Understanding the Opioid Settlement
The opioid crisis in the United States is a public health emergency that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives due to overdoses from prescription and illicit opioids. In response to this devastating epidemic, a series of lawsuits were filed against pharmaceutical companies, distributors, and retailers. Similar to the Tobacco Settlement we wrote about in our last article, these lawsuits allege that these entities contributed to the opioid crisis by engaging in misleading marketing practices, failing to monitor suspicious orders, and prioritizing profits over public safety. The culmination of these legal battles is what's known as the "opioid settlement."
The Opioid Epidemic
Before delving into the settlement, it's crucial to understand the scope of the opioid epidemic. Beginning in the late 1990s, there was a significant increase in the prescription of opioid pain relievers, fueled by reassurances from pharmaceutical companies to the medical community that patients would not become addicted to these medications. As a result, widespread misuse of both prescription and non-prescription opioids ensued, leading to a surge in addiction rates and overdose deaths.
The Legal Battles
The lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are numerous and complex. They involve multiple states, counties, cities, Native American tribes, and private plaintiffs who claim these companies played a significant role in creating and prolonging the opioid crisis. The central accusation is that these companies engaged in deceptive marketing strategies that downplayed the risks of addiction and overstated the benefits of opioids for pain
management. Additionally, distributors are accused of ignoring red flags indicating that opioids were being diverted to illicit channels.
The Settlements
The term "opioid settlement" refers to various agreements reached between the plaintiffs and the accused companies. These settlements aim to provide billions of dollars in compensation to affected parties and to fund efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, such as addiction treatment and prevention programs. Here are some key points about the opioid settlements:
The Parties Involved
The settlements involve some of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers like Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, and Johnson & Johnson. Major distributors such as McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen are also part of these settlements, along with national pharmacy chains.
The Financial Aspect
The settlements involve substantial financial compensation. For example, Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy and agreed to a settlement that could provide more than $10 billion to address the crisis. Johnson & Johnson and three major distributors reached a $26 billion settlement to resolve thousands of opioid-related lawsuits. These funds are allocated to the plaintiffs to support opioid abatement efforts. In total, the Opioid Settlement exceeds $50 billion.
The Distribution of Funds
The distribution of settlement funds is a complex process that involves determining how much each state, local government, or other entity will receive. The allocations are typically based on the impact of the opioid crisis in each area, considering factors like the number of opioid-related deaths and the extent of opioid prescribing.
Controversies and Challenges
The settlements are not without controversy and challenges. Some argue that the amounts agreed upon are insufficient compared to the damage caused by the opioid crisis. Others express concern that the money may not be used effectively to combat the epidemic. Additionally, there are disputes among states and local governments over the allocation of funds, and some believe that the companies responsible should face stricter consequences.
Stay Tuned
The opioid settlements represent a significant step in addressing the immense public health challenge posed by the opioid crisis. And, a substantial portion of these funds will flow in the form of grants, but many of these programs are in their infancy. We are monitoring these funds closely and will continue to update you on opportunities as these funds become available. The funds from the settlements are intended to provide much-needed resources for recovery and prevention initiatives. Keeping up with which entities are receiving settlements and how the funds are being granted is proving to be extremely complex. We are focusing a lot of our resources on this effort and will continue to educate our community about this topic.
Under the terms of the settlement, the tobacco companies agreed to make annual payments to the states in perpetuity. These payments were intended to compensate the states for the expenses incurred in treating smoking-related illnesses and to fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The total value of the settlement was estimated to be around $246 billion over the first 25 years, with ongoing payments expected to continue indefinitely.
The Tobacco Settlement was a significant event in the history of tobacco regulation in the United States. It represented a major legal victory for the states and a turning point in the public perception of tobacco companies. The states have used the funds received from the Tobacco Settlement for a variety of purposes related to public health, tobacco control, and other initiatives. While the specific allocation of funds varies from state to state, here are some common areas where the money has been directed:
Tobacco prevention and cessation programs: A significant portion of the settlement funds has been allocated to support programs aimed at preventing tobacco use and helping smokers quit. These initiatives include public education campaigns, counseling services, helplines, and the distribution of nicotine replacement therapies.
Healthcare and medical research: Some states have allocated a portion of the funds to finance healthcare services, particularly those related to the treatment of smoking-related illnesses. This may include funding for hospitals, clinics, and medical research institutions specializing in cancer, heart disease, and respiratory conditions. Education and awareness campaigns: The settlement funds have been used to raise public awareness about the health risks associated with smoking. States have implemented educational program targeting schools, colleges, and communities to discourage tobacco use and promote healthier lifestyles.
Youth prevention programs: A significant focus of the funds has been on preventing tobacco use among young people. States have implemented programs in schools and communities to educate children and adolescents about the dangers of smoking and to discourage them from starting to smoke.
Enforcement and compliance: Some states have allocated funds to strengthen enforcement efforts related to tobacco control regulations. This may include funding for inspections, investigations, and legal actions against retailers who violate tobacco sales laws, particularly those related to the sale of tobacco products to minors.
Public health initiatives: The funds have been used to support a wide range of public health initiatives beyond tobacco control. This may include funding for healthcare infrastructure, disease prevention programs, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services. It's important to note that the allocation of the funds has varied significantly among states, as each state has the discretion to determine how to use the money based on its specific needs and priorities. Some states have allocated a substantial portion of the funds to healthcare and
tobacco control programs, while others have used the money for different purposes, such as general budgetary needs or non-health-related initiatives.
Regardless of how states have invested the funds, the main takeaway is that a lot of this funding has been distributed in the form of grants. We have extensive experience with the grants made by Virginia and North Carolina, through the Tobacco Fund and Golden Leaf, respectively.
While this may sound like old news, the Tobacco Settlement is a timely history lesson. Over the past year or so, states have begun to disburse another massive settlement, resulting from a lawsuit against the Opioid industry. We’ve been monitoring this settlement very closely and reflecting back on its older cousin to glean some insight into what to expect. We’ll have much more to say about Opioid Settlement grants in our next installment of this series on lesser known or understood funding sources.
]]>Here are some reasons why government regulations require the creation of foundations in hospital mergers:
Community Benefit
Government regulations often require hospitals to demonstrate their commitment to serving the needs of the community. By establishing foundations, hospitals can enhance their community benefit activities and fulfill their charitable missions. These foundations are expected to invest in community health initiatives, support underserved populations, and address the healthcare needs of the region.
Asset Protection and Divestiture
In some cases, government regulations require the establishment of foundations to protect the assets of a community hospital during a merger with a larger healthcare system. The foundation acts as a custodian of the hospital's assets, ensuring they are used for the benefit of the community and not diverted for other purposes.
Ensuring Access to Care
Government regulations may require foundations to be established to ensure continued access to healthcare services, particularly in rural or underserved areas. The foundation can be mandated to provide financial support for essential healthcare services, maintain existing facilities, or invest in new infrastructure to expand access to care.
Regulatory Oversight
Foundations created through hospital mergers are often subject to regulatory oversight by government agencies. This oversight ensures that the foundation's activities align with the defined community benefit goals and that the funds are utilized appropriately. Regulatory oversight helps maintain transparency, prevent misuse of funds, and protect the interests of the community.
Balancing Power and Control
Hospital mergers have the potential to create large healthcare systems with significant market power. Government regulations may require the creation of foundations to balance this power dynamic and prevent monopolistic practices. By establishing foundations, the government can ensure that the interests of the community are represented and protected in decision-making processes related to healthcare services, resource allocation, and community health initiatives.
It's important to note that the specific regulations governing the establishment and operation of foundations in hospital mergers can vary across jurisdictions. The purpose and requirements of these foundations are often outlined in healthcare laws, regulations, or specific merger approval processes implemented by government agencies responsible for overseeing healthcare systems.
We have had a great deal of success in securing funding from these types of foundations to support a wide range of projects. Typically, the awards are substantial and since the funds are not governmental, we have often leveraged these awards as matching funds for other federal or state awards. If you are in an area receiving this kind of investment, it should definitely be a part of your grant strategy. Have questions or need help making it work? Contact us.
]]>Early on in my career, I was in social work. If I didn't do my job in a timely manner, real people who sat across from me in my cubicle could suffer. Kids could go hungry, sick people could have to wait for their medications or to see their doctor. That was real stress.
Whenever I'm asked how I tolerate the strict deadlines of my work, I think about that stress and appreciate how low-stress grant deadlines are comparatively. Perspective matters.
But there's more to it than that. Sitting in a county Human Services office, I could only help one person at a time and the needs of my clients could be disheartening and overwhelming. There were days I cried my eyes out when I got home from work. I thought, "There's got to be a better way of helping people."
And, I found it.
I've long since lost count of any sort of estimate of how many people's lives have been touched and improved by the tens of millions of dollars of grant funded projects I've been a part of. I've walked on the raised crosswalks and sidewalks that gave elementary school children a safe route to school. I've seen a hundred kids at a time get a hot, family style dinner after school and submitted reports showing their reading and math scores climbing. I've toured high-tech facilities where hundreds of adult students are prepared for really good paying jobs. I've brought the economic development backbone of a small Appalachian town back from bankruptcy. The list goes on and on.
I can't imagine a more fulfilling career. One aspect of the job that is a close second to being able to do exponential good, is getting to know so many amazing do-gooders who are making a real difference with the resources we secure for them.
It is a great privilege to count dozens of the best people in the world as clients and friends. Nonprofit founders, executive directors, education leaders, community organizers, economic developers, scientists, doctors, and innovators of all kinds are among my favorite human beings and it is truly an honor to get to work behind the scenes and tap their passion, creativity, and vision to articulate their plans to funders.
There is a unique energy involved in working with do-gooders impassioned to make our world and our communities better and I have to admit, it is both infectious and addictive. This year, we hope to share more and more of their stories and invite you to learn more about how to share in the kind of growth they've experienced working with us. Stay tuned!
]]>I’ve struggled for five years to find the words to share the cautionary tale of what transpired at the start of 2019. But first, I think a little background is in order.
I began my career in the central administration of a K-12 school district about two decades ago. By virtue of being nice to the education writer from the local newspaper, I got a lot of great press for every grant we won and pretty soon my desk phone was ringing off the hook with calls from other organizations in the community asking for my help. I had three consulting clients before I realized I had a consultancy. In 2010, I made it official and got a business license for my side-hustle grant writing and called it Keller-Ferguson & Associates (KFA).
A decade ago, in 2014, I earned my Master’s degree in Business Administration while working for a university. By the time I graduated that August, I was exhausted with the internal politics of higher education and ready for a change. Over the holiday break, I sat down and wrote a 56-page business plan for taking my consultancy full time. That winter, I called together a half-dozen or so of the smartest people I know and asked them to review my plan. With the confidence of my most-trusted advisors, I resigned my day job in April and KFA started to become what it is today.
Despite the very early arrival of my son in 2017, both 2017 and 2018 were great years for KFA. Our team was hitting its stride and our client stable was packed with about a dozen organizations from Sacramento, California to New York City and from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Mobile, Alabama. January 2019 was expected to be our single biggest revenue month since I quit my day job. And, then, it wasn’t.
In the latter half of 2018, we’d signed a large, corporate foundation client and added a staff member to help support the account. Alas, their procurement process was unwieldy and the substantial retainer they owed was hitting more than 100 days overdue as 2019 began. Cash flow was beginning to be a problem, but a long-time client’s contract also renewed in January, so we’d be fine.
