of fundraising that didn't decline in 2008 was donations given online? Revenue from direct mail, special events, and planned giving all decreased last year.

This was just one valuable piece of information heard during our TechSense program on October 16, A Rookie's Guide to Online Fundraising. Rebecca Higman from Network for Good talked about how any nonprofit can enhance its presence on the Internet and start its own online giving program. Based on Network for Good's experience, even a small organization -- one with a budget under $250,000 -- can raise an average of over $10,000 a year through online giving.

If you missed this program, you can view the slides from Rebecca's presentation online. And here are some of the other key takeaways from the program:

• Online fundraising is the Great Equalizer -- it can be used by nonprofits of any size, not just the big, well-known organizations. And it's not as hard (or expensive) to get started as you may think!

• All kinds of people donate online, not just young people. In fact, about 52% of online donations come from the Baby Boomer generation.

• People give online for lots of different reasons, including:
  • it's easier than writing a check.
  • they can make a donation quickly, like to help after a natural disaster.
  • it can be anonymous.
  • they can use "autopay" options to give regularly to causes they care about.

• Bad web site design is the "donation killer." Make sure your Donate button is big, bold and easy to find.

• Develop a strategy for your online giving program. Sure, it's great to be on Facebook and to send out email newsletters, but how is this all working together?

• Focus on your donor's experience. Remember, it's not about you -- it's about them! Talk about what your donors can do to help and how their contributions make a difference.

About 50% of online charitable donations come in during the month of December, so it doesn't pay to put this off any longer! You can find lots of other useful information about online giving on Network for Good's training site, Fundraising123.org.

Has your organization started raising money online? If you have, tell us about your experience!

Ready for America's Giving Challenge?

When the first edition of America's Giving Challenge was launched in late 2007/early 2008, social networks and online giving were a still novelty for most people. Sponsored and widely promoted by the Case Foundation, PARADE Publications, and Causes on Facebook, the challenge did much to change that. Indeed, 71,000 people participated in the month-long campaign, which generated a total of $1.8 million in donations to nearly 700 charities.

Well, the challenge is back and expectations for the new campaign, which runs through November 6 at 3:00 EST, are high. The program has been designed to serve as "an example of how social networking is transforming the way people participate in philanthropy," and this year participants have the opportunity to compete for daily and overall cash awards totaling $170,000 ($150,000 from the Case Foundation and $20,00 from the Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation at the Aspen Institute).

Nonprofit organizations and individuals who wish to participate can get involved in one of two ways:

Champion a cause. Individuals who are passionate about a specific cause can become "cause champions" and compete to obtain the most donations for their cause through the Causes application.

Promote, donate, or join a cause. All individuals are encouraged to take part in the challenge by joining, promoting, or donating to causes they care about. (Facebook membership is not required to donate to a Giving Challenge cause.)

To learn more, to register to compete, and/or to donate to a cause, visit: http://www.americasgivingchallenge.com/.

This post came from our sister blog PhilanTopic – which will update the results as they are tabulated and released. Good luck to all!

Learn About Funders Focused on Climate Change

How great would it be to bring together all the bloggers in the world to focus attention on just one important topic for a day? That is the mission of Blog Action Day, and today is that day! For 2009 the focus is on climate change, and at last count, over 8,000 bloggers in 148 countries planned to participate.

To play our part in this global effort, we are offering information resources for nonprofits working on climate change and other environmental causes.

A good place to start is the Foundation Center's web portal, Focus on Climate Change. Our research staff discovered that foundation giving for climate change has increased nearly 5-fold domestically since 1997 and nearly 8-fold internationally. Using our portal, you will find information on some of the top US foundations interested in supporting programs addressing climate change and other environmental issues. You'll also find maps showing where environmental grants have been given and links to related reports, like Taking Action on Climate Change from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. 

To find additional reports, you can visit PubHub, our database of foundation-sponsored reports. Browse under the subject area "Environment," or search on keywords like "climate change" or "global warming."

Looking for funding opportunities you can apply for right now? Check out our online list of Requests for Proposals! Here you will find current RFPs for US-based foundations that have set aside funds to address specific issues. You can browse the RFPs by category, including Environment. Be sure to read over the application guidelines carefully.

