Cultivating The Grantor (Part 1)

By Lynn deLearie on October 4, 2012

My previous posts provided a lot of introductory information on foundation and corporate grants, organizational readiness, grant management, and … on Step One of the four-step grantsmanship process: Prospecting For Foundation Funding. I begin, now, to addresses the second step in the process: Grant Cultivation. For those familiar with non-profit fundraising, grant cultivation is very […]

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Special Events: Two Perspectives

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on October 2, 2012

(A Pair of Postings from two of this blog’s regular contributors) Fund-Raisers are not Friend-Raisers by Tony Poderis. I have always held that special event fund-raisers must/should be just that, fund-raisers, not friend-raisers. There may be exceptions, but we cannot count on the exception for successful fund-raising. To my way of thinking, it is poor […]

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Follow Eight Core Ideas to be a Great Grants Proposal Manager!

By Jayme Sokolow on September 27, 2012

Much has been written about the core beliefs of great managers and CEOs. Many of those core beliefs can be directly applied to grant proposal managers. There are eight fundamental core beliefs that I think are highly appropriate for nonprofit grant proposal managers to follow. 1. Proposals are an ecosystem, not a battlefield Developing a […]

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A Variety of Thoughts on Donor Recognition

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on September 25, 2012

There are many different types of recognition programs, the most effective of which are often the face-to-face variety. Sometimes, the best form of recognition is a handshake offered by the appropriate person. ==================== Another form of recognition that can touch a donor is a personal note from someone who has been impacted by the donor’s […]

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Is Your Organization Ready to Start a Grants Program … or Even Submit your First Proposal? (Part 2)

By Lynn deLearie on September 20, 2012

In my post on August 28th, I discussed financial readiness and outlined the organizational financial records and project financial information that you will need to have ready in order to submit a grant application. This post provides three additional points for you to consider before launching a corporate and/or foundation grants program at your NPO: […]

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Asking for the Smaller Gifts

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on September 18, 2012

Whether by mail, by phone, by a combination of both or face-to-face, there is language that will make your “asks” more productive. But, first, to address what distinguishes a “smaller gift” from a “larger gift.” If the gift makes a significant impact on your bottom line, it’s a larger gift. If it takes some time/planning […]

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The Combined Federal Campaign — Let the Games Begin !!

By Carter McNamara on September 13, 2012

Having just finished the enjoying the spectacle that is the Summer Olympics, it’s now time to turn our attention to the CFC solicitation period, which began on September 1 and runs to December 15th. The CFC is a Mandatory, Voluntary Program — That’s Not A Contradiction The government requires that CFC campaigns be conducted in […]

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Lessons To Be Learned From the For-Profit Sector

By Tony Poderis on September 11, 2012

Shopping once again on L.L.Bean’s website, my attention was taken by the company’s customer service credo, proudly posted there for as long as I can remember. During the time I spent in a for-profit business, before beginning my non-profit career, I became aware of the extent to which the for-profit sector was (had to be) […]

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How to Make your Ideas Stick in Grant Proposals – A Book Review

By Jayme Sokolow on September 6, 2012

What is a sticky idea? One of the most stimulating books I have read in recent years in one by Chip Heath and Dan Heath called Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die (2007). By sticky, the Heath brothers mean that “your ideas are understood and remembered, and have a lasting impact […]

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Is Your Organization Ready to Start a Grants Program … or Even Submit your First Proposal? (Part 1)

By Lynn deLearie on August 28, 2012

In my (May 12, 2011) post, “Grantsmanship: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” I quoted from a 2010 WealthEngine white paper stating that the average cost-per-dollar-raised for grants is 20 cents … an ROI of 500%.  With such an impressive return on investment, starting a grants program at your NPO might seem like a […]

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