But we weren’t. When the corporate foundation finally mailed its check, months after the engagement began, it got lost in the mail. They insisted on waiting weeks to stop payment on the lost check before they would reissue the payment. While I was waiting for their payment, on the first business day of the year, I reached out to our largest and longest-time client to schedule the formality of sitting down together to renew their contract and share a big hug as we had many times. My email went unanswered. This was highly unusual. The CEO always got back to me within 24 hours, if that. It wasn’t uncommon for him to call or email me well after normal business hours. We were close. A week went by.
On the morning of January 11, 2019, one of the close friends and advisors who reviewed my business plan forwarded me an article in the local business journal. The CEO of my biggest client, a dear friend after working closely together for years, had been found dead. I was devastated, both personally and professionally.
By my birthday in late January, my child’s second birthday was coming up, I had 34 cents in the bank, and no idea how I was going to buy diapers or groceries.
I learned some of the hardest lessons of my life in 2019 – the things no amount of business school can prepare you for. But, we came through it. The retainer eventually showed up from the corporate behemoth. My team showed more patience and support than I can ever repay. It was a humbling experience.
In hindsight, while things appeared to be going great in 2018, I made a lot of mistakes that nearly sank me and my company. I’ve since learned from them.
At first, we tried to serve far too many clients at every stage of development and of all shapes and sizes. We offered a wide range of services to meet a diversity of needs. We were writing grants, of course, but we were also involved in helping startup nonprofits incorporate, fundraising, strategic planning, direct communication services, I was even providing executive coaching to a couple of nonprofit leaders. And some days, we didn’t know if we were coming or going. I turned my focus to securing a few large, anchor clients, like the community development financial institution that was our largest client for years and the corporate foundation that got around to paying its bills when it felt like it. We narrowed too much and had too few eggs in our basket. In the five years since, I’ve learned balance.
Today, I still take every sales call, personally. Every contact form that comes through our website is answered. But, I admit that I spend more time pointing nonprofits to other resources than I spend delivering a hard sales pitch. We’ve learned our sweet spot, the nonprofits we can best serve and who are best for the health of our company.
For the past five years, we have specialized in helping nonprofits bumping against the growth plateau to climb it. Our clients have an administrative staff, but typically lack a full-time, dedicated grant writer. They are usually 5-10 years old and have the financial health to manage multi-year, multi-million dollar reimbursement grants. And, they pay their deposit before we clock the first hour of service for them.
In 2024, we’re sticking to these principles. And, we’re considering specializing further. We’ll have more to say about that soon. In the meantime, I’ve been taking a lot of calls and meetings lately with organizations that don’t quite fit our niche. And, I admittedly miss the energy and excitement from our early days when we were working with smaller, less established organizations. So, for the last few months, we’ve been working on something special to reconnect with the entirety of our audience, to offer help to the types of organizations we no longer serve directly. We look forward to rolling it out soon.
]]>In continuing with our spirit of levity, we present The Twelve Days to Deadline…
On the twelfth day to deadline, a grant writer will need…
Twelve Pilot G2s
Eleven pads of Post-its
Ten yellow highlighters
Nine Sign Here stickers
Eight legal pads
Seven 3-ring binders
Six responsive project partners
Five HOURS OF SLEEP
Four monitors
Three persuaded peer reviewers
Two pairs of readers
And, Coffee in an IV
In all seriousness, we thank you for welcoming us into your inbox every week and wish all of you a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year!
Sincerely,
The KFA Team
Managing Burnout
We work tirelessly to meet the needs of our communities, which can lead to burnout. The holiday season tends to bring added pressure and demands, whether we’re organizing holiday events, managing end-of-year tasks, or emotionally exhausted from the heightened needs of our constituents. Engaging in self-care practices is important to recharge and prevent burnout. Taking breaks, setting boundaries, and practicing stress-reducing activities like meditation or exercise can help maintain mental and emotional well-being. In a perfect world, we’d all be doing these things regularly, but let’s be honest, do-gooders are the actual worst at taking care of ourselves. So here are a couple of suggestions for some great micro self-care practices we find effective for the holiday season.
Whether you find the time and energy to actually run holiday errands and shop in brick-and-mortar stores or order everything on Cyber Monday and wait for it to show up on your doorstep (like I do), be sure to grab a few extra ornaments, the cheaper and more fragile, the better. Do not procure shatterproof. On the really frustrating days between now and the New Year, take out an ornament or two and smash it with a hammer. Instant gratification.
Don’t have time for a yoga class? Too cold to go for a run? Snuggle up on the couch with some hot chocolate and a warm blanket and watch a Hallmark movie. Yes, they’re terrible. But at the end, you can be grateful that writing those things has to, in fact, be worse than writing a federal grant proposal.
Nurturing Personal Relationships
The holiday season emphasizes the importance of spending time with loved ones, but nonprofit professionals and educators may find it challenging to balance work commitments with personal relationships. Prioritizing self-care during this time creates a healthy work-life balance and we should devote quality time to family and friends. We find it most efficient to gather everyone together at once, family, friends, even colleagues, erect a Festivus pole, and ensure none of these folks will speak to us again for the rest of the year.
Enhancing Productivity and Effectiveness
Speaking of efficiency, self-care is often mistakenly viewed as selfish or indulgent, but in reality, it is an investment in one's professional effectiveness and something we must make time for. While taking time for self-care activities, such as exercise, adequate sleep, and hobbies, can improve focus, concentration, and overall cognitive functioning, by the end of the year, we’ve probably shirked all of these things enough to ensure that the cognitive functioning ceased last quarter. Our most effective strategy for recouping our lost ability to brain this time of year is to ensure that as many of our meetings as possible are virtual, on mute, camera off. During every third meeting, we take a nap. If anyone notices, our internet was “unstable.”
Cultivating Resilience
The holiday season can bring unique challenges for nonprofit professionals and educators, such as increased demands, limited resources, and heightened emotions from those they serve. Self-care plays a crucial role in building resilience, allowing individuals to bounce back from setbacks and navigate stressful situations with greater ease. Engaging in self-care practices, such as whacking ornaments with a hammer, airing our grievances, and locking ourselves in the bathroom for a few minutes of quiet doom-scrolling, can help us maintain a positive outlook or at least keep our slipping grip on surviving the season.
We hope you’ve gotten at least one good chuckle out of our take on self-care for the holiday season. At the end of the day, the best most of us can hope is to keep our sense of humor and get through it. Laughter is the best medicine and we hope you’ve gotten a little dose. Hang in there!
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EDGAR is a set of regulations and guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Education to govern the administration and management of federal education grants and programs. These regulations outline the requirements that educational institutions and organizations must follow when receiving and managing federal funds.
The purpose of EDGAR is to ensure accountability, transparency, and proper fiscal management in the administration of federal education grants. It covers various aspects such as financial management, recordkeeping, reporting, procurement procedures, and audit requirements.
Educational institutions and organizations that receive federal funds, such as universities, colleges, school districts, and nonprofit organizations, are required to comply with the regulations outlined in EDGAR. The Department of Education provides guidance and oversight to ensure that federal funds are used appropriately and effectively to support educational programs and initiatives.
Generally speaking, when we get questions about federal accounting compliance, we recommend that our clients pursue EDGAR training. While EDGAR is specific to education, the principles of EDGAR compliance are pretty universally applicable to most federal grants. This is not an area where we provide specific training, but we do recommend a reputable provider, The Bruman Group.
As a head’s up for those intimately familiar with EDGAR already, there are about 500 pages of proposed changes to the UGG (Universal Grant Guidance) open for public comment right now that will potentially affect EDGAR next year. While we don’t necessarily recommend perusing the full draft, it is a good idea to check out a briefing and comment if you have suggestions or concerns. We attended a briefing recently and found most of the proposed changes to be positive.
The proposed changes will take effect next year and we strongly encourage all grantees to stay abreast of the changes and be sure to get training on the updates when they take effect. Rest assured that we will keep you posted right here.
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Certain functionalities and sections of the website, such as post-login pages, are currently awaiting updates to enhance the overall user experience. Additionally, features like the Chatbot are not yet available on the new sections of the website. However, we’re told these functionalities are considered a priority, and efforts are underway to update them in subsequent releases. The site has provided an estimated timeline for fixing a few high priority issues, but most remain “to be determined.”
Some of the known issues include the absence of the Subscribe button on certain pages, an issue with the Apply button being enabled when it shouldn't be, and the lack of notification for logged-in session timeouts on public and grant search pages. The Chatbot is also currently unavailable on the homepage, and users cannot export Opportunity search results to Excel. Furthermore, the search function for static site content, RSS feed availability, and the FON field in the search grants feature have certain limitations. Users may also experience issues with the message displayed when searching for closed opportunity packages and navigation between public and post-login pages.
To mitigate these issues, Grants.gov is encouraging users to follow alternative methods or workarounds that make for a decidedly not enhanced user experience. For example, they suggest users can copy and paste search results directly into Excel or use the tabs available on each page to find the desired information. Users can also visit the Grants.gov website to view the latest opportunities and modifications instead of relying on the RSS feed. They also caution that users should enter data in uppercase when searching using the Opportunity Number field and may need to navigate between pages using specific methods to access certain functionalities.
Grants.gov says it recognizes that users may have questions or require assistance during this transition period and claims that the support team is readily available to address any concerns or inquiries. However, there is no estimate for when they’ll have their chat function up and running, so you can be assured any support is going to be a long wait time for a call to their 800 number.
Users are encouraged to engage with Grants.gov by providing feedback through the feedback form to help shape priorities for fixing this disaster and we strongly encourage you to do so. We are.
]]>Training is another vital aspect that contributes to reducing turnover. Providing employees with comprehensive training programs ensures that they have the necessary skills to fulfill their roles effectively. It not only helps them understand the company's expectations but also empowers them to overcome challenges and excel in their positions. This sense of adequacy and competence significantly impacts job satisfaction and motivates employees to stay with the organization.
Effective training programs also contribute to employee development. When employees perceive opportunities for growth and advancement within the organization, they are less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere. By investing in their training and development, organizations demonstrate their commitment to employee success, fostering loyalty and reducing turnover. Additionally, ongoing training programs keep employees engaged, as they are constantly learning new skills and knowledge. This continuous learning cycle instills a sense of purpose and fulfillment in employees, further reducing turnover.
Not all training is created equal. As a new hire recently pointed out to me, it isn’t just important to know how to do a task, it helps even more to know WHY the task is necessary and how it fits in the big picture. It was a very valid point. Training shouldn’t just be regurgitating the instructions in process documentation (how boring!). Training should give the work context and demonstrate the importance of the doing.
Process documentation and training work hand-in-hand to contribute to a positive work environment. When employees have clear expectations and guidelines, they experience less ambiguity and stress, ultimately leading to higher job satisfaction. Additionally, training programs can communicate the value of individual tasks and give meaning to individual’s work. This values-driven culture enhances employee engagement and reduces turnover by creating an atmosphere where employees feel supported and valued.
Not to leave our audience hanging, I did mention a particularly high-turnover role in our last article and challenged you to guess which one. Sadly, it is a crucial one in our world – grants accountant. As we continue to wrestle with this issue among our clients, we’d love to hear from you about your successful strategies for keeping your grants accountant’s butt planted firmly in their seat. In the meantime, we’re doing all we can to help build them quality process documentation and celebrate the importance of their role in sustaining the good work their nonprofits do.
]]>Process documentation and training play a crucial role in reducing turnover within an organization. When employees have clear guidelines and instructions for their tasks, they can perform their duties efficiently and with confidence. This not only improves their job satisfaction but also reduces the chances of them leaving the organization. Lack it, and you might as well put a revolving door on the office.