Since not all foundations put out RFPs, you can research other funders interested in environmental causes using Foundation Directory Online, our database with information on US grantmaking organizations.  A quick search on "environment" brought up a listing of over 5,500 foundations with an interest in this field! You can get Foundation Directory Online by subscription, or you can use it for free at our library in DC or at our local partner libraries.

The Foundation Center is here to help nonprofits realize their vision for a better world, so we hope you will take advantage of the resources we offer!

Live from Challenges and Opportunities of the Economic Crisis - October 13

Bradford K. Smith, president of the Foundation Center, will provide his perspective on the impact of the economic crisis on the philanthropic sector – both foundations and service providers – and the challenges and opportunities these turbulent times present for the future.

This 60-minute program will be at the Foundation Center-Atlanta on Tuesday, Oct. 13, starting at 2:30 p.m. You can attend the program virtually via the window below, either during the program or after it's happened. This program also will be taped and posted to our web site later this month.

Bradford K. Smith, president of the Foundation Center, will provide his perspective on the impact of the economic crisis on the philanthropic sector – both foundations and service providers – and the challenges and opportunities these turbulent times present for the future.

This 60-minute program will be at the Foundation Center-Atlanta on Tuesday, Oct. 13, starting at 2:30 p.m. You can attend the program virtually via the window below, either during the program or after it's happened. This program also will be taped and posted to our web site later this month.

NEA Survey of Public Participation in the Arts

Periodically, the National Endowment for the Arts has looked at arts participation in the United States in partnership with the U. S. Census Bureau.  It recently published its latest survey, Arts Participation 2008: Highlights from a National Survey—a statistical snapshot of engagement in the U.S. with the arts by frequency and activity type.

The survey is not designed to determine why arts participation increases or decreases from survey to survey—but rather to look at how arts participation is affected by social, cultural, or economic patterns or by policies and programs in the arts arena.  The 2008 survey results present an especially challenging question: how did the economic downturn affect participation in the arts?

When the survey was conducted in May 2008, the recession, although not officially declared, had already made travel and other costs a problem for many Americans.  Although the survey cannot prove that weak consumer spending had a direct impact on participation in the arts, the survey results do show that adult attendance at arts events declined for almost every art form in 2008 as compared to the last survey in 2002.

The report presents charts and tables representing the results of the survey and reports some key findings, including:

• 1 in 3 adults attended an arts museum or an arts performance in the 12-month survey period.
• Smaller percentages of adults attended performing arts events than in previous years.
• Long-term trends suggest fundamental shifts in the relationship between age and arts attendance.

For more information about these and other key findings of the survey, read the report.

Does your experience with arts participation reflect these findings? Let us know.

October is Funding for the Arts Month at the Foundation Center, so check back for additional posts on arts related topics all month long.

Thanks to Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta, for sharing this post.

Periodically, the National Endowment for the Arts has looked at arts participation in the United States in partnership with the U. S. Census Bureau.  It recently published its latest survey, Arts Participation 2008: Highlights from a National Survey—a statistical snapshot of engagement in the U.S. with the arts by frequency and activity type.

The survey is not designed to determine why arts participation increases or decreases from survey to survey—but rather to look at how arts participation is affected by social, cultural, or economic patterns or by policies and programs in the arts arena.  The 2008 survey results present an especially challenging question: how did the economic downturn affect participation in the arts?

When the survey was conducted in May 2008, the recession, although not officially declared, had already made travel and other costs a problem for many Americans.  Although the survey cannot prove that weak consumer spending had a direct impact on participation in the arts, the survey results do show that adult attendance at arts events declined for almost every art form in 2008 as compared to the last survey in 2002.

The report presents charts and tables representing the results of the survey and reports some key findings, including:

• 1 in 3 adults attended an arts museum or an arts performance in the 12-month survey period.
• Smaller percentages of adults attended performing arts events than in previous years.
• Long-term trends suggest fundamental shifts in the relationship between age and arts attendance.

For more information about these and other key findings of the survey, read the report.

Does your experience with arts participation reflect these findings? Let us know.

