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Grants and Foundations Review
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About Grants and Foundations Review™
The thousands of grant writers and funders who are members of CharityChannel have contributed hundreds of articles to Grants and Foundations Review over the years. Articles cover all facets of grantsmanship, and tackle just about every topic imaginable.
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Major Gifts: Answer to All My Problems or Major Delusion?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
by Shelley Uva
If you are currently looking for a development job, you have probably noticed that almost every job advertised these days seems to focus on major gifts. The reason for this is simple. During the past 10 months, the stock market has gone down precipitously and, as a result, many foundations have lost a significant portion of their funds. Many of them are no longer taking on new projects, and a significant number are either cutting back on projects they are already funding or declining to renew grants. As foundation money remains difficult to secure, greater numbers of nonprofits are turning to major gifts as their best hope.
Twenty years ago, the next big thing in fundraising was marketing. Today it is major gifts.
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Nagging Mom or Bragging Coach - Winning Ways to Build a Grant Reporting Team
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
by Jeannette Archer-Simons
Do you ever feel like a nagging mother when you are trying to get a grant report done? While staff members love to have the funding, they often hate the reporting requirements. Much like children avoiding homework, staff can try everything possible to procrastinate and not provide the information you need to do your job. So here are some hints to move from nagging mother to bragging coach in your organization AND make sure your reports are submitted on time.
There are five ways winning strategies for making grant reporting easier.
- Ask how results will be measured when you are preparing the grant application.
- Clarify report expectations with the funder when the grant is received.
- Make tracking information simple and accessible.
- Provide training for staff.
- Build relationships with those seeking funds and providing information for reports.
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Should We Be Writing this Proposal?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
by Shelley Uva
These are challenging times for fundraisers. The recent severe economic downturn, Ponzi schemes, and the general tightening of even the most expensive belts means that it is more difficult to raise money now than it has been in decades. So, what is a fundraiser to do? As a development professional, particularly if your specialty is institutional fundraising, you may find yourself pressured to send out greater numbers of proposals than ever before even though the return on this effort may be quite minimal.
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Program Sustainability - A Personal and Professional Obligation
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
by Rebecca Vermillion Shawver, MPA
With years of experience in the social service, youth development, and higher education fields, it seems to me that too many proposal writers don’t give serious consideration to program sustainability when they are reaching for that next grant check. As a result of such short sightedness, many good programs are lost and promises are broken to clients and the community.
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Eight Tips to Prep for a Foundation Site Visit
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
by Pamela Grow
Have you ever wondered how grant-making foundations decide with which nonprofit organizations to schedule site visits? Well, there could be any number of reasons why a foundation might choose to schedule a site visit with your nonprofit organization....
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Top Ten Ways to Frustrate a Grant Reviewer
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
by Jeannette Archer-Simons
I have made it a mission to foster stronger grants writers as I have edited and reviewed an estimated one thousand of their applications, prepared for both private and government funders. Nothing is more frustrating than reading a proposal in which the grant writer pushes pet peeve buttons that can so easily be avoided. So if you want to ensure that you don’t push the pet peeve buttons of grant reviewers around the world, you may find my top ten list quite helpful. May I have a drum roll please….
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Grants and Foundation Review gets Stimulus
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
by Michael Wells
About four years ago Larry Gallery, the founding editor of Grants and Foundation Review, called and said he was moving on and would I consider editing this review? I was astounded, honored  and nervous -- but said yes. And so began my journey into online journalism. They say if you want to learn something, teach it. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from really reading every article in this review, not just skimming when I had the time. We have a fabulous bank of writers with broad experience and I hope that you, the reader/audience, have gotten as much from GFR as I have.
But four years is a long time, and the Review needs some new energy. I told Steve Nill and he went about looking for the perfect editor to take GFR to its next level. He found her in Becki Shawver (see photo). Becki has been contributing to GFR since at least 2004 on a staggering variety of topics. She’s knowledgeable, funny and knows the grants business from the inside out....
