         |
. |
GRANTMAMKING GUIDELINES
The Christensen Family Foundation supports
innovative projects to empower human capabilities. The Foundation prefers to use
a seed approach to fund all stages of a projects development. The Foundation
awards grants to qualified nonprofit organizations with specific identifiable
needs in the following areas:
- The Fine Arts
- Environmental Research and Preservation
- Education and Human Development
- Medical Research and Technology
- The Humanities
Although the foundation has no geographical limitations, there will be a measure
of regional focus on areas in which Foundation family members reside.
Grant Amounts
There are no restrictions on grant amounts. Typical awards are between US$5,000
and US$10,000.
Types of Grants
The Christensen Family Foundation issues project grants, not general support
grants.
This allows the Foundation to direct its efforts towards specific areas and
limits the duration of the Foundation's commitment.
Additional Information
All grant applications must be submitted in duplicate and accompanied by a
self-addressed stamped envelope. Applications sent by fax, by e-mail, or without
a self-addressed stamped envelope will not be considered.
Grantseekers unfamiliar with private foundation grantmaking procedures may wish
to read the General Guidance (provided below)
on how to request a grant.
General Guidance
These basic principles provide general guidance that can help grantseekers
increase their chances for a successful application with any foundation.
Establish Your Objectives
Research Potential Funders
Verify Available Funding
Review Successful Applications
Consider Cooperation
Know the Funder
Schedule Your Submissions
Read the Instructions
Organize Your Own Records
Write the Proposal
Document Your Case
Define Expected Results
Present Your Budget
Introduce Your Staff
Maintain a Simple Approach
Include a Cover Letter
Keep Your Chin Up
Establish Your Objectives
Successful grantseekers realize that having a clear vision of measurable
objectives is essential to achieving conceptual goals. It is important to know
how your objectives and goals fit in with the philosophy and mission of your
particular agency.
Establish tangible, concrete objectives before starting any grant application
process. Make sure your objectives are realistic and can be achieved within a
specified timeframe. Identify as many details as you can about your overall
goals. Prepare a five-year plan to document your strategy for reaching those
goals. This will help you articulate your specific needs. Grantseekers commonly
make the mistake of planning for only the immediate future (or not planning at
all).
Research Potential Funders
Use a foundation directory to start researching potential funders. These
directories may be found at most public libraries or obtained from organizations
such as the Foundation Center. Carefully evaluate listings to find potential
funders whose grantmaking guidelines match your needs. Consider each funder's
geographic location, typical grant size, and grant type. Submitting an
inappropriate or irrelevant application is a waste time for both you and the
funder.
Verify Available Funding
To ensure that your application will not be pointlessly submitted, verify that
funding is still available. Ensure that the funding disbursement schedule and the
application deadline match your project's time constraints.
Review Successful Applications
Only review successful applications from other grantseekers whose projects are
similar to yours. Examining other applications will generate ideas for your
submissions and provide an understanding of the competition. Visit the library to
study books that list examples or visit a nearby foundation and ask for help.
Consider Cooperation
Many funders support applications that involve more than one organization. If you
submit a cooperative proposal, ensure that there is both a formal and informal
relationship between the respective grantseekers. The formal relationship should
be appropriately documented.
Know the Funder
Contact the funder before and during the proposal-writing process to find out
about general trends or new areas of interest. This early communication with the
funder may dramatically increase your chances of success. A simple query letter
will initiate a positive response from an interested funder.
Schedule Your Submissions
Many foundations only fund grants at certain times of the calendar or fiscal
year. Become familiar with the funding schedules for the foundations in which you
are interested, and coordinate your submissions with their timetables. Make sure
you complete your application in time to meet the funder's deadlines. Nothing is
worse than preparing a submission and missing the deadline by a week. Unless you
have time to properly prepare, do not compete for the grant at all.
