Seeking Foundation and Corporate Support: A Faculty Perspective

1. Seeking Foundation and Corporate Support: A Faculty Perspective Jere Confrey Professor of Mathematics Education

2. Examples of funded projects • Endowment for a teacher education program (foundation) • Support for summer program (foundation) • Support for building diagnostic mathematics materials and data analysis (corporation) • Support for building innovative technology (corporation) • Providing advice on funding priorities (foundations)

3. Types of Support • Service • Research • Instrumentation

4. Advantages • Applications are brief and targeted • Turnaround is typically quick • Funding restrictions are limited • Build long-term relations and community involvement • Final reports are brief and to the point

5. Challenges • Link to ongoing initiatives • Be aware of funding cycles and priorities • Identify smaller targets of opportunity within research program • Build trust and credibility with organizations

6. Disadvantages • Shorter grant durations • Smaller grants and contracts • Sources of conflict of interest • Harder to find • Lower overhead rates apply, but more for the money

7. Process • Identify possible foundations or corporations • Read in detail current scope of work and goals • Communicate with program officer informally at professional meetings • Write a proposal or request an opportunity to visit • Prepare an engaging, accessible summary of goals (including PP, with graphics) • Write proposal with clear deliverables and benchmarks

8. Institutional Relations • Work with development office over longer periods of time • Recognize competing goals across institution– wait in line • Gain is in having an outsider review documents and advise • Over time, development will anticipate your interests

9. Closing comment • Opportunity to develop unique interfaces among the academy and business; • Explore forms of applied scholarship; • Entrepreneurship; and • Service to the community