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10 Things Funders Won’t Tell You (Confessions of a Foundation Director)

10 Things Funders Won’t Tell You (Confessions of a Foundation Director). Cary A. Paine February 2011. Relationships Trump Proposals. Relationships are the goal. The proposal is one of the tools. Grantmaking is not a proposal writing contest. What do I look for in a proposal?

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10 Things Funders Won’t Tell You (Confessions of a Foundation Director)

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  1. 10 Things Funders Won’t Tell You(Confessions of a Foundation Director) Cary A. Paine February 2011

  2. Relationships Trump Proposals • Relationships are the goal. The proposal is one of the tools. • Grantmaking is not a proposal writing contest. • What do I look for in a proposal? • Relationships and networks - 10 -

  3. Giving is Highly Subjective • You can do everything right and not get the gift (vise-versa). • Decision making is intuitive. • Fundraising can be unpredictable. - 9 -

  4. It May be About You or Your Organization’s Leadership • Leadership is a critical factor - the most important factor? • “Personalities happen.” • Silence - 8 -

  5. Funders Will Avoid Confrontation and Saying, “No” • Fosters distance and ambiguity. • Wealth often drives people into seclusion. - 7 -

  6. Information is Power – A Donor’s Advantage • Transparency takes away places for a donor to hide. • Donors don’t want an even playing field. • Black box phenomenon. - 6 -

  7. Donor Accountability is Lacking • Not as many checks and balances, compared to grantees. • “Golden Rule” – He/She who owns the gold, rules. - 5 -

  8. It’s Safer to Follow Than to Lead • Donors want to know who else is involved? • Find a “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.” - 4 -

  9. No Donor Wants to be anATM Machine • How many people fall in love with their bank? • What else can a donor offer? • Advice? • Mentoring? • Leverage? • What happens to the relationship if you don’t get the grant? - 3 -

  10. Philanthropy Tends to Breed Arrogance and Skepticism Among Donors • Arrogance fostered by: • “It’s all about me” • “It’s my money” • Being in demand • Skepticism created by: • Superficiality • Over-Promising • Poor presentation and/or planning - 2 -

  11. Donors Aren’t Motivated by Your Needs, They Want to Know About Their Opportunities • Balance the focus between you and the funder. - 1 -

  12. Postscript When should you say “no” to money?

  13. CHASING DONORSLEADING DONORS Catch-up, get-by fundraising Optimal philanthropy Problem-driven Vision led Organization wants to get something Donor wants to do something Tell organization's story Listen to donor's story Donor is reactive Donor is proactive Scarcity of resources Abundance of resources Short-term thinking Long-term thinking Staff-centered Volunteer-centered Control fundraising costs Invest to build equity

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