Here's a confession for you – I’ve been guilty of this myself and that is precisely why I’m writing about this topic (Spoiler: this is Part I of a two-part series). I’ve been frustrated with trying to work with organizations who can’t seem to keep someone in a key role. At the same time, that turnover and ambiguity has made a key role in our organization extraordinarily difficult and resulted in turnover here. I’ve been on a mission to at least solve the problem for myself (and try to help where I can with our clients).
I know process documentation reduces turnover by providing employees with a reference point for their work. When processes are clearly documented, employees can easily access information and follow step-by-step instructions for their tasks. This reduces the time and effort spent on figuring out how to perform their duties and minimizes the possibility of errors. As a result, employees feel more confident in their work and are more likely to stay within the organization, knowing that they have the necessary resources to excel in their roles.
Process documentation also promotes standardization within the organization. When everyone has access to the same documentation, they are aligned with the company's best practices. This ensures consistency in the quality of work produced and facilitates teamwork and collaboration. Employees can easily understand each other's roles and responsibilities, enabling them to work together smoothly. Cross-training becomes easier. And, teammates can have one another’s backs instead of the work just piling up whenever someone is off work. That sort of teamwork enhances job satisfaction, and reduces turnover. Standardization fosters a sense of unity and belonging within the organization, increasing employee loyalty and commitment.
Over the past month or so, I’ve pulled all of our company’s routine tasks back to myself and have worked through them, laying down process documentation as I go. I picked up a cool tool called Scribe that has helped tremendously. In the second part of this series, I’ll share more about the training I’m doing to support all those documented processes. In the meantime, if anyone would like to hazard a guess as to the high-turnover role we keep encountering in our nonprofits, leave a comment and check back in two weeks to see if you were right.]]>Grant ready refers to the state of an organization that has all the necessary materials and systems in place to effectively apply for and manage grant funding. When an organization is grant ready, it means that they have thoroughly prepared themselves to seek and secure grants. This preparation includes having a clear mission and goals, a well-defined strategic plan, a strong financial management system, and a track record of successful program implementation.
Being grant ready also means having the necessary organizational capacity to manage and report on grant funds. This includes having qualified staff and volunteers to oversee grant projects, a well-documented and transparent system for tracking expenses, and the ability to generate timely and accurate reports for funders.
Grant-ready organizations have gone through a thorough process of self-assessment and have taken the necessary steps to ensure they meet the requirements of potential grantors. They have developed strong relationships with key stakeholders, including funders, board members, and community partners, and have cultivated a positive reputation within the philanthropic community.
On the other hand, grant capability refers to an organization's potential or capacity to become grant ready. Grant capability is the foundation upon which grant readiness is built. An organization may be considered grant capable if it has certain key elements in place, such as a clear mission and vision, a dedicated staff and board, and a solid understanding of their target audience and community needs.
Grant capability focuses on the organization's potential for growth and development, including the ability to attract resources and build partnerships. While a grant-capable organization may not yet have all the necessary systems and infrastructure in place to be grant ready, it has the potential to develop and strengthen these areas through training, capacity building, and strategic planning.
Grant capability is about recognizing an organization's strengths and areas for improvement, and actively working towards becoming grant ready. This may involve investing in staff development and training, engaging in strategic partnerships, or seeking technical assistance to strengthen organizational capacity.
It is important to note that grant readiness and grant capability are not mutually exclusive. Grant readiness is the ultimate goal, but an organization's journey towards becoming grant ready often starts with developing its grant capability. Organizations that are grant ready are inherently grant capable, but those that are grant capable may still have some work to do to reach full grant readiness.
Both concepts highlight the importance of organizational strength and capacity building in order to successfully secure and utilize grant funds. If you have any doubts about whether your organization is grant-capable, pick up a copy of our Quick Start Guide to Strategic Planning today.
]]>In today's fast-paced digital era, managing our email inboxes has become increasingly challenging. The constant influx of messages can easily overwhelm us, leading to missed opportunities, reduced productivity, and increased stress levels. However, by incorporating a project management system into your email management strategy, you can harness its efficiency and organization to maintain an empty inbox.
My productivity strategy is very simple. I start each day by doing three things. First, I scan my calendar to see what I have hard-scheduled for the day. Second, I make a quick pass through my email inbox, eliminating the low-hanging fruit (responding to emails that only require a short reply), forwarding everything else that requires an action on my part to my project management system, and archiving/filing everything in its place, leaving my inbox empty. Then, I go to my project management system to see what I actually need to be working on.
1. Choose a project management system:For this approach to work, having a project management system is crucial. Some popular options include Asana, Trello, or Microsoft Planner. At KFA, we have used Asana for years and can’t recommend it strongly enough.
2. Get OrganizedImplement a uniform filing system across every technology platform you use. Create archive folders or labels in your email account that match the project titles in your project management system and ensure your document storage folders, whether it is the file folders on your local computer or a file sharing system like DropBox, Drive or SharePoint, are also aligned to your file logic.
3. Create projects and tasks:To translate your email messages into actionable tasks, break them down into projects and individual tasks within your project management system. Each email can be mapped to a specific project, ensuring that important information is easily accessible and organized. For example, create a project for each grant you’re working on and assign relevant tasks accordingly.
4. Set deadlines and reminders:Assign deadlines and reminders to each task within your project management system to ensure timely completion. This way, you can prioritize your tasks and address urgent emails efficiently.
5. Delegate tasks:If certain emails require input or action from others, delegate the tasks within your project management system. This reduces the need for excessive back-and-forth communication via email and allows you to track progress seamlessly. Utilize features like task assignment and progress tracking to ensure smooth collaboration.
6. Utilize labels, tags, or categories:Most project management systems offer labeling, tagging, or categorization capabilities. Leverage these features to organize and categorize your tasks, mirroring the folders or labels in your email inbox. This will help you locate specific tasks easily, enhancing productivity and reducing the time spent searching for relevant information.
7. Archive emails:Once you have transformed an email into a task within your project management system, archive it. Do not delete important emails. Instead, at the completion of a project, such as the submission of a grant, export the archive file of emails to your document storage system. This will retain important documentation and conserve email storage space.
8. Regularly review and update:Schedule regular reviews of your project management system to stay on top of your tasks. This allows you to update the status, reassign tasks, or adjust deadlines as needed. Take advantage of notifications and calendar integrations offered by most project management systems to ensure you don't miss important deadlines. We set recurring tasks to review each project in our project management system at regular intervals until the project is complete.
9. Implement email filters and rules:To further streamline your email management, use email filters and rules to automatically categorize and sort incoming messages. For instance, you can set filters to automatically label emails from certain senders, newsletters, or promotional offers. This helps to prioritize and organize your inbox while reducing distractions.
Effectively using a project management system can revolutionize the way you maintain an empty email inbox. By leveraging features such as project creation, task management, delegation, and categorization, you can transform your emails into actionable tasks while ensuring a clutter-free inbox. Remember to set deadlines, utilize labels or tags, and regularly review your tasks to stay organized and productive. With a project management system as your ally, the days of struggling with an overwhelming inbox will become a thing of the past.
If you find this Productivity Hack helpful, let us know in the comments! We’re considering making a series of these type of hints and tips.
]]>We run into this question a lot with nonprofits we’re helping achieve major growth. Which is better, cash or accrual accounting?
]]>We run into this question a lot with nonprofits we’re helping achieve major growth. Which is better, cash or accrual accounting? While cash accounting has historically been the preferred method for nonprofits’ financial reporting, we strongly recommend accrual accounting because it offers several significant advantages when it comes to managing grants, especially reimbursements. Broadly, accrual accounting provides nonprofits with a more accurate and comprehensive depiction of their financial health, enhances transparency, improves decision-making, and ensures compliance with reporting standards and regulations. Specifically, it takes a lot of headaches out of figuring out what to file on which reimbursement.
Accrual accounting provides nonprofits with a more accurate picture of their financial status compared to cash accounting, which only records transactions when cash is exchanged. It allows organizations to account for all income and expenses, including those that occur but are not immediately paid for. Grants often come with specific obligations or restrictions that require nonprofits to make expenditures at specific times or in relation to specific activities. Accrual accounting ensures that these obligations and expenditures are accurately reflected, providing a more holistic understanding of financial performance.
Accurate and transparent reporting is crucial for maintaining stakeholder trust and attracting future funding. Accrual accounting provides a more comprehensive view of financial transactions and obligations, enabling nonprofits to better document the use of grant funds. Accurate financial reporting not only strengthens relationships with grantors but also enhances transparency and accountability to donors, beneficiaries, and the public. By using accrual accounting, nonprofits can clearly showcase their financial health, making them more appealing to potential donors and grant-making organizations.
Accrual accounting offers valuable insights into the long-term financial position of nonprofits, enabling better decision-making. By recording revenue and expenses when they are incurred, accrual accounting provides a more accurate representation of an organization's financial stability. Nonprofits can assess their cash flows over time, identify trends, and make informed decisions based on comprehensive financial information. This helps organizations plan effectively, allocate resources efficiently, and make informed financial choices to enhance long-term sustainability.
Adopting accrual accounting ensures that nonprofits comply with accounting standards and reporting requirements. Many accounting and financial reporting frameworks, such as the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), favor accrual accounting over cash accounting due to its superior accuracy and transparency. By using accrual accounting, nonprofits can align their financial reporting with these standards, further enhancing their credibility and consistency.
Accrual accounting enables nonprofits to compare their financial performance over different periods using consistent criteria, facilitating performance evaluation and benchmarking. This consistency improves the interpretation of financial data, allowing nonprofits to identify strengths, weaknesses, and trends more accurately. Grantors and stakeholders can also evaluate the cost-effectiveness of nonprofit programs and services with greater clarity and confidence, encouraging informed decision-making and resource allocation.
Accrual accounting provides nonprofits with a better foundation for financial planning and long-term sustainability. By capturing both current and future financial obligations, accrual accounting allows organizations to forecast cash flows accurately, plan budgets, and project funding needs more effectively. This improves financial stability and reduces the risk of unforeseen financial challenges that may hinder mission fulfillment.
While cash accounting has traditionally been favored by nonprofits, the adoption of accrual accounting brings numerous benefits for organizations receiving grants. By recording expenditures, including payroll costs and purchases, when the expense happens rather than when it is paid, the accrual method provides a very clear picture each month throughout a grant project period of all costs incurred that month which gives much greater clarity to the grant budget status. It also reduces the lag and delay on preparing, submitting and receiving reimbursements which is already a slow enough process as it is, especially with large federal programs. So, why aren’t all nonprofits using the accrual method?
Most nonprofits start small and grow. Cash accounting can be a lot easier to implement in startups and it can be a beast to convert from cash accounting to accrual once a method is established. Is the hassle of converting worth it? Yes, we think so. But, there is a workaround. Many common accounting software platforms provide the ability to run reports on an accrual basis, even if the overall accounting method in use is on a cash basis. While the accrual method is best for grant recipients which is why pretty much all large institutions like colleges and universities and governmental agencies use the accrual method, in the interim, growing nonprofits can make savvy use of sophisticated reporting to take a hybrid approach.
If your nonprofit only wishes to have these sorts of growing pains, you should probably get in touch with us. There’s a reason we’re intimately familiar with this problem.
]]>For most nonprofits, promoting inclusivity and diversity is paramount. Nonprofits play a pivotal role in providing equal opportunities for everyone, including the disabled community. This week, we are highlighting the importance of nonprofit organizations offering accessible volunteer opportunities for disabled people and creating environments that accommodate and empower disabled individuals to actively engage in volunteer work.
