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