Foundation Grantseeking for Employment Networks

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Foundation Grantseeking for Employment Networks

• Jeanne Argoff, Ph.D.
• Disability Funders Network
• MAXIMUS Presentation
• February 20, 2007

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Disability Funders Network

• Mission to promote awareness, support and
  inclusion of people with disabilities and
  disability issues in grantmaking programs and
  organizations.
• Works to increase the extent and effectiveness
  of grantmaking that benefits people with
  disabilities by
• increasing grantmakers' understanding that issues
  affecting people with disabilities extend beyond
  medical issues
• increasing the availability of quality
  information on disability as it relates to
  grantmaking
• enhancing the ability of grantseeking
  organizations to communicate their current and
  proposed efforts to benefit people with
  disabilities to grantmaking organizations.

3
DFN Helps Grantmakers to

• Integrate disability into their current programs.
• Incorporate questions about disability access to
  programs and services in grant review processes
  to encourage all grantees to be inclusive of
  people with disabilities.
• Learn about the context for disability funding
  via comprehensive coverage of disability-related
  public policy, profiles of members grants and
  activities and trends.

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Inclusion DFNs Major Message and Work

• Help all funders to see that disability is
  integral to all program areas
• Cross Currents in the Mainstream examples of
  inclusive grantmaking
• Bridging the Knowledge Gap for nonprofits
  working with foundations to attract disability
  funding

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FINDING FOUNDATION FUNDING PART 1

• Employment Networks (ENs) elements that appeal
  to foundations
• Meeting Real Needs
• Visibility
• Small Investment, Big Return
• Sustainability
• Mentioning these value added factors
  strengthens your submission

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What Are Foundations?

• Grantmaking foundations support for specific
  causes and programs
• Most have endowments
• 2005 statistics
• over 68,000 foundations
• Over 510 billion in assets
• Nearly 34 billion in grants
• Vary enormously in assets and staff
• Essential to know the type of foundation, the
  issues it supports, and typical grant size.

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Types of Foundations

• Community foundations
• serve a specific geographic area
• raise money from donors
• donor advised funds
• fund broadly
• Public foundations
• like community foundations, actively raise money
  from donors
• small category of grantmakers

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Types of Foundations (contd)

• Family foundations
• from family wealth
• family members usually control the Board of
  Directors
• topics funded often reflect personal interests of
  family members
• Private or independent foundations
• often evolve from family foundations
• use the interest from their endowments to fund
  programs
• generally do not raise money from donors.

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Types of Foundations (contd)

• Corporate foundations and giving programs
• philanthropy an extension of corporation
• programs must match corporate interests
• corporate giving programs
• run by corporation directly.
• funded with a percentage of company profits
• corporate foundations
• usually have more stable programs

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Types of Foundations (contd)

• Operating foundations
• private foundations that use their resources to
• fund charitable programs of their own.
• very few make grants to outside organizations

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Types of Foundations (contd)

• 88.6 percent of all foundations are independent
  or family
• 3.8 percent corporate
• 1 percent community
• All but operating are targets for support

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What Foundations Fund
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Distribution of Grants for Special Population
Groups

• Dollar Value Number of Grants
• Group 2003 2004 2003 2004
• Aging 1.6 1.6 2.4
  2.3
• Children Youth 18.0 20.6 22.1
  22.8
• Economically Disadvantaged 15.1 20.3
  17.6 19.1
• Ethnic or Racial Minorities 8.0 7.6
  10.2 10.6
• Gays or Lesbians 0.1 0.2 0.3
  0.5
• Immigrants Refugees 0.9 0.9
  1.3 1.4
• People with Disabilities 3.0 2.9
  4.9 5.0
• Women and Girls 7.3 5.2
  6.4 6.5

