For those of you who have been following my work, you know that I started early on - now nearly four years ago - delving into teaching others about how to integrate social media into research on funders such as private and corporate foundations. I've spoken in many settings on this topic and this week, I've literally taken my show on the road and am speaking at the CASE VIII Conference taking place in Vancouver, BC. My talk was incorporated into the Advancement Services track. I can see you furrowing your brow and scratching your head that you're wondering why this field of study is relevant to you, but wait! There's more! What better way to strengthen the pipeline than profiling our best prospects by better utilizing social media.
At this morning's talk entitled, "Building on the Basics While Integrating Social Media Platforms," I shared trends in this area and lead a discussion and hands on exploration how these concepts and tools are practical to the work of our colleagues. We considered studies that described how funders perceived themselves through their social media presence and that the understanding is important to how the Foundation communicates the qualities it is seeking in a grant applicant. After all, isn't a grant application somewhat like an audition? Many will audition, but only one or a few will be cast in a starring or supporting role.
In the course of this short hour, we also contrasted two foundations; The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundations and their respective uses of social media as an extension of their respective work. Judging from the breadth of the social media and internet presence that one funder still views social media platforms as a means of "announcing" or "instructing" the community (and prospective grantseekers) while the other funder employs a variety of platforms to elicit feedback and ideas (innovations) from the community (and prospective grantseekers.)
Participants came away with many practical tools and re-energized with a fresh perspective about how to utilize social media more fully as a tool in the grantseeking process and a strong awareness of the important role of ethics in this process.
That's your dose of Fundraising Savvy!
@adeptdiva
Showing posts with label grantwriting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grantwriting. Show all posts
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Friday, May 4, 2012
Social Media and Grantwriting - Survey - Deadline now 5/10/12
The intersection of social media and grantwriting fills my thoughts regularly except today when they were interrupted by news of the passing of Beastie Boys Co-Founder Adam Yauch. The outpouring of mourning was remarkable. There were literally thousands of tweets an hour to honor the memory and accomplishments of MCA. You can check out my Twitter feed @adeptdiva to see how I paid tribute. As grantwriters, we face the challenge in being potentially overwhelmed by the volume of tweets, status updates, pictures, etc. that flow through social media. I can be your guide to navigating the seemingly endless stream of information for that special tweet or update that can tell you just what you need to know to make the right ask, at the right time, for the right project, and for the right amount from the right funder!
To be a good guide, I need to know where you want to go. Give me your input on how you use social media in your grantseeking work! I'm putting finishing touches on my presentation for WVDO's Regional Conference. You can hear me speak on Thursday, May 17 from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. on grantwriting and social media. You can find out more about the conference on Twitter at @WVDO_OR #wvdoconf12 or visit http://www.myfundraisingconference.org/ .
So, here's the link to my survey - http://svy.mk/gsmadc2012 and if you reply by 5/10/12, you just might win one hour free consulting from the Adept Diva!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Foundations: Program Officers and the Funding Process
Reading an excerpt from the Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals, edited by Darian Rodriquez Heyman, ed., published as a Top Ten Fundraising Tips list by guidestar.org helped me realize how daunting starting the conversation with a Program Officer can when you're about to apply for grant funding. In item number two of the Top Ten List, "How to Increase Your Chances of Getting a Grant (Never Apply for a Grant without Contacting the Foundation First)", has some helpful tips. However, it takes more than a phone call to a foundation program officer to learn about the the program officer's role.
The point about taking initiative to call a funder is well-taken. Calling a funder is a wonderful way to get a conversation going. In my experience, program officers don't always decide how funding is allocated. I think it is more accurate to say that they are in a position to influence decisions about how funding is made. They do though serve as the liaison between the foundation and the applicant nonprofit facilitating communication and compliance during the application process and later once the award is made (or not).
My recent experiences with program officers at larger and smaller foundations are that they are willing to provide some coaching through a process for organizations with a great concept and less experience in creating proposals. On occasion, these program officers are willing to read drafts of an application. More often than not, I'm finding program officers who are available by phone or email rather than in person. You also want to attend pre-proposal conferences or workshops offered by a funder even if the sessions are advertised as not being required. Those sessions - as it proved for me recently - may be a perfect opportunity to get better acquainted with the funder's application process, the program officer, and what projects for which other organizations may be requesting funding. Happy Applying!
Follow this blog, follow me @adeptdiva on Twitter, or link with me via LinkedIn!