Disability can be isolating, especially for individuals excluded from the workforce. Volunteering offers a great opportunity to engage socially and connect with the community in a meaningful and fulfilling way. By ensuring our nonprofits offer accessible volunteer opportunities that are accessible to disabled individuals, nonprofits not only benefit from our contributions to the nonprofit’s work, organizations can expand their impact to include providing opportunities for us to belong and be a part of the community.
Inclusivity and diversity are essential principles nonprofit organizations should embrace. By offering accessible volunteer opportunities, these organizations demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their disability, has the chance to contribute meaningfully to society. This sends a powerful message that disabled individuals are valued and our skills and talents are appreciated.
Volunteering offers a sense of purpose and fulfillment, contributing to personal growth and enhancing self-esteem. Disabled individuals often face the challenge of societal stereotypes and preconceived notions about our abilities. Through accessible volunteer opportunities, nonprofits can help break down these barriers and empower disabled individuals to showcase our skills and talents, thereby boosting our self-confidence.
Volunteering provides an avenue for disabled individuals to develop essential skills and gain valuable experience, which can be instrumental in our personal and professional growth. Nonprofits can offer training and support tailored to the specific needs of disabled volunteers, helping us acquire new skills and enhance existing ones. These skills can range from communication and teamwork to leadership and problem-solving abilities. By providing these opportunities, nonprofits are equipping disabled individuals with the tools we need to succeed in various aspects of life.
Disabled individuals have unique perspectives and valuable contributions to make to the wider community. By offering accessible volunteer opportunities, nonprofits allow us to actively participate and share our knowledge, experiences, and skills. This contributes to a more diverse and inclusive community, which benefits everyone by fostering collaboration, understanding, and empathy.
Through inclusive volunteer opportunities, nonprofit organizations can challenge societal stigma surrounding disabilities. By actively engaging disabled individuals in volunteer work, the negative stereotypes and biases that often exist can be counteracted. This exposure helps change perceptions within the community, highlighting the capability and potential of disabled individuals, and creating a more inclusive and accepting society.
Nonprofit organizations have the power to be advocates and catalysts for change. By offering accessible volunteer opportunities, nonprofits can serve as agents of advocacy and activism for disabled rights. By involving disabled individuals in social and environmental causes, nonprofits provide a platform for us to raise awareness about the challenges we face and promote social change. This involvement can lead to more inclusive policies and initiatives in various sectors, improving the overall quality of life for disabled individuals.
Inclusion is a high priority at KFA. We don’t usually make a big deal about it, but we are a disabled-owned company, founded on the principle that work should accommodate life, no matter what, and not the other way around. If your nonprofit agrees, tell us about your inclusion strategies. And if you’re wondering if you truly are providing an accessible volunteer environment, reach out! We would love to be a safe space where you can talk candidly about your accessibility and inclusion questions.
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If you’ve ever written a grant application, you know just how long it can take.
The most complex federal grants may take upwards of 100 hours. And while usually less cumbersome, foundation grants require a significant time commitment.
That’s why you’re really going to like what we have to tell you.
We’re going to tell you how to win a grant in 60 minutes or less.
We rarely promise a sure thing, especially one that’s quick and easy. But when it comes to nonprofit grants, this is as close as it gets.
Google Ad Grants provide $10,000 per month to buy Google search ads.
Why is that important? Because your agency can’t grow donors and volunteers if no one knows about the good work you’re doing.
The ability to advertise on Google will help likeminded people find your organization. Statistics say you’ll grow targeted impressions by 60,000 a year by using the Google grant to its full advantage.
Since the program was founded in 2003, some 100,000 nonprofits have received a Google Ad Grant. With an estimated 1.6 million nonprofits in the U.S., that’s a relatively low figure. It tells us more organizations should be taking advantage of this opportunity.
Many nonprofit veterans are likely aware of the Google Grant for Nonprofits. You may have shrugged it off as insignificant since it’s not a direct cash donation.
But don’t overlook this grant. It’s a value-ad for your nonprofit. Think of it as an in-kind donation.
It’s extremely easy to get. There are few program rules to follow, but many 501(c)(3)s are eligible. A few categories don’t qualify including:
Additionally, there are no application period and no end date to the grant. That means you can apply when it’s convenient, and you don’t have to reapply to keep the grant. There are some program parameters that you’ll need to follow.
Like we said – it’s easy to get.
Second, a $10,000 per month stipend most certainly has a dollar value associated with it. It just doesn’t come as a check you can deposit in a bank account.
A note: the program does limit your ad spending to $329 per day, but that’s more than enough to move the needle.
What makes a $10,000 monthly Google Ad budget so attractive to nonprofits? Let’s talk basic digital marketing.
Nonprofit organizations need donors, supports and often volunteers to deliver services. But most smaller nonprofits’ expertise lies in service delivery, not search engine optimization and content marketing. And they usually can’t afford to spend big bucks on a marketing firm or full-time employee to execute a marketing communications plan.
We can hear you saying it now.
Chances are your organization may be doing just fine. But audience growth leads to sustainability.
This grant could help you turn those 1,000 followers into 2,000. It could help you capture 15,000 more addresses. It could help you increase your email audience to 10,000.
And all those additions represent potential donors or volunteers who will help you do more, better.
The concept is simple. You design an ad campaign. You set key words, a geographic area and a host of other demographic information that ensures your ad reaches to the right people.
When people search for something that triggers your campaign, your ad appears at the top of the search results. If the searcher clicks on your ad, you pay Google.
Depending on how many people click on your ad, pay-per-click advertising can get expensive quickly and easily drain your annual marketing budget.
But paid ad campaigns on search engine and social platforms are precisely how many businesses get found by customers. Research shows that people are four times more likely to click on a Google ad than any other type of advertising.
Those ads at the top of a Google search page? They appear because a business paid for them to appear when a searcher types in a certain set of key words.
Nonprofits can use the same strategies as the for-profit world to attract donors, volunteers and even service recipients.
Let’s say a person wants to make a donation to a nonprofit but doesn’t know where to start. They type “best nonprofit” into the Google search bar.
You know what comes up?
Is St. Jude the best nonprofit? We’re not here to debate that, but people looking for reputable nonprofits may assume it to be true. And that assumption happened because of a Google Ad campaign.
The same thing happens when you search for a particular service. Let’s say you’re looking for an afterschool program for your kid.
Guess what comes up in the results? A New York City-based foundation whose mission is to “foster equity and improvements in learning and enrichment for young people, and in the arts for everyone.” If you weren’t aware of that philanthropy, you are now.
As you can see, Google Ads help your organization get found by people looking for similar organizations, and Google Ad Grants help you pay to run campaigns. That’s why applying for a Google Ad Grant is really a no-brainer for any size nonprofit.
There’s really no limit to how you can use your Google Grant dollars. You can create campaigns related to any number of needs, such as:
We said that getting a Google Ad Grant is easy. And it is.
But it requires several steps that can be a little tedious.
You don’t have write much. You just have to navigate and input information into a few platforms. Depending on your level of comfort with online submission engines, you may not find the process straightforward.
But fear not. We’re here to walk you through it.
We’ve already established that schools, hospitals and government agencies aren’t eligible for Google Ad Grants. There are a couple of other criteria.
Your organization must be a registered 501(c)(3). You’ll need your EIN number to apply.
Your organization own its domain name. It can’t be a site that ends in .weebly or .wix or .squarespace or another variation.
Your website must be updated regularly and not contain broken links. A broken link goes to a webpage that can’t be accessed by the user.
Your organization must have an SSL certificate to ensure security. Short for Secure Sockets Layer, this is a security feature that creates an encrypted link between a web server and a web browser.
We’ve tried to make this as simple as possible.
If you’re relatively tech savvy, these steps will be pretty easy. If you're not, this step-by-step guide will help.
We truly believe that Google Ad grants help your nonprofit do more, better. That’s why we want to help as many organizations as possible access this grant.
Applying for a Google Ad Grant is one of the easier things you can do to help your nonprofit. We’ve made the process easy for you. When you’re ready to tackle bigger, more complex grants, we can help with that, too. Our self-paced grant writing course is packed with tips and tricks to help you win grants. Check it out and let us know if we can customize an education package for your organization.
]]>Fundraising isn’t limited to grants. When it comes to raising money, nonprofits have myriad ways to do more, better.
No matter the size or scope of your organization, fundraising is an essential component of your development plan. But what does effective fundraising entail? And how can you create a development plan that leaves no stone unturned?
Learn from one of the best. Alex Comfort, president of Mountain Non-Profit Solutions, is a seasoned fundraiser who has helped multiple charitable organizations up their fundraising game. His newest personalized course focuses on five types of fundraising:
Each 90-minute virtual session covers a specific type and are spaced a week apart. At the end of the sessions, Comfort will help students map out a two-year plan and remains available for coaching by phone for two months.
The tailored program condenses a longer version of the course into a more directed and specific training series, centering on the participant’s needs and the agency’s situation. Each session will cover:
Students receive the entire scope of the fundraising process along with the skills needed to succeed. The process includes a suggested two-year plan for fundraising and a tremendous amount of consulting in the process.
Following the completion of the series, Comfort is available for consultation at no additional charge for two months to help direct the participant’s real-life application of principles learned during the course. If major help is required, he consults at a 20% discount.
Sessions are held on Zoom or Google Meets at a pace that works for the student, generally one session per week. Participants are asked to initiate the presentations in order to own them for the future. (Comfort will initiate if desired). Although the agency will own the series, it will not be allowed to share it with other agencies without approval.
The cost of the whole program is $800. While this is a challenge for some organizations, current participants note the value of the course. Additional staff members can join the sessions at a reduced cost.
Please contact Comfort with questions at (828) 691-6135 or alex@mn-ps.com. References are available. Learn more about Comfort’s credentials at www.mn-ps.com.
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Written by Alex Comfort, CFRE
When COVID crashed upon us, I shut down earlier and longer than most people. I wrote and taught remotely, taking advantage of the time to finish a book about how to be a good fundraiser.
During that time, I monitored the non-profit sector, listened to national experts and observed the situation here in western North Carolina. After months I can point to some trends in fundraising that affect all nonprofits, regardless of their mission.
Agencies are now even more grant dependent. I have done tons of presentations to boards over the last 13 years. Board members frequently want to learn how to become less dependent on grants. Nonprofit leaders fear grants will run out, making the agency dependent on private donations that can’t sustain the mission over the long term. I’ve never really worried about grants running out. Since COVID, I believe there are more grants than ever. Remember, grant writing is more about finding likely grant prospects than it is about cleverly written applications.
Fundraisers are doing their jobs differently. They’re spending more time behind the computer rather than out in the community seeking out and meeting donors. I am more convinced than ever that this trend is a killer. FUNDRAISING IS STILL A MATTER OF TRUST, AND TRUST IS EARNED BY CLOSE, PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH DONORS.
Donors have pulled back physically. COVID restrictions got donors out of the habit of visiting with the agencies they support. Donors prefer to meet over lunch or coffee instead of more intimate meetings at a home. And, fewer business leaders want fundraisers to visit them at their offices.
Churches and charities are quietly closing or merging. It’s a bit of a scary time for everybody. Certainly, charities are still being founded, but a lot of non-profits are in trouble. Private fundraising is still extremely important.
