Grants

Having spent time on both "sides" and organizing in the middle spaces, my conclusion is that grantseekers and grantmakers are not so different. I believe we would all be better off imagining each other to be actual people — with motivations, fears, joys and stories — who want to improve our communities by working in different professional functions.

Wanna know a secret? I once ran my own grant-writing business. I loved focusing on one thing and doing it well — a welcome break from the “many hats” conundrum in which development professionals frequently find themselves. Success in this area, however, requires adherence to a well-defined, logical process. Master this and you, too, can be a grant-writing phenom. Here’s my primer.

Getting in the door to community funders isn't always easy, but introducing yourself to someone new never is. The more you reach out to acquaint others with your organization, the easier it will become and the better you'll be at it. In the end, you're increasing the awareness of your mission, building your skill base and making new friends along the journey. A win-win-win for everyone involved.

Foundation Source, a provider of support and advisory services for private foundations, released preliminary findings on 2012 giving activity by U.S. private foundations with endowments of less than $50 million. The aggregated data show that giving was up in 2012, both in dollar value and relative to the overall size of foundation assets. Foundations with assets of less than $50 million represent a super-majority (98 percent) of all private foundations in the United States.

Ted Hart speaks with Michelle Greanias, executive director of the Grants Managers Network; Marcus McGrew, director of grants management for the Kresge Foundation and co-chair of Grants Managers Network; and Jessica Bearman, principal of Bearman Consulting, live from the Grants Managers Network Conference.

Garnering funder support, and long-term partnership, requires showing a return on social investment. Assessing and documenting collective impact also allows funders and nonprofits to learn from each other and establish meaningful measurements while working toward common objectives. The two key questions for grant-seekers are: (1) how do you know what you are doing is working (what is your level of evidence?); and (2) how is it innovative (how are you doing it differently with better results)?

During the session, "Who's Your BFF? Building Lasting Relationship With Grant Makers," at Blackbaud's bbcon earlier this month, Heather Stombaugh and Matthew Stombaugh from JustWrite Solutions provided a few resources fundraisers should utilize when seeking grants in order to find their "Best Fit Funder."

A group of the largest U.S. foundations have formally committed to release their grant information in a consistent, open and frequent manner, in an effort to more effectively address the issues facing our communities and our world. To date, 15 foundations have partnered with the Foundation Center and agreed to open up their grantmaking data in this initiative known as the "Reporting Commitment."

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors announced grants from the California Education Policy Fund to advance education reform efforts that can boost student achievement and college and career success in California, especially among disadvantaged students. Totaling $3.1 million, the grants will provide general operating support to eight well-established and newer organizations positioned to affect positive change in California’s education policies.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) announced the results of its third Social Innovation Fund competition, selecting four experienced grantmakers with strong track records of success in expanding the impact of high-performing organizations in improving the lives of people in low-income communities.

The four new awards total $8 million and will fund the initial two years of each grant. An additional $33.9 million was provided to seven existing grantees to continue their work based on consistent and compelling results.