Foundation grant-seeking
Table of Contents
General
Traditionally the nonprofit sector has received support from three distinct revenue streams:
Foundations add value to a community by selecting the best grantees and helping them obtain a higher social return.
Foundations bring additional resources to a community by identifying effective projects and attracting other funders to support the work.
Foundations create value when they work closely with a grantee as a partner bringing information, an outside perspective, and management assistance to improve effectiveness of a particular organization.
All foundation have a framework within which they do their decision-making:
* Mission of Grantmaking Organization
* Focus general, issue specific
* Philosophy conservative, risk taking, traditional, entrepreneurial
* Geographic Limitations
* Asset Size Payout requirement of 5% of assets
* Type of foundation - public, private, corporate, family, operating
* Governance Structure
* Process for Grantmaking
What do funders look for?
* Legal tax exempt status
* Mission match
* Organizational strength and qualifications to carry out program
* Leadership board and staff
* Demonstrated need
* Community support
* Planning & realistic business model
* Financial health
* History and track record with programs
* Application of best practices
* Outcomes
* Collaboration, no duplication of services
* Sustainability
Click here to read about the different 501(c) organization types from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501%28c%29#Types
Click here to read about nonprofit laws in the US from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_America_non-profit_laws
Amy Sample Ward and Megan Wentworth
- 50% from earned income, such as fees for service, admissions, enrollments or seats;
- 30% from government, from local municipalities to federal agencies;
- 20% from contributed income, including foundations, corporate giving and individuals. (The New Nonprofit Almanac & Desk Reference, 2002)
- Scope and character of government support is changing
- Reduced federal spending, state and local government deficits
- Governments diminished role as provider of safety net services and core community benefits
- Government priorities have shifted away from social spending while needs have increased
- Nonprofit sector being asked to fulfill increased demand for services
- Nonprofits have less access to government support
- Funding programs have been reshaped by new priorities, altered values and philosophies, changing constituencies and increased requirements, especially documentation and evaluation.
- Nonprofits eligibility for support can change from year to year
- Corporate giving has been hard hit by economy
- Many corporations are aligning their giving with marketing and business goals
- Many foundations have suffered from several years of significant reductions in their assets
- Total dollars awarded by the nearly 65,000 U S foundations decreased 2.5% in 2003
- Foundation assets have dropped an average of 10% since 2000 but recent asset growth is encouraging
- The number of new foundations being created has slowed since the bubble of 1990s
- Competition for limited government, corporate and foundation support is intensifying
- Many nonprofits are attempting to diversify or expand their revenue streams
- The overall number of nonprofit organizations recognized by the IRS has grown by 5.3% each year since 1993 and by % between 2002 and 2003, to a total of 964,418 nonprofits in the US
- According to Charity Navigator, new charities are being created at a rate of 50,000 per year
Foundations add value to a community by selecting the best grantees and helping them obtain a higher social return.
Foundations bring additional resources to a community by identifying effective projects and attracting other funders to support the work.
Foundations create value when they work closely with a grantee as a partner bringing information, an outside perspective, and management assistance to improve effectiveness of a particular organization.
All foundation have a framework within which they do their decision-making:
* Mission of Grantmaking Organization
* Focus general, issue specific
* Philosophy conservative, risk taking, traditional, entrepreneurial
* Geographic Limitations
* Asset Size Payout requirement of 5% of assets
* Type of foundation - public, private, corporate, family, operating
* Governance Structure
* Process for Grantmaking
What do funders look for?
* Legal tax exempt status
* Mission match
* Organizational strength and qualifications to carry out program
* Leadership board and staff
* Demonstrated need
* Community support
* Planning & realistic business model
* Financial health
* History and track record with programs
* Application of best practices
* Outcomes
* Collaboration, no duplication of services
* Sustainability
Click here to read about the different 501(c) organization types from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501%28c%29#Types
Click here to read about nonprofit laws in the US from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_America_non-profit_laws
Amy Sample Ward and Megan Wentworth
A nonprofit organization (abbreviated "NPO", or "non-profit" or "not-for-profit") is an organization whose primary objective is to support an issue or matter of private interest ...
Findings
The Bridgespan Group "The Bridgespan Group is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization applying leading-edge management strategies, tools and talent to help other nonprofits and foundations achieve greater ...
Oregon Community Foundation For information on giving in Oregon please see OCF's 2005 report: http://www.gosw.org/grant/makers/info/regional Amy Sample Ward and Megan ...
Resources
Where to start
Of all the People & Organizations involved with Foundation grant-seeking, who knows most? What are the best contacts for people just starting out on this topic?
Add +where to start
People & Organizations
Here are all the People & Organizations working on Foundation grant-seeking:
"The Association of Small Foundations (ASF) is a membership organization of 3,000 foundations with few or no staff. We provide our members with peer learning ...
Where located Places this organization is active: This organization's area(s) of interest:
"The Council on Foundations (COF) is a membership organization of more than 2,000 grantmaking foundations and giving programs worldwide. We provide leadership expertise, legal services ...
Where located Places this organization is active: This organization's area(s) of interest:
+description
+website
1500 SW Fifth, Suite 1802 Portland, OR 97201
+main contact
503.720.4284
+email
Where located Places this organization is active: This organization's area(s) of interest:
"The Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers is a national network of local leaders and organizations across the United States that support effective charitable giving. ...
Where located Places this organization is active: This organization's area(s) of interest:
Click here for resources and information on capacity building, including surveys, reports, case studies, recent articles, and additional web links.
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/topical/capacity.html
Where located Places this organization is active: This organization's area(s) of interest:
GOSW is a member services organization for funders in Oregon and SW Washington. They are an excellent resource for any and all questions and resource ...
http://www.gosw.org
Where located Places this organization is active: This organization's area(s) of interest:
Mission The Hoffman Center is an Oregon nonprofit 501(c)3 organization which supports and encourages artistic, cultural and educational activities in north Tillamook County by ...
Where located Places this organization is active: This organization's area(s) of interest:
"The National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC) is a national organization of professional estate planners and affiliated Estate Planning Councils focused on establishing ...
Where located Places this organization is active: This organization's area(s) of interest:
"The mission of the National Center for Family Philanthropy is to promote philanthropic values, vision, and excellence across generations of donors and donor families."
http://www.ncfp.org
Where located Places this organization is active: This organization's area(s) of interest:
"The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation is a nonprofit community endowment organization that brings people together who care deeply about their community, and who believe that ...
Where located Places this organization is active: This organization's area(s) of interest:
"The Community Foundation is a collection of more than 200 charitable funds established with current and bequest gifts from the generous citizens of Southwest Washington." ...
Where located Places this organization is active: This organization's area(s) of interest:
click here to add your organization (don't forget to indicate that they focus on Foundation grant-seeking)
Supporting Foundations and Affinity Groups
GEO works to promote learning and dialogue about the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations; the wide range of strategies for accomplishing organization-building; and the constructive and ... This foundation's area(s) of interest: Places this foundation is active:
click here to add your foundation or affinity group (don't forget to indicate that they focus on Foundation grant-seeking)
Other