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A Frumpy Grantwriter Who's Rooting for Susan Boyle
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
by Rebecca Vermillion Shawver, MPA
Every job has its frustrations. Grant writing is certainly no exception. This article is written by a grant writer. It is for and about grant writers everywhere — in recognition that we are the least praised members of fund development teams.
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Overcoming Your Grant Writing Fears - Thirteen Needless Worries
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
by Rebecca Vermillion Shawver, MPA
When I was a neophyte to the world of grants, I was terrified to confront the first, blank page of each new grant application. What would I write? Would I find the “right” words? Would my proposal be compelling and persuasive enough to win a grant award? And if not, would I be considered a failure and lose my colleagues’ respect — or worse my job?
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No Magic Wands
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
by Shelley Uva
These are dark and difficult times for fundraisers. In October 2008, the stock market began to die, and along with it went the investment accounts not only of numerous non-profits, but also of many of the foundations and individual donors those non-profits counted on for support. During the past eight months, every fundraiser I know has seen the sorry results. If you have approached a new foundation in the past few months, chances are you have been told that, in effect, there is no room at the inn for you. Most foundations are not taking on new projects, and many are reducing their support for projects they are funding. It’s ugly out there, and the economic indicators are not encouraging.
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American Association of Grant Professionals Annual Conference: Sneak Preview
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
by Gail Vertz, Executive Director, American Association of Grant Professionals
Editor’s Note: CharityChannel invited Gail Vertz, executive director of the American Association of Grant Professionals, to give the CharityChannel professional community an update on the upcoming Annual National Conference.
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Building Your Grants Team with Inside and Outside Volunteers
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
by Lynne T. Dean, CFRE
Successful development means building relations with a variety of constituencies, including foundations. Nonprofit organizations, some with no development staff or one person handling development as well as marketing and public relations, address this challenge with a variety of strategies ranging from outsourcing to recruiting volunteers to involving more staff members in the grants process. Organizations can build successful grants teams with "inside" and "outside" volunteers.
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Help! Nonprofit Survival in Challenging Times
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
by Janet Polli
A recent article in The Nation reinforced grim news for nonprofit leaders. Eyal Press writes in his article, The Perfect Storm, “At a forum in New York City in November, Paul Light, a professor of public service at New York University, predicted that ‘at a minimum’ more than 100,000 nonprofit organizations would be wiped out in the next two years.” That’s a terrifying idea.
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This is Stimulating
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
by Michael Wells
[Editor's Note: This article was published initially on March 25, and re-published April 1 with a number of important changes.]
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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), otherwise known as the Stimulus Package, is setting the grants world on its ear. As a consultant, I’m getting calls from legitimate clients with a good idea of what they want, small nonprofits wanting me to find them grant opportunities and an up-tick in individuals and small businesses looking for “free government money you don’t have to pay back.”
I’ve been doing some research and while I’m not an expert I can give some hints....
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Who Are Grant Professionals and From Where Do They Come?
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
by Rebecca Vermillion Shawver, MPA
When I was a young child, I dreamt of many things. I imagined what career I would choose. I even hoped that I would travel the world. But the idea that I would become a grant professional never would have occurred to me. I had never met one and wouldn’t have known what their job responsibilities would entail if by chance I had encountered such a person. But here I am with nearly two decades of grant development and administrative experience.
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Centralized Grant Offices Protect Your Organization: Strengths Your CEO Needs To Know
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
by Rebecca Vermillion Shawver, MPA
During the course of my career, I have been asked on occasion why any agency needs a centralized grant office. Typically, the question comes from staff or faculty that believe each department should independently write and submit grant applications, complete funder required reports, or seek new funding opportunities. They suggest that departmental staff are the program experts and therefore are the most knowledgeable about their programs’ needs and performance outcomes.
However, my years of experience have shown me that an independent, centralized grant office is essential to the long-term success of any comprehensive fund development plan for many reasons — reasons that every CEO vested and compassionate about their organization’s long-term fund development success needs to know.
