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Understanding Grantseeking Presented by the Grant Center and the Latino Public Radio Consortium

Understanding Grantseeking Presented by the Grant Center and the Latino Public Radio Consortium. Presenters . Amie Klempnauer Miller, DEI Foundation Development Advisor Hugo Morales, Executive Director, Radio Bilingüe. The Grant Center. A Partnership of:. Funded by:. The Grant Center.

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Understanding Grantseeking Presented by the Grant Center and the Latino Public Radio Consortium

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  1. Understanding Grantseeking Presented by the Grant Center and the Latino Public Radio Consortium

  2. Presenters • Amie Klempnauer Miller, DEI Foundation Development Advisor • Hugo Morales, Executive Director, Radio Bilingüe

  3. The Grant Center A Partnership of: Funded by:

  4. The Grant Center Public Broadcasting’s Premier Source for Grantseekers Our mission is to connect public broadcasting stations with federal and foundation funding opportunities.

  5. Foundations’ Piece of the Pie

  6. The Big Picture • 78,000 foundations nationwide • 2000 – 2010: foundation giving up overall by 31% • 2008: 17% decline in assets • 2010: $45.7B in total giving • 2011: flat to modest growth projected (2-4%)

  7. Foundation Priorities Top giving priorities by $ invested (2009): • Education: 23% • Health: 23% • Human Services: 13% • Public Affairs/Society Benefit: 12% • Arts/Culture: 11%

  8. Kinds of Support • Project/program • Capacity-building/technical • Capital and equipment • Start-up • Operating (< 25% of giving)

  9. Why Foundations Fund Media • Support local information needs • Advance understanding of key issues • Dissemination: reach and engage lots of people • Promote the arts • Give voice to the unheard • Educate policymakers • Promote direct change

  10. Good Reasons A new initiative or specific project A project with clear community impact A one-time need A project that will expand your capacity Convergence between your work and foundation’s goals Not So Good Reasons A hole in your operating budget An emergency need (some exceptions) You met someone who sits on a foundation board Because the money’s there To Seek a Grant or Not to Seek a Grant

  11. “To convince someone to give you money, you have to tell them a good story.” - Mapping Public Radio’s Independent Landscape

  12. Step 1: Define Your Project • What will you do? • Why do you want to do it? What is the need? • How will you do it? Will you partner with anyone? • Roughly how much will it cost? • How will it make the world (or your community) a better place? • How will you know it worked?

  13. Step 2: Look for Funders • Who makes grants into your area? • Who has funded similar projects? • Who funds “like-minded” organizations? • Who’s funding other media?

  14. Resources • Foundation Directories • Local Foundation Center collections (at the library) • Local Councils of Nonprofits • The Grant Center: free foundation prospect research customized to your needs

  15. Step 3: Do Your Homework Learn about: • Stated interests • Total assets and distributions • Board and staff information • Sample grants • Regional focus • Whether unsolicited applications are accepted • Initial approach preference

  16. A little gossip goes a long way • Screen foundation board members • Get to know client advisors at local banks • Find specialized or donor-advised funds at community foundations • Look for connectors

  17. What you really need to know • What does the foundation really fund? • Is there a match in mission, action and spirit? • Are we “like” organizations? • Is there an open door? Or window? • How does the foundation describe itself and its work? • What’s our past history, if any? • Do we have a connection?

  18. Some Rules of Thumb • Like usually funds like • Look for opportunities among smaller foundations: • Least likely to receive 100+ proposals; • Most likely to fund 50%+ of proposals received • More likely to give general support • Look for match in mission, action and spirit

  19. Step 4: Introduce yourself -- person to person • Leverage an introduction • Engage in an event • Request advice • Build on common ties • Make an introductory phone call (or e-mail), if permitted • Request a meeting, if appropriate

  20. Introduce yourself -- the letter • 2-3 pages • Summarize: • Project and ask • Need for project • Implementation plan • Impact • Your experience/expertise • Overall budget and other funders • Your follow-up plan

  21. Step 5: Prepare a Proposal • Statement of Need: Why? • Description of Project: What? • Implementation Plan: How? • Key Partners and Personnel: Who? • Evaluation/Impact Plan: What difference does it make? • Budget: How much? Look at sample proposals on the Grant Center

  22. Do this. . . • Describe how your project will help your community, not how it will help you. • Tell a story. • Think like the foundation: how will this grant make a difference? • Be open to foundation input. • Follow directions. • Answer questions promptly and completely. • Ask for feedback from experienced grantwriters and/or the foundation. • Proofread.

  23. Don’t do this. . . • Ignore guidelines. • Use a generic proposal. • Send a laundry list instead of a proposal. • Play “inside baseball.” • Miss deadlines. • Give up after one ‘no.’

  24. Before, During and After: Cultivate, Cultivate, Cultivate, Cultivate. . . • Ideally, before and after making a request • Be creative: • Seek advice and expertise • Invite to events • Request informal meetings • Seek out speaker opportunities • Use on-air opportunities • Leverage community-building opportunities • Network

  25. Take the relationship to the next level • One size does not fit all • Leverage any (positive) relationship • Customize your communications (no “template”) • Develop a cultivation plan for each prospect • Get to know people, not just prospects • Treat foundations like major donors

  26. The Grant Center: Your Resource • Online clearinghouse with searchable database of 300+ funding opportunities • Funding alerts, policy updates and forecasting • Monthly webinars/conference calls connecting you with funders and peers • Custom prospect research • Success stories

  27. Search by Topic Arts and Humanities K-12 Education Digital Transition Literacy Digitization News Disability Outreach Diversity Rural Development Early Childhood Education Science and Technology Environment Teacher Training Health Workforce Development Homeland Security Youth Journalist Training . . . and more

  28. Custom Research • Who funds equipment in my state? • Who might fund health content? • Who funds coverage of aging issues? • Who provides general operating support in my region? • Which funders are interested in dropout prevention? • Who could help fund local news reporting?

  29. Recent Webinar Topics • Unlocking Foundation Grants through Partnership: One station’s Story • Expanded Learning Opportunities…Expanded Opportunities for Public Media • USDA’s “Rural Digital” grant program • Federal Funding Prospects and the President’s Budget • Meet the Knight Foundation • Models for Funding Local News

  30. Thank you! www.apts.org/grantcenter @aptsgrantcenter Amie Miller DEI 612-203-8911 amie0422@comcast.net

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