October is Funding for the Arts Month at the Foundation Center, so check back for additional posts on arts related topics all month long.

Thanks to Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta, for sharing this post.

A Rookie's Guide to Online Fundraising

You’ve waited long enough. You’ve hidden under your desk and behind file folders for too long. It’s time to take the plunge. It’s time to start raising money online.

Getting started with any new piece of your fundraising and marketing mix causes some growing pains, and maybe even some frustration. The Foundation Center-Washington, DC is pleased to offer a workshop to get you over the hump of indecision and intimidation about whether to begin raising funds online.

Join us on Friday, October 16 at 10:00 am for a special program in our TechSense series titled A Rookie's Guide to Online Fundraising. Rebecca Higman from Network for Good will discuss 10 tips for effective online fundraising and marketing -- even during this down economy.

Whether your nonprofit is looking to get started with online fundraising or just needs to resuscitate its existing programs, this session will help you answer questions like these:

• How do I get more visitors to our web site?

• How do I drive more people to click on my donate button?

• When should you invest in new technology?

• How do social networks play into all this?

Come to this session armed with your questions as our guest presenter will leave plenty of time for Q&A at the end. This program is free, but we expect a big turnout -- so register now!

Grant Writing -- In-House or Outsource?

I recently read a great post by Tony Poderis on the Schoolhouse Partners Blog titled What Should You Do Before Engaging An Outside Grant Writer? In this post, Tony outlines the important questions to consider before hiring a consultant to write a grant proposal for your nonprofit. He emphasizes the need to do some prep work beforehand to ensure that the grant writer will have all the information needed to create an effective proposal. After all, no one knows more about your programs and your organization than you do!

This also raises the question -- is it a good idea to hire someone from outside to do your grant writing, or would it be done better by your own staff? Either way, you and your staff will need to be involved in the grant seeking process. You shouldn't -- and probably wouldn't want to -- leave all grant-related work to a hired gun. The prep work recommended in Tony's post already represents an important time investment on your part, and you will want to stay involved throughout the process.

So how do you decide if and when you should hire a grant writing consultant?

• First, you need to consider if someone on your staff has the skills to write an effective grant proposal. Some people don't feel confident enough in their writing abilities to present a strong case for support.
• Does your staff have the time to dedicate to proposal writing? Most nonprofit employees are spread pretty thin already.
• Nonprofit finances are spread pretty thin right now too. Does your organization have the money to hire a grant writer? And do you feel that is the most productive way to spend the funds?
• Is this the first time your nonprofit is applying for grants? If so, it might help to have an experienced professional providing guidance.

Whether you hire a consultant or have someone on your staff do the proposal writing, this still will be a team effort. Particularly in this tough economic climate, everyone from the executive director to the board -- and everyone in between -- needs to play an active role in your fundraising efforts.

So it would be a good idea to know something about the proposal writing process yourself. If this is a new topic for you or if you could use a refresher, you may want to attend the Foundation Center's free classes, Proposal Writing Basics and Proposal Budgeting Basics, which are offered in person or as webinars. For more in-depth training, check out our full-day courses, Proposal Writing Seminar and Proposal Budgeting Workshop -- both will be offered in DC this fall. You can also review our FAQs on proposal writing to learn more.

If you are interested in putting your experience to work as a freelance grant writer, you may want to review a recent blog post from our colleagues at the Foundation Center-Atlanta, Becoming a Nonprofit Consultant.

Just in! Giving USA 2009

Researched and written at The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, and published by the Giving USA Foundation, Giving USA 2009 is an annual statistical analysis of charitable contributions in the United States, the sources of these contributions, and the uses to which the charitable contributions were put. The report analyzes the philanthropic giving of individuals, their bequests, foundations, and corporations. Contributions to the following areas are compared for various periods up to 2008: religion; education; foundations; health; human services; arts, culture, and humanities; public-society benefit; environment/animals; and international affairs. Of particular note are the listings of gifts of $10 million or more by individuals.

Analyses of the economic crisis and its effect on philanthropy and tips for fundraising in recessionary times are new in Giving USA 2009.

Looking for facts on U.S. philanthropy? Come to the Foundation Center's Washington, DC library and use Giving USA 2009 today.