Planned giving promotion has actually decreased as charities scramble for funding right now instead of in the future. This trend is exceptionally troubling because the Baby Boomer generation is twice the size of GenX. If we don’t succeed in getting the Baby Boomers to leave money in their wills or estate plans, the bottom will fall out of our annual giving in 15 years.
Fundraisers are spending more and more time using social media to find new, younger donors. While this is not a bad thing, the fact remains that 80% of your fundraising budget is made up of people over 60. They have discretionary income. As such, they should still be getting the lion’s share of a fundraiser’s time and effort.
It is getting harder and harder to find major gift experienced fundraisers to fill positions. Part of my consulting is spent on “executive search,” helping charities find new fundraisers. It has become really hard to find good people who are go-getters and able to bring in major gifts. Anyone skilled in this area will find a great career!
More and more national charities are allowing their fundraising team to work on a remote basis. Similarly, many charities’ fundraisers come into the office only one or two days a week. It’s not just my opinion; surveys show this trend is occurring. I think this is a fine trend as long as fundraisers are doing their best to get out and meet with their major donors.
Fewer major donors are serving on nonprofit boards of directors. People with larger means are just not taking ownership of charities like they used to do.
Before the tax laws on deductibility were changed, 70% of Americans gave a gift of record each year. Now, that is down to 56%. But the individual amounts are growing. Therefore, people who do give, give more.
The message behind all these trends is that giving is still unbelievably good in the U.S., and the fundraising basics haven’t changed. But we fundraisers must keep emphasizing major gift fundraising. And major gift fundraising includes grant fundraising. Find a grant writing expert to support your efforts, and feel free to reach out to me with questions.
Alex Comfort, CFRE, is president of Mountain Non-Profit Solutions, a full-service fundraising consultant offering capital campaign management, agency and development audits, board of directors training, and unique planned giving experiences.
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Regardless of the mission, location or size, all nonprofits need the same thing: funding.
Without money to fund your good works, you won’t get much accomplished. Fundraising campaigns and events can move the needle, but they can only raise so much money.
At some point, you’ll need to seek grants to fund your mission, and winning grants takes a proactive approach. Keep in mind that grants are a long-term strategy. They won’t put money in your nonprofit’s bank account quickly.
Why? Because grants require research and planning. You must identify the right funder for your specific program. Remember, grants don’t fund general operating expenses. They fund specific programs, so identifying the right grants for your specific social programs is tantamount to your success.
How do you find the right grant funding opportunity for your nonprofit? We’ll tell you.
There are ample grants available to nonprofits. Rarely will a grant opportunity arrive in your inbox, tied up with a pretty ribbon and a link to a user-friendly application. Instead, you must seek out opportunities yourself.
While there are many types of grants, we’re going to categorize opportunities into three primary buckets:
As the name implies, federal grants are awarded by the federal government. With more than 900 funding programs given by 26 agencies, the federal government is the largest grant-maker in the U.S. The Department of Health and Human Services awards the most funding of any federal agency with 29% of the total.
Federal grants go to nonprofits as well as states, tribal governments, academic institutions, research labs and even small businesses. These grants usually come in big dollar figures. According to GrantStation’s 2021 State of Grantseeking Report, the largest median individual award was $400,000, and 44% of grant recipients surveyed listed the federal government as their primary source of income.
Foundation grants are awarded by private foundations, philanthropic trusts, community foundations, civic groups, religious organizations and corporate grant-making entities. These grants usually come in smaller dollar figures than federal grants. The median award in 2020 was $50,000. Therefore, nonprofits often seek support from multiple sources to fund their mission. Fortunately, foundation grants are generally easier to write than government grants and often require less grant administration.
States and local entities provide a good deal of funding to nonprofits. Some of those dollars may be pass-through money from the federal government. In other words, the feds give a state a grant to divvy up among front-line service agencies. The same holds true for local governments. The state may give counties or municipalities grant money to distribute on a hyper-local level.
According to the 2021 Grantseeking Report, 29% of respondents listed the state government and 17% listed the local government as their largest funding sources. The largest median award for state government was $105,000 and $45,000 for local government.
In a perfect world, a single source would aggregate nonprofit grant opportunities from all grant makers. Alas, it’s not a perfect world. You’ll need to do some homework.
Grants.gov is your source for identifying federal grants. The massive database lists opportunities from all federal grantmaking agencies. Each grant-funding notice includes instructions on how to apply, deadlines, program guidelines, grant officer contact information, and everything else you need.
The database is searchable by agency, posted date and closing date, opportunity number and keyword. The search function can be wonky. Keyword searches often don’t return what you’re seeking. You may need to get creative with search terms and search in multiple ways. It also means if you subscribe to a saved search, updates may be unreliable.
For example, if you operate an after-school program and enter the search term “after school,” you are likely to get grant opportunities from a wide variety of agencies, including the Department of Transportation and the Department of State, neither of which are germane to your mission.
Another option is reviewing the Federal Register daily journal each and every day to find newly announced funding programs. But it’s usually around 800 pages long. Even if you have nothing better to do, it would be a tedious task.
The best way to stay informed about new federal funding opportunities is by subscribing to our weekly Grant Round Up email newsletter. We sort new opportunities and remove the clutter so you can see what’s available at a quick glance. The Grant Round Up arrives in email inboxes every Wednesday so you always have a user-friendly list of federal funding opportunities.
Foundation grants are little trickier to find. There are a few databases that maintain a reasonably comprehensive listing. The Foundation Center Directory Online (FDO) is the oldest, but there are new players like Instrumentl, Grantscape and Grantstation. All are fee-based, meaning you must pay for a subscription to access the funders’ info.
FDO is the most attractive option since many public and university libraries maintain subscriptions and give patrons free access to the database. FDO has a searchable listing of the public entities that offer subscriptions so you can find one in your area.
Going directly to the source can also help you find foundation funding. Corporations often have links to their foundation or grant-making entities on their websites or you can search for a company name followed by the word “foundation” or “philanthropy.” It takes a little elbow grease, but you might stumble along opportunities from companies like Bath and Body Works, Petco, Ben and Jerry’s, or Target.
You can also look to banks to find foundation funding. Banks that serve as trustees for family foundations and philanthropic trusts often list the grant opportunities online. For example, Bank of America and Well-Fargo each identify the grant-makers they serve.
State or local funding is the most difficult to find. States like New York and municipalities like Atlanta maintain a clearinghouse of grant opportunities. But most local and state governments don’t. What’s more, local entities vary widely in how they publicize grant opportunities. Seek out the state and local resources available, if they exist for your area, and establish procedures or routines for monitoring them regularly. If newsletters or alert services exist for your state or local funders, subscribe to these resources.
In most localities, grant-making processes are not well-publicized or as transparent as you would expect. Overcome this obstacle by networking and building positive relationships with state and local grant-making agencies. Attend conferences and events hosted by pertinent potential funders, such as state departments of education or economic development.
When attending these events, truly network with the agency’s personnel and establish rapport. Don’t just show up to be seen. Make inroads with the people who control the funding. Doing so may win you a personal email from a staff member about an upcoming grant opportunity.
Along the same lines, it’s important to cultivate relationships with elected representatives who allocate funding. From the local level and higher, elected officials can be an invaluable resource and source of grant funding opportunities. At a minimum, subscribe to their email lists and follow them on social media.
Think you’ve found a match? Dig a little deeper before you start writing. You may have discovered a grant that’s perfect for your organization, but you should perform due diligence before devoting time to preparing an application package.
Start by looking at grantmakers’ 990 IRS tax forms. This will show you what types of programs they fund and where the programs are located. You may also identify patterns in their funding cycles. For example, a foundation might alternate the geographic locations of funded organizations each year.
You can find 990s in several places. FDO offers a fee-based service, but you can also find searchable databases at Guidestar, Propublica and others.
It should go without saying that you need to read the fine print in any funding announcement to ensure your organization is eligible to apply. You’ll also need to filter out invite-only funding opportunities.
When you're certain you've found the right grant for your organization, get the training you need to write the application. Our self-paced grant writing course teaches everything you need to know about writing grant applications for governmental and private funders. Learn more and start doing more, better, today!
]]>Last week, KFA's award-winning senior editor Chelsea Adams wrote a great op-ed on using AI to write grants, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND GRANTS. WILL IT WORK? There's just one problem. I totally disagree.
I follow a fairly well-known science fiction author on social media. Lately, he’s been playing around with having AI write stunning reviews of his work in the voice of other authors. The experiment is tongue-in-cheek, but the results have been fascinating. And, it’s important to pay attention to sci-fi writers. They see the future in ways most of us don’t. I’m more of a fantasy nerd, but I have a deep appreciation for the prescience of sci-fi.
In addition to grants, I also occasionally write 300+ page technical reports for government contractors (quite the opposite of both sci-fi and fantasy, the driest sort of reading there is). A few years ago, I was involved in documenting a project that extensively used AI to analyze narratives in a massive, national database. I saw right then and there that it wouldn't be long before AI would be writing grants. (I'm afraid AI could also be scoring grants, perhaps, before AI is writing them. But that is a problem and moral dilemma for another day.)
If you've taken our course, you know that grant writing can be very formulaic, if you know the formula. If you don't know the formula, take our course.
I can easily see how, using our formula, a program like ChatGPT could generate a lot of grant narrative in a short amount of time, cutting a lot of time-consuming work out of the grant writing process. The tricky part is figuring out how to train the AI to follow the formula and doing that will require a high-level understanding of what goes into the formula in the first place. Again, you can gain that knowledge in our course.
Let’s revisit what ChatGPT had to say when Chelsea asked it, “Can AI be used to write grants?”
“Yes, AI can be used to write grants. AI algorithms can be trained on examples of successful grant proposals, and then be used to generate new proposals based on the input they receive. However, it is important to note that AI is not capable of understanding the context and nuances of grant writing, and the proposals generated may still require significant editing and revision by a human grant writer.”
I believe every word ChatGPT said is true. And I’ll break it down, step-by-step.
First, AI has not yet evolved the ability or creativity to design projects. Frankly, a lot of people haven’t developed this talent either and fortunately that’s what makes us worth our weight in gold. We can start with a blank page and design an award-winning project. We also teach this talent in our handy Quick Start Guide to Logic Model Planning. AI’s inability to design projects is what requires AI to be trained from an existing library of successful proposals. In reality, most grant writers use this approach themselves. But there are some legal and ethical issues there.
Novice grant writers often try to borrow project designs from funded proposals. (STOP. Before you get any bright ideas about firing off a bunch of FOIA requests, keep reading.) Grant writers have to take care not to violate copyrights or outright steal others’ ideas. Expert grant writers like us have our own extensive library of work to pull from. We write a few major anchor proposals for a client and repackage that content over a period of time to gain extraordinary efficiencies and garner big bucks for our clients. There lies the major hurdle to feeding AI successful proposals. To do it, you have to have your own source material. Once you have it, you can enjoy the same extraordinary efficiencies we do. But getting there is going to be more than half the battle.
Project design is just the first hurdle. ChatGPT admits that AI is not capable of understanding the context and nuances of grant writing. AI is inquiry based. In order to get AI to work, you not only have to feed it the right source material to work with, but you also have to ask it the right questions. What ChatGPT is really saying is that it can’t read an RFP and write a responsive proposal. If a grant writer has the right source material to train AI and knows how to process an RFP (a major skill acquired in our course), a grant writer can ask AI the right questions and steer this workhorse in the right direction to generate narrative.