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Foundation Funding by Subject Area, 2004 Overall
Funding
Topic Area of Dollars Amount Education
23.4 3.6 billion Health 23.2 3.4 Human
Services 13.9 2.1 Arts and Culture
12.8 1.97 Public Affairs/Society Benefit
13.0 2.0 Environment Animals 5.3 813
million International Affairs 2.7 420
million Science and Technology 2.9 454
million Religion 2.3 362 million Social
Sciences 1.4 214 million Other 0.1
9 million Total 100.0 15.5
billion   Source Foundation Giving Trends, The
Foundation Center, 2006. Figures represent
approximately half of all US foundation giving
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Disability Funding by Subject Area
Topic Area Percent Dollars Education
12.2 56,240,286 Health 49.8
228,582,703 Human Services 31.7
152,127,606 Arts and Culture 0.8
3,757,879 Public Affairs/Society Benefit
0.2 769,756 Environment Animals
0.3 1,299,500 International
Affairs 0.3 1,224,471 Science and
Technology 0.1
673,600 Religion 0.2
814,500 Social Sciences 0.3
1,249,069 Other 4.1
12,524,793 Total 100.0 459,264,163   Sourc
e Grants for Physically and Mentally Disabled,
The Foundation Center, 2005/6 Note figures vary
from Foundation Giving Trends because of
different foundatiion samples and time periods.

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Different Patterns of Disability Funding Compared
to Overall Funding Patterns

• Overall Funding
• Education 23.4
• Health 23.2
• Human Services 13.9
• Arts and Culture 12.8
• Public Affairs/Society Benefit 13.0
• Environment Animals 5.3
• International Affairs 2.7
• Science and Technology 2.9
• Religion 2.3
• Social Sciences 1.4
• Other 0.1
• Total 100.0
• Source Foundation Giving Trends, The Foundation
  Center, 2006

• Disability Funding
• Education 12.2
• Health 49.8
• Human Services 31.7
• Arts and Culture 0.8
• Public Affairs/Society Benefit 0.2
  
• Environment Animals 0.3
• International Affairs 0.3
• Science and Technology 0.1
• Religion 0.2
• Social Sciences 0.3
• Other 4.1
• Total 100.0
• Source Grants for Physically and Mentally
  Disabled, The Foundation Center, 2005/6

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Disability FundingHuman Services Subcategories

• Dollar Amount
• Crime, justice public protection 0.7 3.3
  million
• Employment 4.0 18.5
• Food, nutrition agriculture 0.7 3.4
• Housing shelter 5.6 25.7
• Recreation sports 2.9 13.4
• Youth development 0.3 1.3
• Human services-multipurpose
  18.8 86.4
• Of total disability funding
• Source Grants for Physically and Mentally
  Disabled, The Foundation Center, 2005/6

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Disability Funding Trends

• Dollar Value of Grants
• 2003 2004
• 436,664,000 3.0 452,661,000
  2.9
• Number of Grants
• 2003 2004
• 5,973 4.9 6,360 5.0
• Source Foundation Giving Trends, The Foundation
  Center, 2006.

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Disability Giving by Size of Foundation

• The 100 largest foundations gave a smaller
  percentage to disability than smaller grantmakers
• Largest funders gave 2.2 of dollars and 4.1 of
  their grants to people with disabilities
• Smaller funders in Foundation Center database
  gave more 3.9 of dollars and 5.5 of grants
• Source Foundation Giving Trends, The Foundation
  Center, 2006

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Disability Giving by Foundation Type

• Community foundations give more to disability
  issues than other types 4.4 of dollars and 5.6
  of grants
• Independent foundations gave 3.0 of dollars and
  5.3 of grants
• Corporate foundations gave 2.0 of dollars and
  4.1 of grants

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Disability Giving by Region

• Region Amount () Number of Grants ()
• Northeast 3.6 5.0
• Midwest 2.2 4.5
• South 3.5 5.7
• West 2.3 5.1
• Source Foundation Giving Trends, The Foundation
  Center, 2006

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Summary of Foundation Funding of Interest to ENs
(2004/5 figures)

• Employment programs
• Fall under human services (6 of general human
  services grants 126.5 million)
• Less than one percent of all grants recorded in
  Foundation Center (FC) system (approximately ½ of
  all grants).
• Disability programs
• Between 3-5 of foundation grants
• Almost 50 of that to health, research and mental
  health
• Employment 4.0 of disability grants in FC
  system (18.5 million)

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ENs and Foundation Funding

• Family, community, and corporate foundations are
  particularly interested in programs that improve
  the lives of individuals within their communities
• Many corporate foundations especially interested
  in employment issues
• Family and community foundations may have
  particular funds set aside for people with
  disabilities

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Foundation vs. Government Funding

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Differences Between Foundation and Government
Funding Processes

• Difference between fairness and stewardship
• Both fund best programs to serve the public good
• But foundations may fund well-known programs to
  get an excellent product

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Government Fairness

• Government process emphasizes fairness
• written request for proposals (RFP)
• detailed, published review criteria
• outside objective reviewers
• designated government staff members assigned to
  answer questions during the proposal process.

