4. Foundation Center
Funding Information Network partners
in Washington State
• Redmond
• Seattle
• UW Tacoma
• Bremerton
• Bellingham
• Port
Townsend
• Spokane
7. As you consider grants . . .
Note to self: you are looking for a grant to meet a
community need, not the needs of your organization.
What needs are
you meeting?
What are your
specific goals?
How much do
you need?
Who are you serving?
What is the time
frame?
How will you measure the
success of your project?
What kind of support are
you seeking?
8. IF Your Project:
Fills a demonstrated need in a distinctive way
Includes alliances with other orgs working on
related issues
Is realistic in scope
Demonstrates your capacity to manage it
properly and report on its effectiveness
THEN YOU HAVE INCREASED
YOUR CHANCES FOR FUNDING.
9. Preparation
Devote 80% of time to research
About your project
About funder
Allow 20% of time for proposal writing
The best proposal won’t convince the wrong funder.
10. Types of Foundations: Private
• Nongovernmental, nonprofit organization
(specific legal entity)
• Have own funds or endowment
• Three types:
– Independent
– Operating
– Corporate
Average foundation grant for past decade: $5000.
11. Corporate Foundations
– Separate legal entities, maintain close ties with the
parent company. Their giving usually reflects
company interests.
– Must meet the public disclosure requirements of
foundations.
– Have small endowments.
Average corporate gift in last decade = $2500.
12. IRS Requirements
for Private Foundations
• 5% payout every year
• Requires “increased scrutiny” if the
foundation gives to individuals
• Must file annual 990-PF form
13. IRS 990-PF
Provides info on:
Financials
Board Members
Every Grant
Given
– To Whom
– For How Much
– For What
14. Sample 990 PF: List of Grants Made by Aven Foundation in 2011
excerpt
15. Public Foundations (or Charities)
• Community foundations
– Seattle Foundation
– Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
• Population or issue-oriented funds
– MS Foundation
– Sierra Club
Public charities file IRS 990
16. Not Foundations:
Corporate Giving Programs
– Not separate legal entities - no public reporting
requirement, no endowments
– May include employee matching gifts and in-kind gifts
– Programs are designed to benefit employees and
families, or communities with company operations
– May include sponsorships, employee
volunteers, board members.
17. Q: How do you find potential funders for
your project?
A: Start at the Nonprofit & Philanthropy
Resource Center at the Redmond Library
37. Foundations, Corporations, Individuals
Adds 1,000,000 Grant records monthly
Search by category, amount, city or
state
38. Further Research
• Learn as much as you can about the funding source
– from their website (if they have one)
– Study 2 or 3 years of 990s
– Find newspaper and magazine articles (use periodical databases
from www.kcls.org)
39. Beyond Foundations
• Service Clubs
• Fraternal Organizations
• Professional & Trade Associations
• Unions
• Military
• Heritage
• Hobby
• Faith Community
44. Puget Sound Grantwriters Association
www.grantwriters.org
•6 lunchtime meetings per year, at the REI Flagship Store in
Seattle
•Sample topics from this year:
•The Secrets of Site Visits
•Next Generation Philanthropists
•Program Evaluation: Perspectives from Puget Sound
Funders and Nonprofit Leaders
•Annual Conference: Nov. 1, 2013
Scholarships available – deadline is October 11th.
45. Nonprofits Front & Center 2013
Perfecting Your Pitch for Maximum Impact:
Effective Marketing for Nonprofits
An evening with Erica
Mills, nonprofit
marketing expert and
principal of
Claxon Marketing.
Thursday, Dec. 5th
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Redmond Library
46. Nonprofit & Philanthropy Resource Center
• Free access to grants databases
• Free instruction on conducting database searches
• Materials on nonprofits, fundraising, grant writing
• Workshops
Check our website and calendar often!
Hinweis der Redaktion
The NPRC is a Funding Information Network partner of The Foundation Center. The Foundation Center is a national nonprofit whose mission is to inform the public about philanthropy and the contributions that nonprofits make to society. To accomplish this, the Foundation Center sponsors over 400 Funding Information Network partners throughout the country.
The Foundation Center is a leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. It maintains comprehensive database of U.S., and, increasingly, global grantmakers. Over 100,000 foundations are included. It is updated every week. They also publish books about all aspects of grant seeking, proposal writing, and nonprofit management. As a “cooperating collection” library, we provide free public access to their excellent databases, and can purchase their materials at a discount. You will see lots of Foundation Center publications in our collection. Most of them can be checked out.You need to be in the library to access the database, but the Foundation Center also offers lots of information and webinar trainings for free on their website. Fee-based online trainings are also available, as well as classroom trainings.
Currently there are 450 Funding Information partners through the U.S. Here is a list of the libraries in Washington state. Spread the word if you know people working in nonprofits in these areas.
Explain the distinctions of each source.
50% of corporate giving is in-kindCorporate Marketing Departments may provide sponsorship Interested in reaching particular market segmentDon’t forget small business Have list of ways you can help them & they can help you Products - VolunteersResearch on companies in Web sites, databases and publications
Lots of great, free training resources from this site, accessible from anywhere.Look at the tabs. Demonstration search up next
*60% of foundations say they do not accept unsolicited proposalsSince grants begin with relationships, try to find someone who knows themSome now say “The foundation does not encourage unsolicited proposals”
As you have seen, FDO Professional is an incredible resource. There are other databases that are smaller yet will sometimes give you results that FDO does not. It’s worth checking other databases. KCLS carries 3 additional databases for grants and fundraising. GrantStation is one of them.
Data comes from Internet-based annual reports, newsletters, campaign honor rolls, press releases, social networks, event sponsor lists, etc.
These sources won’t be in databases, but are worth investigating. Look for connections with the work that you do, or the people in your org.