Let’s assume for a moment that we have a massive content library to work with and expert RFP processing skills. What is to stop us from using AI then? Well, ChatGPT says, “the proposals generated may still require significant editing and revision by a human grant writer.” That is because while grant writing does lend itself to a formulaic approach, grants still must be compelling and persuasive. While most of our course focuses on how to reduce grant writing down to a relatively simple formula, we still teach an entire section on how to write in a compelling and persuasive way. We use credibility building, putting data in context, and leveraging analogies that evoke an emotional response to do that. AI is still several generations away from evolving that level of sophistication. But I do believe it will get there eventually.
And what about budgets?! Oh, please. Expert budgeters have been using Excel formulas to take the work out of budgeting for decades. AI’s older, clunkier cousin will teach it to budget grants in no time. In fact, you can bet this is precisely where I will start using AI to increase my grant production efficiency.
Wait! What? Yes, I have every intention of getting on the AI bandwagon. I will admit that I’m going to start by having my teenager teach me to use it. But I know I possess the expertise to put it to work for us and our clients, because I understand its limitations, I have the right source content to train it, and I’m going to ask it the right questions. I recommend joining our course to gain these skills for yourself before you get left in the dust.
Now, excuse me while I go talk Chelsea down off the roof.
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Written by Chelsea Adams
No doubt you’ve heard of artificial intelligence writing tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and Rytr. These tools allow you to enter a phrase, question, or subject and the AI robot returns a written result.
Easy peasy, right? Maybe. But artificial intelligence isn’t the end-all, be-all it’s cracked up to be. At least not yet.
The technology has been lauded by many, but others are cautioning AI writers are moving too fast and without adequate regulation.
Copywriters are rightfully concerned for the future of their craft, even if AI can’t mimic the richness of human creativity. And, AI seems poised to further dumb down the written word and allow unsubstantiated, often incorrect, information to be published ad nauseum.
These tools take what’s already published on the web and repackage it into another paragraph.
As one writer who discovered the perils of AI-generated content put it, “ChatGPT, like all AI text generation technologies, is very good at eating content, mixing it up into a blender, then spitting it back out into a new form.”
For example, if you ask ChatGPT “What is heart failure?” the tool would lift content from websites that rank highest in search engine results and reconfigure the information into a new piece. In this example, the information would likely come from sources like American Heart Association, Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins University.
If you’re writing about a highly complex topic with limited reputable sources, the results may be inaccurate or taken out of context. Therefore, if you’re not familiar with a subject, you could publish false or misleading information because you trusted a robot’s research.
Before we spend too much time discussing the merits and pitfalls of AI writing tools, what does the technology mean for grant writers? Can AI write grants?
The folks over at Fundwriter.ai seem to think AI can write grants. This platform promises to write your grant proposals, fundraising communications, and appeal letters 10X faster “so you can really connect with supporters.”
It’s likely that the tool can write thank you letters, emails and social media fodder. But it can’t write even the simplest of grant proposals.
Here’s why.
AI writing tools can’t start from scratch with a new idea or concept. If the information doesn’t already exist – either on the web or information you input – AI text generators won’t be able to regurgitate the content into a new form.
That’s because AI doesn’t think. It doesn’t reason. It just spins existing content into a new form.
And that’s why it won’t work for grant proposals.
Grant proposals are too specific, too nuanced, and too dependent on the parameters laid out by the grant-making entity.
Plus, grant proposals must be persuasive while carefully balancing the funder’s requirements. They must be well-researched with quantifiable statistics and real-world examples. This is not the place for generalities or vague assumptions.
What’s more, grant proposals must read like they were written for a human. While AI writing tools can produce content that’s close to natural human language, it’s far from exact. The content is usually mundane and lacks the heart needed to elevate a grant proposal above the rest.
You also must consider your audience: humans. AI-generator content, whether for a grant or a blog post, isn’t interesting to read. That may be Ok when it’s a 500 article about your favorite dog breed, but a 5,000-word grant proposal written in this vein will be monotonous for a human reviewer to read. They will lose interest.
And if those aren’t enough reasons, imagine trying to use AI to negotiate the clunky processes and submission engines created by federal and state governments. It seems like an exercise in futility if you ask us.
Am I being too pessimistic out of fear for my livelihood?
To answer the question, I went straight to the source – ChatGPT – and asked “Can AI be used to write grants.” Here’s exactly what it said.
“Yes, AI can be used to write grants. AI algorithms can be trained on examples of successful grant proposals, and then be used to generate new proposals based on the input they receive. However, it is important to note that AI is not capable of understanding the context and nuances of grant writing, and the proposals generated may still require significant editing and revision by a human grant writer.”
And there you have it. Grants require people. Period.
Instead of relying on AI, learn to write grants yourself. Yes, grants are time consuming and complicated, but learning how to write a well-reasoned proposal is a skill worth having. Start with our online, self-paced course that teaches you how to write grants faster and with more confidence so you can do more, better.
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Come February 20, AmazonSmile will shutter its doors. Amazon announced last week it would suspend the program and refocus its charitable giving to initiatives that make a broader impact.
At first blush, this news seems detrimental for nonprofits. But AmazonSmile’s demise shouldn’t impact most organizations’ bottom line by more than a few bucks. In fact, the change might just be a good thing.
AmazonSmile let shoppers select a charity to receive 0.5% of their eligible purchases. Amazon billed it as an easy way to support nonprofits while shopping at the world’s largest retailer. But is it? You’d have to spend $1,000 to generate a $5 donation for your favorite charity. Plus, Amazon, not shoppers, gets to claim the contribution on their taxes.
Even so, the program has generated income for nonprofits. Since 2013, Amazon says it contributed some $450 million to more than 1 million nonprofits around the globe. The bulk of the money ($400 million) went to U.S.-based charities.
Some nonprofit leaders have publicly lamented the loss of AmazonSmile funding, but a closer look reveals no cause for concern.
According to the Washington Post, only four nonprofits received more than $1 million from the program.
Another 24 group groups received at least $100K, and 230 nonprofits earned upwards of $10,000.
The bulk of the other program participates – some 999,742 organizations – received a pittance.
That’s not an opinion. A development officer with the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia says most of its partner organizations made less than $100 a year from AmazonSmile. Amazon itself reports that the average annual payout to organizations is $230. It’s fair to assume organizations spent more promoting their “partnership” with AmazonSmile than they ever received.
That leads to perhaps the biggest issue with the program. Amazon didn’t promote it, nor did they make intuitive to donate.
To have purchases count, shoppers had to log in through the dedicated AmazonSmile portal. This was an easy step to overlook, and many shoppers innocently assumed they were helping their favorite cause during Amazon shopping sprees.
It fell to nonprofits to instruct supporters on how to access the program. That takes time, effort, and staff many small organizations simply don’t have. Plus, it basically turns nonprofits into de facto Amazon advertisers. As Marc Gunther of the Nonprofit Chronicles put it, AmazonSmile is just “marketing dressed up as altruism.”
What’s more, contributions were based solely on shoppers’ behavior. The amount was variable, so nonprofits couldn’t accurately predict how much they would arrive each quarter. Any professionally managed nonprofit should never have paid fixed costs with AmazonSmile donations.
While most didn’t get much funding, some organizations received enough to provide for budget flexibility. Don’t panic. The change gives you the opportunity to seek more sustainable options that let you do more, better.
If you need to make up for these lost dollars, here are some suggestions.
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The National Institutes of Health is the world's largest public funder of biomedical research. In 2021, the agency granted some $32 billion to research efforts in the US.
While all investment in research that results in new medical treatments and therapies is warranted, there's one glaring problem with the NIH funding mechanism.
Roughly 70% of its grants go to 10% of NIH-funded institutions. That means the other 90% of NIH-funded organizations receive only 30% of grant funds.
That's a disparity. Fortunately, NIH has recognized the need for a revamped scoring system that reduces or eliminates "reputational bias." As a result, a new way to score NIH grants is in the works and could go into effect in 2025.
According to US News and World Report, the top academic medical center recipients of NIH funding in 2021 include:
Does that mean these are the only academic institutions conducting cutting-edge research? Of course not.
Rather, some say it shows schools' and scientists' reputations count for more than the strength of their ideas. In other words, a proposal submitted by a research powerhouse like Harvard may get approved with little scrutiny during the peer-review process.
Noni Byrnes, director of NIH's Center for Scientific Review (CSR), confirmed the notion in an article published in Science.
"Anyone who actually attends a study section sees [reputational bias] happening," she is quoted as saying.
While her opinion is anecdotal at best, plenty of evidence supports inequities in the distribution of NIH funds.
Researchers have offered plenty of suggestions for improving the process. For example, anonymized grant review protocols have been tested, but 20% of applicants could be identified through information in the grant package. Blinding reviewers to applicants' race has been tested but only partially eliminated reviewers' ability to identify the applicant. In 2017, NIH tried capping the number of grants a researcher could hold at any time, but harsh criticism from the research community stopped the idea from moving forward.
In 2020, CSR formed an advisory group to decrease bias in the awards process while reducing reviewers' workload. The group's proposed changes would "facilitate the mission of scientific peer review – identification of the strongest, highest-impact research."
Under the current model, peer reviewers use five primary criteria to score applications:
The revamped criteria use only three factors, two of which receive a numerical score (1-9). Reviews will consider all three factors to arrive at an Overall Impact Score for the application's scientific and technical merit.
Factor 1: Importance of the Research (Significance, Innovation), numerical score given.
Factor 2: Rigor and Feasibility (Approach), numerical score given.
Factor 3: Expertise and Resources (Investigator, Environment). Investigator(s) will be rated as "fully capable" or "additional expertise/capability needed." Environment will be rated as "appropriate" or "additional resources needed."
"Additional Review Criteria" such as Human Subject Protections, Biohazards, Renewal and others will remain essentially unchanged. These criteria will not receive individual scores but will affect the Overall Impact Score.
NIH leaders caution these changes will take time and review. Any changes to review criteria must adhere to the Code of Federal Regulations and the 21st Century Cures Act. Additionally, the process will include feedback from NIH's Office of Extramural Research, eRA, NIH Institutes and Centers, Office of the General Counsel and other stakeholders.
Finally, NIH has asked for public comment on the proposed changes until March 10, 2023. You can read about the proposal in detail and submit your comments online.
Hopefully, this is a step in the right direction to improve equity among NIH grant recipients. In the meantime, strengthen your grant writing skills by taking our self-paced course.
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If you resolved to start writing grants in 2023, congratulations! You've taken the first step in helping your nonprofit do more, better. Don't dive in head first without the requisite preparation. Here are nine tips to help you keep your resolution and find grant-writing success this year.
Now that in-person meetings are back, attending a conference is a great way to meet like-minded professionals, talk with funders, learn from evaluators and gain a better understanding of grants management.
If you have some grant-writing experience, check out the National Grants Management Association or the American Grant Writers Association conferences. If you're a newbie, check out a local or regional grant-writing association for a lower-level entry point.
If you're like us, you don't have a lot of time to read for pleasure, let alone to read for professional development. But reading books about grant writing will help you improve your craft learn what to do once you've received a grant.
There are plenty of books out there. We like Storytelling for Grantseekers by Cheryl A. Clarke and Effective Grants Management by Deborah Ward.
Grant-writing courses are a great way to hone skills, reinforce ideas and think about the grant-writing process in a different way. Even if you've written a few grants, taking a course is a great way to develop your professional skills.
Remember, you get what you pay for, and those free online courses that promise the world may not deliver. Research your options. Ask questions, and make sure you're getting what you expect from any grant-writing class.
Hint: we offer a self-paced grant-writing course with 26 hours of content, a workbook and more free gifts.