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Foundations Stewardship

• Foundation world stresses stewardship
• often favors excellent programs already known to
  the foundation
• can make use of information that is not in the
  grant application
• may not have specific RFP or guidelines
• review and selection processes not open to public
  
• review criteria often not explicit

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How To Be A Successful Grantseeker

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Successful Foundation Grantseeking

• Each foundation is unique
• Target each proposal to one specific foundation
• be responsive to all foundation instructions
• One size fits all approach doesnt work

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Number 1 Think relationships

• Staff and trustees tend to support programs they
  know and respect
• Essential to work directly with the staff to the
  extent possible
• Enhance relationships by providing stream of
  informationbut dont overload
• Put foundation staff on mailing list

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Number 2 Become an Insider

• Be publicly successful
• People must know about your agencys success and
  tell others about it
• Requires systematic communication
• Communicate your successes as part of an overall
  strategy

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Number 3 Do Your Homework

• Prevents wasting your own and foundations time
• A misplaced application creates a bad impression
• Homework tells you
• what the foundation funds
• criteria for selection
• process it uses to fund projects

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Do Your Homework (contd)

• Cardinal rule Never send identical proposals to
  all prospects
• Always tailor programs to foundations specific
  needs and requirements
• Sources for foundations information
• Foundation Center and other libraries
• Online collections and databases
• Foundation websites
• Annual reports and other written information

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Number 4 Look Locally

• Only one out of eight foundations gives
  nationally
• Over 60 of foundation funding come from local
  foundations
• Identify corporations with headquarters or major
  operations in your area
• Your board members and advisors can help with
  local funders
• A local grant makes national foundation support
  more likely

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Number 5 Understand the Funders Needs

• Foundations have needs, too
• Reflected in mission statements and funding
  criteria
• Look at mission statement in light of recent
  grants made
• Grants show current emphasis and priorities

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Number 6 Simplify and Clarify Your Messages

• State the major elements of what you propose to
  do in less than three minutes
• Write out talking points and practice your speech
  with others
• Foundation staff might ask for a written
  version-concept paper (2 pages max)
• Prepare answers to the logical second tier
  questions

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Number 7 Talk Before Writing

• Call and talk to a program officer
• Secretary/ receptionist might be empowered to
  answer questions
• Try to get beyond him/her
• Ask if there are community information meetings

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Talk Before Writing (contd)

• Talking to a Program Officer
• Briefly describe your project
• Ask if idea fits foundations priorities
• If not, are there some aspects of the work that
  might fit your guidelines
• Explore ways of strengthening your concept
• Never mistake a program officers enthusiasm as a
  promise of funding

• Talk first, but listen carefully
• Give them a chance to give their feedback
• Especially because foundation priorities can
  change
• With new leadership
• Because of board decisions
• Economic climate

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Number 8 Write the Proposal

• Modify each proposal for each foundation
• Once specific sections modified, lots of material
  can be used repeatedly
• Provide information exactly as requested
• Make sure that methodology is sound
• Most important question to answer how will this
  program make life better for people with
  disabilities?

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Write the Proposal (cont'd)

• Answer the three What questions
• Do What?
• concise and clear statement of what proposal will
  accomplish
• So What?
• what difference would it make for population
• Then What?
• how will program be continued?
• evaluation and dissemination of results

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Number 9 Dont Give Up!

• Keep trying to make personal contact
• In some cases, direct communication is difficult
• Key is to be politely persistent
• Never harass or get angry at foundation personnel
  
• No, just means theres not a match
• Go on to your next prospect
• Remember your goals!

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FINDING FOUNDATION FUNDING PART 2

• RESEARCHING FOUNDATIONS

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Researching Foundations

• 65 to 80 of proposals disqualified because they
  dont match funders interests
• Good research is essential
• Wealth of sources readily available
• Libraries
• Foundation Center collection
• Public libraries
• University libraries
• Online research

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Library Research Print Resources

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Library Research

• The Foundation Center
• Over 200 cooperating collections
• Local collections operated by groups of local
  funders called Regional Associations of
  Grantmakers (RAGs)
• Other public and university library collections

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Library Research Types of Resources

• Directories of Foundations
• Specialized Funding Directories
• State and Local Funding Directories
• Grant Indexes
• Periodicals