The point about taking initiative to call a funder is well-taken. Calling a funder is a wonderful way to get a conversation going. In my experience, program officers don't always decide how funding is allocated. I think it is more accurate to say that they are in a position to influence decisions about how funding is made. They do though serve as the liaison between the foundation and the applicant nonprofit facilitating communication and compliance during the application process and later once the award is made (or not).
My recent experiences with program officers at larger and smaller foundations are that they are willing to provide some coaching through a process for organizations with a great concept and less experience in creating proposals. On occasion, these program officers are willing to read drafts of an application. More often than not, I'm finding program officers who are available by phone or email rather than in person. You also want to attend pre-proposal conferences or workshops offered by a funder even if the sessions are advertised as not being required. Those sessions - as it proved for me recently - may be a perfect opportunity to get better acquainted with the funder's application process, the program officer, and what projects for which other organizations may be requesting funding. Happy Applying!
Follow this blog, follow me @adeptdiva on Twitter, or link with me via LinkedIn!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Social Media and Grantwriting - WVDO Third Thursday Presentation
Social media and grantwriting are terms that you don't hear often used together. As demonstrated in this presentation I created for WVDO's Third Thursday series, more grantmakers - especially the larger foundations - are regularly utilizing platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. to share their messages about the causes they support and their grantmaking practices. The presentation is available at http://www.wvdo-or.org and click under program and then past program summaries.
For experienced and novice grant professionals alike, you still have to perform due diligence through traditional means such as examining a funder's Form 990s or visitng a funder website to learn about guidelines and grantmaking.
This presentation provided an overview and examined the social media presence of a number of funders. I've begun work on a Part II presentation that will drill down on more technical elements of mining the data and employing social media to build relationships with funders.
For experienced and novice grant professionals alike, you still have to perform due diligence through traditional means such as examining a funder's Form 990s or visitng a funder website to learn about guidelines and grantmaking.
This presentation provided an overview and examined the social media presence of a number of funders. I've begun work on a Part II presentation that will drill down on more technical elements of mining the data and employing social media to build relationships with funders.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
PND - News - Foundation Giving Declined by Record 8.4 Percent in 2009, Study Finds
PND - News - Foundation Giving Declined by Record 8.4 Percent in 2009, Study Finds
While one never wants to see giving decline, it's a relief that 2009 foundation giving only decreased 8 percent. The 8 percent is a striking contrast with the 17 percent declined noted in 2008. I'll be sharing more insights about this report and other fundraising trends as one of three panelists presenting Grantwriting Know How and Resources for Tough Economic Times on Thurs. May 20 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the upcoming Willamette Valley Development Officers Regional Conference happening on May 20-21, 2010 at the DoubleTree Lloyd Center. Visit http://www.wvdo2010.0rg/ for more information and to register!
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While one never wants to see giving decline, it's a relief that 2009 foundation giving only decreased 8 percent. The 8 percent is a striking contrast with the 17 percent declined noted in 2008. I'll be sharing more insights about this report and other fundraising trends as one of three panelists presenting Grantwriting Know How and Resources for Tough Economic Times on Thurs. May 20 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the upcoming Willamette Valley Development Officers Regional Conference happening on May 20-21, 2010 at the DoubleTree Lloyd Center. Visit http://www.wvdo2010.0rg/ for more information and to register!
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Why you (yes, you) should care about economics!
Too often, we focus exclusively on giving trends – who is giving how much – to the exclusion of greater economic trends. Pacific Continental Bank’s Nonprofit Economic Breakfast Forum provided a premium opportunity for John Mitchell, Dave Westcott, and Gary McGee to help us understand how various facets of the greater economy and continuing recovery could and will impact giving. My thanks to Dan Hempy, Lisa Faust, and the team at Pacific Continental Bank for convening such a great panel and making this event possible!
This morning’s meeting was in the words of Pacific Continental Bank’s CEO Dan Hempy – “the brainchild of Lisa Faust.” Brainchild is a very apt description. The event brought together CEOs, fiscal managers, executive directors, and other professionals like me to hear three of the area’s most recognized leaders in nonprofit finance to share with us their assessments of how the current recession is affecting nonprofits and insights about how the recovery looks for the sector.
Gary McGee (McGee & Co.) mentioned that according to his research 10 – 12% of nonprofits will come close on breaking even in the current fiscal year. He said that in places like Texas government is contracting with for profit entities to provide services such as housing and other services traditionally seen as the exclusive domain of nonprofits. He didn’t provide local examples. He cited the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act - http://ow.ly/1sL7D – as an important milestone in the fiscal management of nonprofits. He shared that corporate giving now seems to include a greater mix of in-kind contributions and that institutional funders (my words) were less likely to fund administrative, operational, or fundraising costs.