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Board Members as Grants Advocates
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
by Jeannette Archer-Simons
Wouldn’t it be great if board members better understood the grants process? Many nonprofits have sat in a room with members of the board trying to figure out a short fall in funding or to find finding for a critical project and someone says, “Well, let’s write a grant!” The key to helping well meaning, passionate volunteers understand how they can help is breaking down tasks into meaningful, but manageable pieces of support for the grants process.
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The New 990 (and why it matters)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
by Michael Wells
The IRS has dramatically revised the form 990 and its purpose, requiring many more nonprofits to file it and many more people to be involved in its preparation. Anyone working in nonprofits, including grantwriters, needs to be aware of these changes. Starting with the Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002, the IRS has been getting increasingly involved in corporate governance. Even though this was triggered by Enron and other big business scandals, nonprofit corporations got rolled into the mix. The result is the new form 990.
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Branding Strategy with Foundations
Monday, February 16, 2009
by Jeannette Archer-Simons, CFRE
Branding? That is the communications department job! Actually, everyone has a role in branding an organization. A brand is what distinguishes the organization from others (ref. Dictionary.com). It can be a stigma about your organization because of bad practices or if well managed, can enhance the perceived value of your organization and position a proposal for funding ahead of other organizations.
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Lessons from Obama
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
by Nancy Church
Recent client engagements have reminded me how easy it is to become overwhelmed with requests and expectations from our colleagues. On any given day, you could find that one comes to you for help on a small grant, another is bringing a potential collaborative partner to a meeting at 3, the development assistant “reminds” you – for the first time! – that a grant report is due tomorrow. Your own work plan can get lost amid the distracting requests. It can be challenging to both accomplish it and serve the needs of the organization your department is there to help.
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Is That Money Really Yours?
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
by Nancy Church
One day a check arrives from a foundation with a letter that says, “We have approved your request for funding and enclosed is a check for $60,000.” Is that money really your organization’s to spend as it wishes? How can your accountant record this transaction correctly?
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No Grants & Foundation Review New Years Eve
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
by Michael Wells
Grants & Foundation Review will not be publishing December 31st (New Years Eve).
Happy Holidays!
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No Grants & Foundation Review Christmas & New Years Eve
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
by Michael Wells
Grants & Foundation Review will not be publishing December 24 (Christmas Eve).
Happy Holidays!
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What Does it Take to Turn a Good Idea into Good Outcomes?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
by Cassandra O'Neill
Every call for proposal or request for proposals asks for good ideas, innovative ways to create desired outcomes. Every proposal that is submitted to a funder outlines what the applicant thinks is a good idea and a description of how the organization plans to implement that good idea. So, what percent of good ideas actually become good outcomes? Would you be surprised to find out that research has found that only 10-30% of good ideas become good outcomes? Are you interested in finding out more about what your organization can do to increase the odds?
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How to Keep Plugging Away
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
by Cheryl Kester
If you’ve been a grants professional for a few years now, you may find yourself struggling to remain motivated at times. Whether you just keep receiving rejection letters, or whether you’ve been writing what seems like the same proposal over and over again for months or years, all of us have times when it’s hard to get energized about what we’re doing. Unfortunately, this usually is reflected in our uninspired writing, so we need to address it as quickly as possible.
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Would You Like to Write for CharityChannel?
CharityChannel was created in 1992 as a community of nonprofit-sector colleagues who shared a vision to create a professional community where members can help each other by sharing their expertise with each other. One of the most important avenues for the exchange of expertise is the opportunity to write original, down-to-earth articles. CharityChannel contributors have penned thousands of articles over the years, and they're just warming up – in the next weeks and months, we're going to expand the article subject areas.
If you have at least several years of experience in the sector and a specific expertise, as evidenced by a demonstrable record of accomplishment, in any of the topic areas listed to the left, you are invited to raise your hand to join one of our Contributors Panels organized around each topic area.
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