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Directories of Foundations

• The Foundation Directory
• Foundation Directory, Part 2
• Annual Register of Grant Support A Directory of
  Funding Sources
• Guide to U.S. Foundations
• Foundation 1000
• National Network of Grantmakers (NNG) Grantmakers
  Directory

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Specialized Funding Directories

• Grants for the Physically and Mentally Disabled
• Grants for Vocational Education A Guide to
  Funding for School-to-Work, Job Training and
  Adult Education
• Directory of Grants for Organizations Serving
  People with Disabilities A Reference Directory
  Identifying Grants Available to Nonprofit
  Organizations

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 State and Local Funding Directories (Examples)

• Guide to California Foundations
• California Foundation DataBook
• Guide to Greater Washington DC Grantmakers on
  CD-ROM
• Directory of Missouri Grantmakers
• Guide to Ohio Grantmakers
• The Michigan Foundation Directory

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Grant Indexes

• Foundation Grants Index on CD-ROM
• Directory of Grants for Organizations Serving
  People with Disabilities A Reference Directory
  Identifying Grants Available to Nonprofit
  Organizations

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Periodicals

• Corporate Philanthropy Report
• Disability Funding News (as of January,2007 only
  available online)
• Foundation and Corporate Grants Alert

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Corporate Research

• Aspen Publishers
• Giving by Industry A Reference Guide to the New
  Corporate Philanthropy
• The Taft Group
• Corporate Giving Directory
• Corporate Giving Yellow Pages 2000

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Online Research Overview of Resources

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Online Research

• Learning how to use the Web efficiently is
  crucial
• Internet guides help structure research using
• searchable databases
• grantmaker websites
• online journals and periodicals
• discussion groups
• electronic mailing lists
• The Foundation Centers (FC) Guide to
  Grantseeking on the Web

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Websites Providing Free and Fee-based Assistance

• Help find potential funders
• Lead you step-by-step through entire proposal
  process
• The Donors Forum of Chicago
• http//www.donorsforum.org/resource/grant
• Learning Lab and Researching Philanthropy pages
  of FC site http//.fdncenter.org
• Tucson-Pima Public Library http//www.lib.ci.tucso
  n.az.us/grants

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Online Directories/Databases

• Offer a variety of levels of access to
  information on funders and grants
• The Foundation Center
• GrantStation
• Others

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Websites of Philanthropy Associations

• Disability Funders Network
• Disability Funding in California
• Ticket to Work Forums for Grantmakers
• The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives
  Improvement Act Opportunities for Shape
  Innovation Through Public Private Partnerships
• California State Activities Relating to Work
  Incentive Act Implementation
• Regional Associations of Grantmakers
• Donors Forum of Chicago

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Other Regional and Local Sites

• Tucson-Pima Public Library
• http//www.lib.ci.Tucson.az.us/grants
• Michigan State University Grants and Related
  Resources http//www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants
  /grants.htm

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Corporate Information on the Web

• How to research corporate giving programs and
  interpret corporate website
• ü     Foundation Centers Guide to Grantseeking
  on the Web
• Corporations/Execs section of David Lambs
  Prospect Research Page http//www.lambresearch.com
  /CorpExec.html
• Hoovers Online
• http//hoovweb.hoovers.com/
• Internet Prospectors Corporations Page
• http//www.internet-prospector.org/company.html

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Stages in the Research Process

• Stage One Create initial list of prospective
  funders
• Stage Two Collect and organize prospect
  information
• Stage Three Refine list and conduct in-depth
  research on most likely sources

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Stage One. Create Initial List of Prospective
Funders

• Geographical Search
• Type-of-Support Search
• Subject Search
• Foundation Search
• Grant Search

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Geographical Search

• One broad sweep to find a few likely national
  funders
• Then narrow search to foundations focusing on
  your state or region
• National databases
• Foundation Center database http//fdncenter.org
• State and local directories and databases
• FC Online    http//fdncenter.org/learn/topical/sl
  _dir.html
• Guide to California Foundations
• California Foundation DataBook

63
Geographical Search Corporations

• Corporations based in or with branch operations
  in your area
• Typically support communities where their
  employees live and work
• Corporate foundations included in foundation
  directories
• Many companies have giving programsnot
  foundations
• Separate directories for these
• Taft Publishers
• Aspen Publishers

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Type-of-Support Search

• Foundations also categorize grants by the kind of
  operations they support
• Types of grants commonly awarded
• Capital support
• Endowment
• General operating support
• Project support
• Seed money
• Technical assistance
• Over 50 of grants restricted to development and
  support of discrete programs
• Project support and/or seed money most suitable
  for ENs

65
Subject Search Print Resources

• General foundation directories and grant indexes
• start with disabled or handicapped
• Specialized disability sources
• check subject indexes
• employment
• vocational rehabilitation
• etc.

