Increase Generosity through Collaboration

After attending a National Christian Foundation banquet one year, I was encouraged by the words of one of the board members. He said, “We are all philanthropists.  If you have $10 and give $1.00 to ten causes, you are a philanthropist.”  Far too often our attitude about our finances paralyzes our giving and limits our potential to make a difference in the needs of this world. Individually, we will never address all the needs within our communities or around the world, but together, we have an incredible potential to impact and improve many social issues.

Not only does this truth apply to our individual giving strategies, it should also impact the way nonprofits approach grant seeking.  Foundations are eager to fund projects where communities have collaborated to identify and meet the needs of their constituents.  In Texas, one such collaborative effort gained recognition from the Foundation Center when five well-respected child-serving agencies and the Texas Department of Child Protective Services formed the Adoption Coalition. Their mission was to find adoptive families for children “languishing in the foster care system … especially hard-to-place teens, sibling groups, and minority children” (FoundationCenter.org). Combining efforts through this coalition, the number of annual adoptions increased from 370 to well over 700!

In 2011, the Adoption Coalition received an award of $162,500 from the Foundation Center for their innovative and effective collaborative efforts. 

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commissions us to spread His truth and reveal His love. Living intentionally means we become His hands and feet throughout the world. St. Teresa of Avila once said:

Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet

but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the

world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing

good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.

Development is a ministry and it is about relationship building—with donors, foundations, and within your communities. It is about partnership … teamwork … collaboration.

Consider this challenge—before approaching another foundation for funding, look around your community and see what other nonprofits are doing. Are you serving the same constituents? Could you partner in a project and seek funding to amplify outcomes? Are there proven programs or projects across the United States that are doing the work you seek to do within your community? Is their program duplicable? Call them and seek direction in how you can serve the needs of your community through their proven methods.

These are troubling times—are they not? I truly wish I were brave enough and articulate enough to walk into the groups of protesters and eloquently share collaboration in a way that would make all the difference in the world! Sadly—it seems we ALL want the same thing—partnership, alliance, teamwork, cooperation, and relationship. However, before we can achieve this, we must have understanding.

It may seem like a small thing, but before you submit another grant application, please take the time to really know and understand the foundation or donor you are seeking funding from. Remember, they too are passionate about resolving the disparities that are hurting the men, women, and children in our communities and they depend on you being the hands and feet to meet those needs—through their funding.

 Just for fun, write a letter to a foundation and simply thank them for the work they do. Let them know you appreciate their challenge of disbursing funds within the guidelines set out by their Board of Directors. Just … honor them.

Thanks for dropping by,

Kathy

COVID19 AND FOUNDATION INSTRUCTIONS

The Covid19 instructions hit me hard when my husband and I were in South Carolina in March. Our visit with our daughter and her family was cut short by instructions to socially isolate to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Trust me, I did not like these instructions, and when saying goodbye to my three grands (7, 5, and 5 months), I really did not like the instructions. My thoughts were focused on me and that surely these instructions did not include me! Walking the sandy shores of Pawleys Island, collecting shells cannot possibly hurt anybody. But those self-righteous thoughts lead to destruction when countless others follow the same poor example.

We can feign ignorance that we simply did not hear or understand or think it meant … us. But in today’s techno-charged world, there really are no excuses. Instructions from leaders are important. We may not agree, and we may not like them; however, they outline a clear plan for success. The world is full of those who choose to toss all kinds of instructions out the door—and the world is full of hurt, pain, and dysfunction as a result.

Like following Covid19 instructions, do you find a foundation’s instructions for funding applications unnerving? Are you intimidated by their questions and the information they seek about your organization, along with the attachments required? If you are, you are not alone.

In his book Seeing Through a Donor’s Eyes, Will Ahern challenges nonprofit organizations with this question: “Let’s pretend that a potential donor magically appears today and asks: Why should I give you my money now?” Are you prepared to quickly articulate to a potential funder how your mission aligns with their mission and that funding from them would not only advance your cause—but would enhance their mission? You see, none of this should surprise or scare you. When you have already prepared your Case Statement and the documents necessary to a successful grant-seeking plan, foundation guidelines lose their daunting effect.

When I went back to college at the ripe young age of 48, I felt intimidated by the younger students and their knowledge of how to prepare and study for their classes. I felt so far removed from this discipline. Interestingly, I found the professor’s class syllabus to be my best friend. I knew that if I followed this outline, I would have success in this class. It was up to me to follow these instructions, respect each professor’s mission for the class, and submit my work on time.