Writing grants takes time and planning. Create a calendar with all the grants you intend to write and realistic timelines for getting each one completed and submitted. This will keep you focused and on task. You won't take on more work than you can handle and you (hopefully) won't be surprised by a grant deadline that flies below the radar.
Don't give up if you've written grants before that didn't get funded. Request the reviewer's comments so you can improve the proposal. Your chances of having the grant funded the second time around increase exponentially.
One of the best ways to improve your grant-writing skills is to sit on the other side of the table. Volunteer as a grant reviewer for a federal, state or local competition. The task could be time-consuming, but you stand to learn a lot about the grant-writing process and how to improve your own proposals.
Find a list of federal grant reviewer opportunities here.
That grant proposal isn't going to write itself. The sooner you get started, the more time you'll have to perfect the application package. Waiting until the last minute to start gathering documents, letters of support, financial information and formulating outcomes measures is fraught with peril.
By waiting, you'll only stress yourself out and run the risk that the people you need to help will be unavailable. Plus, when you run short on time, your proposal won't be as strong as it would have been had you had a few more days to edit.
Grant reviewers aren't impressed by $100 words or long, complex sentences filled with descriptive, flowery language. In fact, overly complicated writing may result in a lower score on your proposal. Instead, use common words and short paragraphs. Write in active voice. Don't force a reviewer to pull out a dictionary to understand the problem or your goals.
By writing using plain language, you avoid sentences like this:
The at-risk adolescent population lacks proper nutritional supplementation due to the fact that schools are closed for the summer term, taking away access to free or reduced breakfast or lunch meals that are available to families who live below the poverty line.
In favor of this:
Many kids go hungry because school is out.
It's cliched, but it's important. Take time to rest, relax and rejuvenate. Your productivity and focus will suffer if you're burning the candle at both ends. Set limits along with realistic goals. By taking time for yourself, you can be your best for your nonprofit.
Make 2023 the year you get serious about grant writing. By following our tips and using resources published by professional grant-writing agencies, you'll be set up for success.
]]>It happens to the best of us. You think you’ve got a handle on your to-do list until you glance at the calendar and realize you’ve missed a deadline.
Yikes.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. There are plenty of reasons grant writers miss deadlines.
What happens if you miss a deadline? Here are some ways to respond and ways to avoid missing deadlines in the future.
Sometimes, but not usually. In other words, do not assume an extension will be given.
Extensions are granted completely at the funder’s discretion. If they’re sympathetic to your circumstances, you may receive a couple of days or a few more hours to submit your application. Even if the funder is understanding, extensions may be prohibited by the funder’s bylaws or rules. Them’s the breaks.
If you have an existing relationship with the funder, especially a private foundation or trust, you may be better positioned. For example, if your agency has received funding from a private family foundation for years and is in good standing, your request has a better chance of being granted. If you’re a new applicant, don’t expect the same treatment.
Governmental agencies have less leeway to grant extensions, but it’s not impossible. Some agencies publish extension policies and procedures on their websites.
For instance, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration lists reasons you can request an extension waiver:
Others, like the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, says it will consider extensions only if there’s documented evidence that grants.gov was down or malfunctioning.
But the agency cautions that grants.gov has a “wealth of technical assistance information available” and suggests you plan for at least 48 hours to resolve any technical problems. Technical issues on your end are up to you to fix in a timely manner. Reading between the lines here, something catastrophic would have to occur to grants.gov before an extension would be considered.
When it comes to federal and state agencies, we suggest meeting deadlines. In our experience, extensions just aren’t the norm.
If you need an extension, falling on your sword is the best approach. Be gracious and self-effacing. Contact the funder, explain what’s going on and hope for the best. You may get lucky. (If you do, a hand-written thank you letter is very appropriate.)
And while we all love the convenience of email, this isn’t the time for it. Pick up the phone and call.
The timing of your ask is important to consider.
There are two possible scenarios.
If you know you’ll miss the deadline, contact the funder as soon as you can. Don’t wait until the day of the deadline, if possible. If you know three days before the deadline that you may not make it, call the funder and explain. The more notice you give, the better your chances of securing an extension.
If you whiffed and completely missed a deadline, call as soon as you realize what’s happened. Ideally, it will be a day or two after the deadline passes. Waiting much longer probably won’t buy you much sympathy from the funder.
If a timeline changed on the funder’s end and it wasn’t communicated effectively or timely, you may have a case for an extension. If you just forgot about the deadline, don’t hold your breath. You’re basically saying you didn’t prioritize the funder, and they’ll return the favor.
Extensions aren’t the norm in the grant world, so make every effort to meet deadlines. Here are some tips to help.
Grants take longer to write than you think they will. Period. Plan for adequate time to gather materials, write the narratives, get organizational approvals and manage technical issues. Depending on the grant, the size of your organization and the scope of your project, you may need to plan for a months-long project,
A shared calendar is a great way to keep everyone in your organization aware of grant deadlines. If you know a grant is due Oct. 10, create an event using a program like Google calendar. Create milestones for the grant application process. For example, you could create “budget figures due” event for Sept. 1 or a “partner agency letters of support due” for Sept. 15.
Shared these events with your team so everyone stays on the same page. It’s easy to lose track of dates when they’re buried in an email you sent months ago. Project management systems like Asana, Basecamp or Trello are also highly effective ways to keep everyone organized, but shared calendars work if you don’t have access to these programs.
Don’t miss deadline changes. Follow funders on social media for updates and keep an eye out for emails on the regular. There’s a good chance emails could wind up in a promotions tab or spam folder so add the funder’s address to your contacts list.
It would be great is funders spaced their deadlines out, but there will be times when multiple grants are due the same month or even the same week. Don’t take on more work than you can realistically do well. Discuss your capacity with your organization and prioritize the grants you’ll seek.
Stay in your funders' good graces. Submit reports in a timely manner, be respectful and courteous, sing their praises when appropriate. Not only is it professional, but you never know when you may need to ask for a favor.
Honing your grant-writing skills will make you a more effective grant writer and give you the confidence you need to consistently meet deadlines. Our Quick Start Guide to Logic Model Planning can help. It's an affordable way to grow your skill set and do more, better.
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Here's the good news. Grants.gov, the federal grant application portal, is being moved to a cloud-based system. It's supposed to result in fewer outages and better performance.
There's a downside. Next week, you'll lose access to the platform for several days. Unfortunately, that means you won't be able to work on saved applications or submit applications during this period.
Here's what you should know about the grants.gov outage.
Grants.gov will go offline Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at 12:01 a.m. EST and return to service on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
That's the plan anyway. We hate to be pessimistic, but we've been on the receiving end of technology migrations before. Given the length of the outage, we imagine this must be a sizeable migration. Hopefully, some extra time has been built into the schedule to account for the unexpected.
But you know what they say about the best-laid plans. Schedule changes and updates will be posted to the Grants.gov Alerts page. Go ahead and bookmark it now.
According to the folks at grants.gov, all saved work on grant applications will be retained. When the system comes back up, you should be able to log in and access your saved application exactly as it was before the downtime.
Hopefully, that's exactly what will happen. But why take a risk? If you are working on an application, log in, copy your work and save it on your local computer. That way, you've got access to your work should the worst occur.
Pro Tip: Regardless of the type of grant, we always recommend writing applications in a Word or Google document and saving them on your local computer.
A few dozen grants are scheduled to close while the system is offline. The National Institutes of Health has announced deadlines during the outage period will move to Oct. 3. We scoured the websites of other agencies and see nothing published about extensions or contingency plans.
If you're facing a deadline between Sept. 23 and Sept. 30, reach out to the program's grant officer and ask how it's being handled.
We wish we could tell you more about the migration and its impact on grant application deadlines. Other than a blog post on Aug. 8, very little about the planned downtime has been posted on grants.gov.
Fingers crossed the migration goes smoothly. We'll monitor the migration and post updates on our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin). You should also watch grants.gov for announcements about the migration's progress.
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When you think about grants, you assume they go to public entities and nonprofits. For the most part, that’s 100% accurate.
Some grants are designed for small businesses. These grants usually have precise requirements. You’ll rarely find funding programs that offer generalized seed money or capital funds to fund any business. But if your business fits into the parameters of a grant program, you may qualify for funding.
Federal, state and private entities provide grants for small businesses. Here’s a broad look at some types of funding available and links to specific programs.
Federal money is often given as Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants. These grants are awarded through a highly competitive process and fund small businesses that want to “engage in Federal Research/Research and Development that has the potential for commercialization.” In other words, qualified small businesses can get federal money to fund R&D efforts for technology or products that might fill a void in the current commercial landscape. The goal is to use federal dollars to encourage high-tech innovation.
Currently, 11 federal agencies participate. These include:
The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program funds public/private partnerships between small businesses and nonprofit research organizations (think large research universities). There’s a lot of oversight with this program. For example, the small business must perform at least 40 of the work and the partnering organization must perform at least 30% of the work. It also requires intellectual property agreements that detail how ongoing research and commercialization efforts will be conducted.
These programs are phased, with Phase I generally getting less than $150K to fund a one-year project. Phase II funding is based on results from Phase I. It doesn’t exceed $1 million. Phase III is when a small business commercializes the product that resulted from prior phases. STTR does not fund this phase, but some federal programs may if the product, processes or services are to be used by the federal government.
The National Institutes of Health offer a variety of opportunities for small businesses to get federal dollars for research and innovation. The Small Business Transition Grant for Early Career Scientists helps transition technology and products from academic labs to small business settings. The gran funds resources to ensure the transition flows smoothly.
NIH also offers SBIR funding and plenty of grants related to COVID-19 research, some of which are appropriate for small business applicants.
The Department of Commerce sponsors Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) to help manufacturers affected by import competition. Businesses can qualify for up to $75,0000 in matching funds. The program is coordinated by 11 regional organizations called Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers.
The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) offers grants and loans to minority-owned businesses looking to enter new markets, grow and scale. Seek grant opportunities by contacting a MBDA Business Center.
Some corporations and not-for-profit entities grant money to entrepreneurs. These grants are generally lower in dollar value but can go a long way to getting a business off the ground or paying for training, technology or equipment. They’re also much less cumbersome to administer than federal programs.
Amber Grant Foundation. With a simple goal of supporting women entrepreneurs, the Amber Grant Foundation awards a $10,000 grant each month and an additional $25,000 grant each December to women entrepreneurs with a compelling story.
Black Founder Startup Grant. The Black Founder Startup Grant program from the SoGal Foundation grants up to $10,000 to Black and multiracial women and nonbinary entrepreneurs. The program accepts applications on a rolling basis and is open to entrepreneurs who plan to seek investor financing to scale.
Build Your Legacy. Sponsored by PineSol and Essence, the grant program gives $100K to a black women entrepreneur. The grant also comes with six months of mentorship programming.
Coalition to Back Black Businesses. The organization gives $5,000 grants to small businesses in economically vulnerable communities. After several months of mentorship and guidance, some businesses receive an additional $25K.
Comcast Rise Investment Fund. The investment fund awards $10,000 grants to small businesses in specific geographic locations. The business must be operated by a person of color or a woman.
EnrichHER Grant. The EnrichHER small business grant gives eligible entrepreneurs — especially women and people of color — and businesses $5,000 to pay for minor expenses. There is a $37 application fee, and this application round is rolling.
The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award by SIA Scotch. The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award will provide 11 small business owners of color in the food and beverage industry with $10,000 plus mentorship with Carin Luna-Ostaseski, one of the first Hispanic entrepreneurs to create a scotch whiskey brand.
