1. Go over your budget.

2. Give the foundation’s grant program officer a call if there have been any changes since you submitted your proposal.

3. Set up your grant budget with your finance office.

4. Implement the program as described in your goals and objectives.

5. Be prepared to report back your outcomes and expenses in 6-12 months.

These are some of the basic steps upon receiving your grant award. The main objective is to spend down the funds within the time allowed for the grant period. The grant period is the life of the grant. Use the funds according to what was proposed in the application. Upon receiving the grant award letter, you can officially refer to your application as a grant. The grant serves as a legal document between you and the grantor. At times you will receive a “grant agreement” prior to the foundation issuing the check. Other times, you will receive the grant award letter along with the check.

Finally, Guide to Grants Plus recommends that you always acknowledge receipt of the check in a written letter to the foundation and thank them for their generous grant. Below is a sample letter for your convenience.

SAMPLE LETTER

[ON ORGANIZATION'S LETTERHEAD]

[DATE]

[NAME]

[FOUNDATION'S CEO/PRESIDENT]

[NAME OF FOUNDATION]

[ADDRESS]

[CITY, STATE ZIP CODE]

Dear [SALUTATION]:

On behalf of the [YOUR ORGANIZATION'S NAME], thank you for the grant award in the amount of $[AMOUNT] for the [NAME OF PROGRAM]. The check [NUMBER] has been received. The grant report will be provided by [DUE DATE] according to your guidelines.

Your foundation will make a difference in the lives of our participants. The grant will be far reaching in the coming months.  With your generous support, [NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION] will increase its outreach efforts.

If you have any questions, please contact me at [TELEPHONE/E-MAIL]. I thank you for supporting [NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION] with this grant award.

Sincerely,

[NAME]

Chief Executive Officer

An organization called, GuideStar, tracks information about non-profits whether you are on the grant seeker’s side or the grant maker’s side. It is a data storage warehouse that lists key information about non-profits such as:

• Contact Information
• List of Board of Directors
• 990 Forms
• and much more….

Foundations are beginning to require that applicants for grants have a listing on file with GuideStar. There are different membership levels for non-profits: Basic, Premium, etc.

Information should be kept as current as possible once you enter it for the first time. One suggestion is to designate someone in your organization to be the information keeper and updater in the GuideStar system.

For grant seekers, GuideStar can also be used as a vehicle to research background information about foundations. It is always necessary to have the correct contact information, to identify grant award averages, and to gather essential information in order to make a strategic grant request and to ensure a successful outcome.

To learn more visit: GuideStar*

All Rights Reserved, Guide to Grants Plus ® 2011

Remember that a proposal should include “action verbs” especially when describing your goals, objectives, activities and outcomes. Try using some of these when you write your next proposal.

Guide to Grants Plus, 2011 (C) COPYRIGHT

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

To begin with, goals are more general. They are abstract and broad in nature.  Goals touch on a broad spectrum by describing the program’s intentions.  They also provide a higher context of who and what you intend to reach. You must clearly identify your goals to the funding agency, because this is how they will know and understand what you want to accomplish with the funds you are requesting from them. Goals define for your reviewer a general sense of the direction where your program is headed.

On the other hand, objectives are the framework for how you will accomplish your goals. They support your goals by describing the specifics of your proposed program. For example, if your program will provide direct services to youth who are underserved, then each objective under that goal should clearly explain to the funding agency the following:

1. Who will be involved;
2. What tasks will be achieved; and,
3. By when will you accomplish these activities.

An objective is precise and concrete. It is also narrow in scope by giving, for instance, a specific number or percentage of the population to be reached and a measurable timeline. Your objectives will, therefore, strengthen your goals by providing a clear description of the road map you will follow.

A strategy that Guide to Grants Plus [www.GuidetoGrantsPlus.com] recommends for a highly successful grant application is to connect your goals and objectives to your budget. Your line items should reflect the course that you set out for your program during the lifetime of the grant. Always remain on course throughout your grant application narrative and tie it back to your budget. In other words, be consistent. Reviewers look for inconsistencies throughout your proposal. Build a cohesive proposal strong enough to withstand the rigorous review process. Your goal is to get funded!

Author: Elizabeth Eguia-Garcia

CEO & President

Guide to Grants Plus (c) 2010 All Rights Reserved.

The following foundations, for instance, gave at the highest levels in 2008:

1. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, total giving $2.8 billion
2. AstraZeneca Foundation, total giving $612 million
3. The Ford Foundation, total giving $474 million
4. GlaxoSmithKline Patient Access Programs Foundation, total giving $438 million
5. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, total giving $408 million
6. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, total giving $379 million
7. The Susan Thompson Beffett Foundation, total giving $347 million
8. Lilly Endowment, Inc., total giving $336 million
9. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, total giving $301 million
10. Silicon Valley Community Foundation, total giving $291 million

The total giving levels include grants, scholarships, and employee matching gifts, excludes set-asides, loans, PRIs, and program expenses.

Health was ranked as the top field of giving by share in 2008 grant dollars at 22.9% whereas in 2007 Education was the top ranked field at 22.8%.

Regardless of how the investments of foundations fluctuate, they remain generous. By giving to the non-profit, health, and education sectors of society, they also keep the economy alive and thriving.  Foundations, therefore, continue to contribute to the over all health of the economy and the well-being of society.

Guide to Grants Plus will share the latest reports when they become available.

Data Source: The Foundation Center

• Types of Support (i.e. endowment, general operations, capital campaigns/improvement)
• Purpose and Activities (prior projects funded)
• Fields of Interest (areas the foundation funds)
• Geographic Focus (i.e. local, regional, national, international)
• Application & Guidelines
• Officers and Trustees
• Contact Person on Staff, Telephone, Fax, E-mail, Web site address
• Prior 990 Reports

Guide to Grants Plus uses some of grant database search engines to research and identify funding sources.

THE FOUNDATION CENTER

http://foundationcenter.org/

“The Foundation Center’s mission is to strengthen the nonprofit sector by advancing knowledge about U.S. philanthropy.”

GUIDESTAR

http://www2.guidestar.org/

“If you care about nonprofits and the work they do, then you’re affected by what GuideStar does—even if this is your first visit to www.guidestar.org. You see, we gather and publicize information about nonprofit organizations. Our reach is far and wide. Our database is broad and deep.”

Both search engines provide levels of access. There is the free online information and there is by paid subscription.  If you are just getting started, Guide to Grants Plus suggests to begin with the basic packages until you learn how to effectively use the tools available through search engines such as these two.

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COPYRIGHT © 2010, Guide to Grants Plus, All Rights Reserved