I guess for this reason, I actually love having a Foundation Profile—containing all of their instructions—in front of me when preparing proposals for my clients. If I have done my homework well by thoroughly researching foundation fits, have a stellar Case for Support to work from, and know and love their mission—my job is so much easier and I do not mind following each foundations specific instructions. Mariano Diaz, Senior Vice President of the Community Partnerships of the San Diego Foundation stresses “the importance of following instructions and procedures when applying for funding.” A foundation can recognize quickly when their guidelines and instructions have not been followed and, sadly, proposals are often simply tossed without reading anything about your organization.

We are living in a very uncertain time and perhaps your worthy nonprofit has been greatly affected not only by Covid19, but now by the civil unrest across our nation. Like you, my heart is grieving. But I do know this—when I cling to the One who has sifted this all though His very capable hands—I can either be a part of the problem or the solution. I choose to be a part of the solution, and that means following guidelines I may not always agree with. Resisting or being angry about them, like the Covid19 instructions, does not bring the results I desire in my life or the lives of those around me.

So, don’t sweat foundation instructions! Look at them as your guide for submitting an award-winning proposal that will fulfill the mission of your organization and bring honor to your donor.  KLH is here to help you navigate your Case for Support and foundation research AND guide you through donor instructions. Please contact us if you need some help.

Thanks for dropping by,

Kathy

NAVIGATING YOUR GRANT-SEEKING PLAN

Hiking is a different form of exercise than running, or in my case, speed walking.  It requires navigating continually changing terrain … rocks … limbs and branches … the occasional stream or inches of mud.  When I hike, I recognize I am using different muscles than I use when I walk. This awareness was brought home to me on a hike awhile back when I took off as if I were speed walking—way too fast! But as I slowed down, I started thinking about the strategies necessary to help faith-based nonprofits navigate their grant-seeking plan.

Grant writing is not only a different genre of writing, it also requires somewhat different tactics than other forms of fundraising. And as I work with nonprofits, I recognize that they often want to jump out of the gate too quickly by submitting proposals for funding when they simply are not ready.

When I begin working with a client—my top priority is to gather the necessary documents a foundation or funder will require including budgets, financial statements, board member information, key-member biographies, and clearly outlined goals and strategies. For this reason, one of the most important documents for a successful grants program is a Case for Support (CFS).

Much like a for profit organization’s business plan, this document serves as a blueprint and will outline the essential elements required for your proposals. It will explore the history of your organization and introduce key individuals and the qualifications that make your organization the right one to address specific community needs.  In addition, your CFS will include:

·       Need Statement

·       Objectives, Strategies, Outcomes

·       Evaluation Plan

·       Sustainability Plan

·       Budgets

And your case statement must begin with and include your mission statement. Everything you do, everything you write must be sifted through the mission and vision of your nonprofit organization. Peter Greer and Chris Horst stress the importance of staying true to your mission in their book Mission Drift – the Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities, and Churches. Like the frog in a pot of boiling water, your mission can shift without you noticing … “mission drift unfolds slowly. Like a current, it carries organizations away from their core purpose and identity.”  And faith-based nonprofits are no exception to this dilemma.

The best way to begin writing your CFS is to meet with the key stakeholders within your organization and simply … brainstorm. Begin with one section at a time … do not worry about making it pretty … simply get it written down. A solid CFS is one that has received input from key staff, board members, and even those you serve. This document should be read and reread numerous times before it becomes your final Case for Support. In its final form, your CFS will save time and energy once you are ready to begin reaching out to foundations.  All the information you need to craft well-written narratives will be in one place.

Writing a case statement forces you to think about your organization’s promise, your organization’s proof, and how the donor fits into your world (Seeing Through a Donors Eyes, Will Ahern).

And whether you choose to hire an outside grant writer or write proposals inhouse, this document will be well worth your time and energy. You will not be tripping over yourself at the last minute trying to locate the information a funder requires.

I am sure I will have to remind myself again to slow down on a hike … and perhaps speed up on a walk! And your nonprofit will not be the first one who needs to take the time to develop a concentrated, organized grant seeking plan to ensure the success of your programs. If you would like help crafting your Case for Support, please contact KLH—we would be pleased to help and share our expertise in this area.

Thanks for dropping by,

Kathy