Fast Break for Small Business. Sponsored by LegalZoom, the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League, the organizatio supports small businesses with $10,000 grants and support from LegalZoom.
FedEx Entrepreneur Fund. In collaboration with Hello Alice and the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), the FedEx Entrepreneur Fund supports 30 small businesses owned by U.S. military-connected entrepreneurs and people with disabilities. Chosen applicants receive $10,000 grants and are eligible to receive an additional $5,000 after the completion of a post-grant report.
Female Founders Fund. The organization invests in business-to-business, consumer, fintech and health care businesses that have at least one female founding member and primarily focuses on investing in seed-stage businesses.
Fresh Start Business Grant. New or aspiring entrepreneurs can seek funding from the Fresh Start Business Grant. Recipients are high school, trade school or college students who will receive $2,500 to further their education.
HerRise Microgrants. This program gives $500 per month to women of color to create innovative solutions that impact communities.
iFundWomen. Sixty small business owners receive $10,000 grants in the program sponsored by VISA.
Live Your Dream Education and Training Awards. The Live Your Dream Awards is a fund created for women who are the primary source of income for their families. The organization provides women with grants to further their education or training. Applicants are eligible for awards between $1,000 and $10,000.
National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) Growth Grants. NASE provides up to $4,000 to assist with training, marketing and more. You must be a member for 90 days before you can apply.
National Black MBA Assocation. The organization's Scale-Up Pitch Challenge offers members a chance to win up to $50,000. In 2020, all winners were black female entrepreneurs.
Power Forward Small Business Grant. Black-owned small businesses in New England are eligible for the Power Forward Small Business Grant program. Sponsored by the NAACP, Vistaprint and the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, businesses with no more than 25 employees are eligible to apply for grants of $25,000.
RTC Women in Tech Fund: Rewriting The Code (RTC). The program supports college and early career women in tech with financial resources to help cover education costs. Three grant levels are available.
Small Business Digital Ready Program. National ACE offers a free digital readiness program for Asian and Pacific Islander small business owners. Those who register and take two courses are eligible for a $10,000 grant.
Venmo Small Business Grant. The Venmo Small Business Grant gives 20 new and existing Venmo Business Profile customers $10,000 for expenses like rent or digital marketing. You must set up a Venmo Business Profile to apply.
Whether you’re a nonprofit or a small business, the grant writing process is essentially the same. Federal grants are cumbersome and require a lot of information; private grant applications tend to be a little easier to navigate. Even so, if you’re not an experienced grant writer, professional grant writing training could help your efforts to secure funding. Check out our self-paced grant writing course to learn the in’s and out’s before you start writing your application. The information is invaluable to helping your nonprofit – or small business – do more, better.
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Every week, we compile the Grant Round Up. It includes newly opened federal grant opportunities from all 26 grant-making agencies.
There's a notable exception. Grants made by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) aren't included. ARC is one of the few federal entities that don't use grants.gov to announce funding opportunities and solicit applications.
Instead, ARC announces grant funding on its website and uses various mechanisms to receive applications, some of which are pretty clunky.
ARC is truly a beast unto itself, but there are funding opportunities to be had.
The Appalachian Regional Commission is a regional economic development agency. Congress created the commission in 1965 to address systemic poverty in the region. The commission isn't headed by a cabinet member like most federal agencies. Instead, a presidential appointee and the governors from 13 Appalachian states lead the commission. The states are:
Congress appropriates funding each year to address ARC's strategic goals:
In layman's terms, ARC funds pay for workforce development programs, transportation projects and infrastructure improvements to help people living in the 423-county area increase their earning potential.
The majority of ARC grants go directly to states. That money is then divvied up at the local level. For example, the commission's Area Development Program grants are only provided to states.
Programs such as the ARC Power Initiative have more lax eligibility requirements. The program funds workforce development efforts in areas impacted by the coal industry's decline School districts, high ed institutions, small business incubators, workforce development agencies, and entrepreneurship programs, are typical recipients.
Some ARC funding is actually administered through a federal agency. The Department of Labor manages the Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities program. Due to its unique structure, these grant opportunities are posted on grants.gov. Recipients include counties, nonprofits, community colleges, and development districts.
A new ARC program, Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE), was announced last week. This program came about as a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and seeks to develop new economic development opportunities across multiple states. We don't know much about this new program, but we'll wager most of the $73.5 million in funding will go to states.
All ARC funding is highly competitive. In fact, these programs are some of the most competitive we've ever encountered. We've secured several ARC grants for clients over the years and have some tips to help you win funding from the commission.
1. Get organized. If your project is still in the planning phases, you may not be ready to seek ARC funding. The commission likes to see projects that are ready to be implemented. You'll also have to identify how much money you're seeking in a letter of intent. This number can't change once you submit your full proposal.
2. Expect to need matching funds. Most ARC programs require a match of 20%. While in-kind funds are acceptable, cash is preferred and cash is easier from an administrative standpoint.
3. Learn the application process. It would be great if all ARC programs used the same submission engine. They don't. You may have to learn a new system with different registration requirements. Plan accordingly.
4. Make friends with your state's program manager. Many ARC grants require you to consult the state program manager before you can apply. These folks can make or break your efforts so play nice.
5. Attend webinars and information sessions. ARC provides many ways to learn about their funding programs. There's a lot to be gleaned from these sessions. Make every effort to attend or watch a recording.
ARC grants are posted on the commission's website and posted on their social channels. These opportunities are also posted in the weekly federal register. You may also learn about these opportunities via state or local channels.
ARC grants are highly competitive and require well-crafted grant applications. Learn the skills you need for success with our on-demand grant writing course. You'll come away prepared to tackle any federal grant so your agency can do more, better.
]]>Written by Jamie Cyphers
Technology poses a huge challenge for nonprofits of all sizes: how to obtain it, how to implement it, and how to leverage it to support the organization’s mission.
The need for technology resources became glaringly obvious when the pandemic hit forcing many profits to pivot their fundraising approach and their workforce.
But how do nonprofits address this challenge? Where can they look for guidance when it comes to using technology to operate at their full potential?
The answer to both those questions is Techsoup. Their mission is “to build a dynamic bridge that leverages technology to enable connections and innovative solutions for a more equitable planet.”
What does that mean, exactly? In short, Techsoup connects vetted nonprofits with the technology resources and knowledge so they can do more, better.
Techsoup is a founding member and leader of Techsoup Global Network. Currently, Techsoup Global Network connects services and programs that benefit over a million non-governmental organizations in 236 countries and territories. This amazing feat was accomplished by a once small nonprofit who recognized a need, leveraged their talent, recruited volunteers, and solicited donations. Sounds familiar, right?
Considered one of the “largest technology product philanthropy programs in the world,” Techsoup’s catalog includes more than 300 products from 100 companies like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, and Intuit. Much of those products are provided free of charge or deeply discounted to vetted nonprofits.
Besides discounts and donations, Techsoup also provides services like “emergency tech support to strategic planning to fully managed IT services.” You can also access free content on relevant tech topics on their website.
Now that you’ve gotten a general idea of what Techsoup is, let’s get more specific. How do those resources connect to your organization’s daily efforts and what can they do to help you improve your internal processes? We've highlighted some popular Techsoup services and tools available to nonprofits and libraries.
Does your organization lack the tech tools needed to #domorebetter? Use the filter feature of Techsoup’s product catalog to locate hardware, software, and services to support your organization's efforts to stay up-to-date and operating at maximum efficiency.
Choose from a wide variety of products and services provided by industry leaders like Dell, Lenova, HP, Zoom, Adobe, and Microsoft, to help with digital fundraising, event planning and scheduling, employee training, website development, data collection and storage, and much more.
One of the biggest technology challenges for nonprofits is strategic planning and sustainability. Does your organization know what it needs and how to implement it? Will your infrastructure support your technology needs now and in the future?
Techsoup addresses those concerns with customized solutions like urgent help desk support to long-term technology planning. Subscribers can access Techsoup courses on a wide range of topics designed specifically to support nonprofit needs and can connect with a network of verified, trusted consulting firms who have experience helping nonprofits with technology, fundraising, and marketing.
Techsoup’s Community Home can help expand your organization’s network by connecting you with resources and peers who are willing to share their insight and experiences. Members can engage with other nonprofit professionals in community forums and through Techsoup’s social media channels, attend events and webinars, and locate resources for specific needs, such as food security or domestic violence, in the Community Focus Areas.
Techsoup also provides up-to-date articles, how-tos, and blog posts created by industry partners on a wide array of relevant topics, including accounting, databases and analytics, fundraising, and training and education, to name just a few. You can also visit the Community Events and Webinars Archive to review sessions you were unable to attend or would like to review.
To take advantage of Techsoup offers, sign up and check your organization’s eligibility. You'll complete a short questionnaire. Based on your organization's status, location, mission, and operating budget, Techsoup will determine your eligibility.
Once you're registered, the sky's the limit. Visit Techsoup and check your eligibility today to find the resources and guidance you need to do more, better.
]]>You can think of a grant application like a cover letter and resume. It’s your opportunity to introduce your organization to the funder, prove your qualifications and show you’re worthy of being trusted with grant money to support a social cause.
After all, the grantmaker doesn’t know your organization. You’re essentially strangers. The pages of the grant proposal are your chance to get acquainted and prove your worthiness.
Funders don’t give money to nonprofits out of pure altruism. Grants an investment. Grantmakers want their money to do the most social good, so they seek out highly qualified nonprofits.
When reviewing grant applications, both federal and private funders attempt to determine where the money will make the biggest impact. They look for organizations capable of eliciting change and managing their money appropriately. They want assurance that a meaningful difference will have occurred by the conclusion of the project.
That’s why you must prove your nonprofit is equipped to do what it promises.
How does your nonprofit prove its credibility in a grant proposal? You can wax poetic with jargony, industry-specific words and phrases, but experienced funders will quickly see through the rhetoric.
You’ve got to go further than simply saying you’ll use the money to make a difference. You’ve got to outline what you plan to do and prove you’re capable of doing it.
And most importantly, your qualifications should set you apart from others in the applicant pool.
Your organizational qualifications should align with your needs statement. This is where you outline the problem and discuss how you’ll address it.
If your needs statement says you will enroll 50 at-risk third graders in an after-school tutoring program, you must prove your organization is capable of serving these children. Some things you might point out include:
Often, by outlining the parameters of your program, you’re alluding to your organization’s qualifications. But there are other, more direct ways to outline your credibility to a grantmaker.
For example:
When discussing your qualifications, include as many details as you can to show the funder your organization will manage the grant funds appropriately. Chances are good there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other applications. You want your organization to stand out as experienced, credible and capable of moving the needle.
However, there’s a practical consideration. Some applications limit the number of words or pages. That makes it difficult to include tons of supporting information.
In these cases, our advice is to include the most impactful information that’s germane to the grant program. Make every word count. This may take some creativity and a red-pen wielding editor to slash and burn through your proposal.
Yes, it would be nice to include a 200-word bio of each of your program managers, but if space doesn’t allow, include a name, educational attainment and any specialized training. If you don’t have room to include a full-fledged case study, pare it down to the bare bones. You don’t have to include a list of board members, their titles and employers (unless the application specifically requests the information).
Remember: a little is better than a lot.
Establishing your organization’s credibility in a grant application takes practice and often a creative approach. In our online course, we go into much more detail about ways to set your organization apart from other applicants. Use promo code FLASH350 for a really deep discount on our popular on-demand grant-writing course.
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