Dave Westcott (The Oregon Community Foundation) described how OCF has managed in the face of the changed economy and described his experience with giving in that same context. Dave said that giving has increased to large organizations and suggested that the increase may correlate with smaller organizations cutting development staff and in some cases entire departments. He mentioned that Oregon ranks second highest in giving in the west. (Follow this link to see information on OCF’s 2009 survey http://ow.ly/1sL6M. Dave observed that, “Operations funding will remain an issue with us in the face of growing need.” He shared his belief that “baby boomers” are the largest, wealthiest demographic ever and offer an opportunity to develop deferred giving programs. Dave encouraged nonprofit leadership to build and diversify revenue by focusing on filling the pipeline for gifts; to work with banks, trusts, community foundations, and other entities to develop these opportunities; and to establish a planned giving committee. He reminded the audience that the next Community Grants deadline is August 1. For more information, visit http://www.oregoncf.org/receive/grants/grant-opportunities
John Mitchell (M & H Economic Consultants) provided a presentation packed with all types of statistics and insights. Here are the highlights and to me the most significant; “looming demographic change and new medical system launched – payroll taxes to investment income for high income persons." John offered the following article, “Taxes Cause Wealth Drain On States” http://ow.ly/1sL1k published in the Wall Street Journal as an example of how changes in taxes can impact charitable giving. His points to ponder included, “Where do new jobs come from? (Jobs, Gates, Vollum, Packard, Knight, Ford, etc.)” and “The Shape of the Upturn? – V, W, L, NIKE (Swoosh). I especially liked his illustration of the NIKE recovery being one that follows the shape of the swoosh: middle then down and then a steady upward trajectory. The list for new jobs sounded like a list of foundations to me, but I didn’t have a chance to clarify the intent of the list. If the intent is to list foundations supporting innovation and entrepreneurism, I’d like to see the Ewing and Marion Kauffman Foundation listed there too. John did mention innovation as being an inspiration for new jobs, so perhaps Kauffman is a fit here. He cited as long term considerations “The Great Recession’s Legacies i.e., regulatory demands and a decline in giving, “Response of High Net Worth/New Income Households Respond to Tax Changes – New Jersey as a Model (See previous link. Notice a theme here?), and “Unfunded Entitlements Coming Home to Roost – Generational Conflict? Competition for You!”
The Forum ended with our three speakers convened as a panel and entertaining questions from the audience. Let me put my Fundraising Savvy to work in developing a new grantwriting or sponsorship program or re-energizing and refining an existing program so that your organization can realize its funding potential.
This morning’s meeting was in the words of Pacific Continental Bank’s CEO Dan Hempy – “the brainchild of Lisa Faust.” Brainchild is a very apt description. The event brought together CEOs, fiscal managers, executive directors, and other professionals like me to hear three of the area’s most recognized leaders in nonprofit finance to share with us their assessments of how the current recession is affecting nonprofits and insights about how the recovery looks for the sector.
Gary McGee (McGee & Co.) mentioned that according to his research 10 – 12% of nonprofits will come close on breaking even in the current fiscal year. He said that in places like Texas government is contracting with for profit entities to provide services such as housing and other services traditionally seen as the exclusive domain of nonprofits. He didn’t provide local examples. He cited the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act - http://ow.ly/1sL7D – as an important milestone in the fiscal management of nonprofits. He shared that corporate giving now seems to include a greater mix of in-kind contributions and that institutional funders (my words) were less likely to fund administrative, operational, or fundraising costs.