Read the Instructions
When dealing with any funder, remember to read the instructions carefully before
applying. Simple as it may sound, this advice is very important. Because
grantmakers receive so many applications, they are often quick to discard those
that do not comply with the instructions. Although the remaining applications may
not be the best of those submitted, they have made it over that all-important
first hurdle. Follow instructions!
Organize Your Own Records
Maintain a file with standard information like your organization's staff resumes
and community statistical data. Keep this information current and complete so
that, when the time to apply arrives, you can concentrate on the specific grant
information needed. It is common for a funder to call and request information;
this information should be readily available and current.
Write the Proposal
Before composing an entire proposal, try to get your potential funder to review a
3- to 5-page summary to make sure you are on the right track. Check to see if the
funder has a preferred format, style, or length for submissions. Time spent
researching out these details is time well spent.
When writing a proposal, be honest and ask only for what you need. Clearly
identify your objectives and state your specific needs. Describe how the
grantmaker might help you solve your problems. Be direct and succinct, but remain
persuasive.
Practice professional writing skills: begin each section with a strong, clear
sentence and support the introductory sentence with well-organized, interesting
information. Avoid using jargon that relates to your project, and never use the
same application twice. Poor grammar and punctuation immediately give a bad
impression. Be very careful when using form letters; make sure you address the
correct foundation throughout.
Document Your Case
When discussing the problem you intend to solve, go beyond merely describing its
existence. Prove it exists with statistics, case studies, testimony, and other
measurable data. Use good judgment about the information you present, and give
the reader hope so that the proposal does not sound like a lost cause. Remember
your objectives.
Define Expected Results
The key to a strong proposal is proving the likelihood that it will achieve its
goals. Result areas should always be clearly identified and measurement
indicators should be outlined. It may not be easy to do, but the value of having
clear performance standards cannot be underestimated. If there are potential
problems, it is better to address them up front. Be honest and you will be
respected.
Present Your Budget
Your budget may be the first thing in your proposal that a funder will review. It
must be realistic and lend credibility to your entire proposal. Present the
budget separately from the rest of the application. Use tables to convey the
information concisely, yet completely. A short narrative may be helpful to
explain unusual line items in the budget. Make sure the figures are correct and
the budget accurately reflects your needs.
Keep a record of how you arrived at your costs. Continue to maintain these
records as you develop your proposal; they can provide useful information in your
negotiations with the funder. The records are also a valuable tool for monitoring
the project once it is underway and for reporting on the project after the grant
is complete.
Introduce Your Staff
Along with your proposal, include a brief (two pages or less) resume for your
organization. This information should be presented at the end of your document.
Tell the reader how your organization was founded, state its mission, and
describe its structure. Discuss the roles and credibility of important
volunteers, employees, or board members. State why your staff is qualified to
accomplish the mission and spend the funder's money responsibly. If appropriate,
a full list of board members may be appended to your application. Summarize your
organization's expertise, and emphasize how it pertains to your proposal.
Maintain a Simple Approach
Remember that often the key to a strong proposal is simplicity. Do not waste
words. Funders are looking for a proposal that will succeed, so keep things
clear, factual, supportable, and professional. Be succinct. Volumes of
documentation are imposing not impressive.
Include a Cover Letter
Grantseekers often underestimate the importance of the original contact letter.
In many cases, this letter may be your first and only chance to make a good
impression. Reevaluate your logo and letterhead. Most funders prefer
organizations that appear professional, not cute. Limit the length of your cover
letter to one page. Make your presentation as strong as possible and keep it to
the point. Check (and double-check) for typographical errors, and ensure that the
name of the foundation and your contact are correctly spelled. Above all, submit
a clear and readable letter.
Keep Your Chin Up
If your proposal fails to win immediate support, stay calm. Never berate funding
officials or grant reviewers. Politely attempt to get more information and ask
whether it would be worth submitting a revised application in the future, perhaps
during the next funding period. Go back over your proposal with care and
determine where it could be stronger. Refrain from frequently calling a funder
who rejected your proposal. To increase your odds for acceptance, submit
proposals to more than one potential funder.
|
|