66
Subject Search Electronic Databases

• Start with Foundation Search cross-referencing
  disabilities, people with and employment
• search foundations under disabilities, people
  with
• search foundations under employment
• Using Grant Search in the same database, use
  employment and disabilities, people with
• Other search terms include physically
  disabled, blind and vision impaired, deaf and
  hearing impaired, mentally/emotionally
  disabled, and a number of specific conditions,
  like multiple sclerosis

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Subject Search (contd)

• Browse foundation annual reports and websites
• Make sure to check guides and other resources
  focusing on health
• Fundraising for Health A Resource List
• http//fdncenter.org/learn/topical/health.html
• User Aid for Health Care Programs and Research
• http//fdncenter.org/learn/useraidsm/health.html

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Stage One. Combined Approach

• Locates foundations that
• fund in your geographical area
• provide project support and/or seed money
• support employment related programs for people
  with disabilities

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Stage Two. Collect and Organize Information
about your Prospects

• Collect basic information
• Mission statement and core values
• Main interests
• Special interests
• Geographic restrictions
• Giving patterns
• Typical grant size
• Organizations funded
• Populations served
• Limitations and exclusions
• Application guidelines
• Proposal deadlines
• Key decision makers

• Use print and online research materials and
  foundation websites
• Use prospect worksheet

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Stage Three. Refine your List Conduct In-Depth
Research Contact Foundation

• Refine your list
• Eliminate foundations that dont fund your type
  of program or size of project
• Pick best prospects. Funders with
• mission statements, philosophy and priorities
  close to yours
• that have supported similar programs to yours
• have funding cycles that match your needs
• Foundation proposals can take 6 to 18 months to
  fund

77
Stage Three. Conduct In-Depth Research

• Collect additional information on most promising
  funding sources
• Look at annual reports, application materials and
  grant lists
• Use form 990 PF for private foundations and form
  990 for public charities when you cant find
  other information

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Stage Three. Contact Foundation

• Determine if they will consider your EN proposal
• Get beyond receptionist
• Talk about foundation guidelines and how ENs fit
  into them
• Use Ticket to Work handout material for
  foundations to educate funders

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Stage Three. Contacting Corporations

• Different companies may have their charitable
  giving in different departments
• Public affairs
• Community affairs
• Marketing
• Public relations
• Giving can be spread among two or more
  departments
• Departments can have different goals and separate
  budgets
• How to find contact people
• Annual report
• Phone
• Online
• Website

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Other Resources

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Other Resources

• Electronic Discussion Groups and Message Boards
• General Information Websites
• Special Purpose Websites
• Online Publications
• Instructional Books
• Instructional Websites and Pages

82
Electronic Discussion Groups and Message Boards

• Benefit interactive
• post and respond to questions directly related to
  disability, employment, etc.
• Drawback need to filter information
• Charity Channel
• Grants
• listserv_at_charitychannel.com. subscribe grants
  ltfirstname lastnamegt
• archive on the Web at www.charitychannel.com/forum
  s

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General Information Websites

• David Lambs Prospect Research Page
• http//www.lambresearch.com
• FundsNet
• http//www.fundsnetservices.com
• HandsNet
• http//www.handsnet.org

84
Online Publications

• Internet Prospector
• http//www.internet-prospector.org/index.html
• Philanthropy News Digest (PND)
• http//fdncenter.org/pnd/current/index.html
• Philanthropy News Network Online (PNN Online)
• http//www.pnnonline.org

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Instructional Books

• Demystifying Grant Seeking What You REALLY Need
  to Do to Get Grants
• The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing
• Fundraising for Dummies
• Getting Funded A Complete Guide to Proposal
  Writing

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FINDING FOUNDATION FUNDING PART 3

• DFN - FOUNDATION CENTER PROJECT ON DISABILITY
  FUNDING

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Information Coming on Foundation Center Project