Dave Westcott (The Oregon Community Foundation) described how OCF has managed in the face of the changed economy and described his experience with giving in that same context. Dave said that giving has increased to large organizations and suggested that the increase may correlate with smaller organizations cutting development staff and in some cases entire departments. He mentioned that Oregon ranks second highest in giving in the west. (Follow this link to see information on OCF’s 2009 survey http://ow.ly/1sL6M. Dave observed that, “Operations funding will remain an issue with us in the face of growing need.” He shared his belief that “baby boomers” are the largest, wealthiest demographic ever and offer an opportunity to develop deferred giving programs. Dave encouraged nonprofit leadership to build and diversify revenue by focusing on filling the pipeline for gifts; to work with banks, trusts, community foundations, and other entities to develop these opportunities; and to establish a planned giving committee. He reminded the audience that the next Community Grants deadline is August 1. For more information, visit http://www.oregoncf.org/receive/grants/grant-opportunities
John Mitchell (M & H Economic Consultants) provided a presentation packed with all types of statistics and insights. Here are the highlights and to me the most significant; “looming demographic change and new medical system launched – payroll taxes to investment income for high income persons." John offered the following article, “Taxes Cause Wealth Drain On States” http://ow.ly/1sL1k published in the Wall Street Journal as an example of how changes in taxes can impact charitable giving. His points to ponder included, “Where do new jobs come from? (Jobs, Gates, Vollum, Packard, Knight, Ford, etc.)” and “The Shape of the Upturn? – V, W, L, NIKE (Swoosh). I especially liked his illustration of the NIKE recovery being one that follows the shape of the swoosh: middle then down and then a steady upward trajectory. The list for new jobs sounded like a list of foundations to me, but I didn’t have a chance to clarify the intent of the list. If the intent is to list foundations supporting innovation and entrepreneurism, I’d like to see the Ewing and Marion Kauffman Foundation listed there too. John did mention innovation as being an inspiration for new jobs, so perhaps Kauffman is a fit here. He cited as long term considerations “The Great Recession’s Legacies i.e., regulatory demands and a decline in giving, “Response of High Net Worth/New Income Households Respond to Tax Changes – New Jersey as a Model (See previous link. Notice a theme here?), and “Unfunded Entitlements Coming Home to Roost – Generational Conflict? Competition for You!”
The Forum ended with our three speakers convened as a panel and entertaining questions from the audience. Let me put my Fundraising Savvy to work in developing a new grantwriting or sponsorship program or re-energizing and refining an existing program so that your organization can realize its funding potential.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
PND - News - Many Small and Mid-Sized Foundations Plan to Cut Grantmaking This Year, Survey Finds
PND - News - Many Small and Mid-Sized Foundations Plan to Cut Grantmaking This Year, Survey Finds
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Without knowing the size of the sampling, the geographic location of the respondents, or the methodology of the survey, how do we correlate the results to our work as grantwriters in different geographic regions or areas of grantmaking? I think it would also be helpful to understand the size of the organizations being funded by these grantmakers and the size of the grants being awarded.
I have requested the executive summary of the survey from the Association of Small Foundations and will post an update on my questions once it is available.
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Without knowing the size of the sampling, the geographic location of the respondents, or the methodology of the survey, how do we correlate the results to our work as grantwriters in different geographic regions or areas of grantmaking? I think it would also be helpful to understand the size of the organizations being funded by these grantmakers and the size of the grants being awarded.
I have requested the executive summary of the survey from the Association of Small Foundations and will post an update on my questions once it is available.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
@anywhere - Where Twitter is at . . .
Have you heard about Twitter's latest interface? Visit http://blog.twitter.com/2010/03/anywhere.html to find out more! How can you use Twitter's latest platform to boost your productivity, web traffic, and online contributions?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Washington Children's Hospital to Receive $150-Million From United Arab Emirates
Here's a link to an article I commented on Wednesday, 9/16/09:
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/9515/washingon-childrens-hospital-to-receive-150-million-from-united-arab-emirates
(My comment is No. 3 after the end of the article. )
Washington Children's Hospital to Receive $150-Million From United Arab Emirates
By Holly Hall
The Children’s National Medical Center, in Washington, plans to announce Wednesday that it has received $150-million from the United Arab Emirates.
The donation, one of the biggest a charity in the United States has received from a foreign source, comes at a time when most wealthy American donors are pulling back. Only two other gifts of $100-million or more have been made so far this year, compared with 21 gifts of that size last year. Such sluggish giving is a key reason why a growing number of American charities are seeking money overseas.
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/9515/washingon-childrens-hospital-to-receive-150-million-from-united-arab-emirates
(My comment is No. 3 after the end of the article. )
Washington Children's Hospital to Receive $150-Million From United Arab Emirates
By Holly Hall
The Children’s National Medical Center, in Washington, plans to announce Wednesday that it has received $150-million from the United Arab Emirates.
The donation, one of the biggest a charity in the United States has received from a foreign source, comes at a time when most wealthy American donors are pulling back. Only two other gifts of $100-million or more have been made so far this year, compared with 21 gifts of that size last year. Such sluggish giving is a key reason why a growing number of American charities are seeking money overseas.
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