Training vs. Experience

My purpose in writing Getting Your Share of the Pie-The Complete Guide to Finding Grants was to disseminate a complete “how to” guide to the grant world.  The reference component of the book gives the reader additional resources to consult as their grant writing career proceeds.  This will ensure that the serious student is given the tools to keep up with the most current information in the field.  I began with the very most basic element of receiving a grant-identifying the true need-and concluded with steps to be taken if the grant application is not approved.  In the pages in between, I advised the reader on how to develop a fundable project, find the most promising grant sources, develop a strategy for which sources to approach, and write a successful proposal.

However, as in my own experience, time spent on the job is critically important.  There are, as in any other profession, various nuances and subtleties which show themselves as one actually begins to work.  No book can cover all of those situations.  We all know how various judgment points are different at different parts of one’s career.  The seasoned veteran will obviously think of the proper questions to ask and look behind the scenes to see what is not obvious, whereas a novice might tend to take the situation at face value.

One example of how experience is just as important as knowledge is my policy of looking for “deal breakers” in the very beginning of an assignment.  I examine the project closely and consult the funding agency if there is any doubt as to project eligibility.  This may sound like common sense, but the novice has a tendency to want to think that the project is fundable under a particular program regardless of any issues which may be a potential problem.  He may not want to think that this potential source, which may have been very hard to find, may not be the right choice.  I highly recommend that the grant writer minutely examine the program guidelines at least twice in order to ensure that the project is eligible for funding.

Another very obvious skill which the aspiring grant writer can only pick up with experience is making contacts within the various funding agencies.  In my case, this has been carefully developed over the years. I am proud to say that the funding agencies I work with know me as an individual who lives up to her promises, meets deadlines without exception, and understands the restrictions under which that agency is working.  I would advise the novice grant writer to deal with funding agencies with the utmost honesty.  One of the worst things anyone can do is leave the impression that you are trying to “pull the wool over their eyes”. Most of the agencies can pick this up in a heartbeat. Needless to say, this leaves a very bad impression of the grant writer which can linger for years.

Nov 26, 2011 | 0 comments | View Post

Private Funding

Private Funding

Private funding is supplied by wealthy individuals, corporations, banks and foundations. A “foundation” is a non-profit organization with a board of directors and trustees which provide funds for various charitable causes. Most foundations have been organized under federal or state charters. Others have been organized under trust agreements. The following generalities in regard to private foundation funding apply pretty much across the board:

 

  • Most foundations will accept a brief letter of inquiry as the initial contact, where- as, with government sources, letters of inquiry are never used.  The applicant will submit either a pre-application or an application. The pre-application can sometimes be as lengthy as an application.
  • Many foundations accept inquiries throughout the year.  This is also true of some governmental sources.  However, governmental sources are more likely to have a specific period of time when they will accept applications.  In many cases, this is done once a year.
  • Private foundations are less likely to have specific, concrete rating and ranking systems with points assigned to various factors.  Most government sources of funds spell out very precisely how they will rate and rank an application.
  • Private foundations are more prone to making decisions based on personal factors.  This could include having personal knowledge of the applying organization or being personally acquainted with one of its staff members.
  • Most foundations tend to have less complex requirements for grant administration.  In some cases, a final report may be required. Nearly all federal and state funding agencies require some sort of formalized reporting procedure and may have other administrative requirements which must be followed
  • In line with the idea that foundations are freer to choose their grantees without benefit of a formal rating system, some only give grants to pre-selected organizations. The family or individuals funding the foundation may have an interest in certain subject matter and wish to support only that particular cause.
  • Most foundations are not able to make large grants and, in general, support smaller projects.
  • Foundations are not under the same scrutiny as state and local government funding programs, and thus are freer to utilize their own rules and regulations.  Federal and state funding sources must abide by the laws governing their grant programs as well as the regulations which have been developed to ensure that those laws are followed.  This gives private foundations a much greater degree of internal control.  Governmental agencies are bound by the strictures put into place by Congress and the various state legislatures.

 

Nov 23, 2011 | 2 comments | View Post
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