Grants must be part of a larger development and fundraising strategy, Winkler Group speaker tells CAGP members Feb. 19
Jessica Browning, assistant vice president of the Winkler Group, said this week in a presentation at the Charleston County Public Library that grant seeking by nonprofits should be but one component of a broad and comprehensive development program.
Speaking to members and visitors at a meeting Feb. 19 of the Charleston Association of Grant Professionals (CAGP), Browning said a strong development program has these essential components: strategic planning, a case for support, annual giving, major gifts, planned gifts, events, capital campaigns, and grants.
It's important to match existing programs with funding and grant sources. When making a case for support, nonprofits should ask themselves what community needs they are filling. What is the return on investment for donors? And, What is your impact on the community?
Annual giving is the bread and butter of nonprofits, she said. It is critical to have a pool of annual donors, and annual giving is very important in terms of grantwriting as well.
With regard to major gifts, she advised identifying a major donor's interests and trying match what your programs do with the motivations and interests of major donors out there in the community.
She downplayed the importance of major fundraising events saying nonprofits must ask hard questions regarding whether a huge investment of time is worthwhile and prudent. Often there are issues of lack of return on investment for all the time expended on major events.
Capital campaigns for an organization represent an opportunity to transform an organization. These campaigns do not necessarily have to be about raising money for buildings or facilities, but can be for the purpose of transforming the mission of an organization.
Grants involve potentially large sums of money coming in all at once, but seeking grants is time-consuming and there are no guarantees of funding. Foundations that give grants want to see a broad base of support for a nonprofit. Browning advised nonprofits to ask their board members for help in cultivating foundations. As with individual donors, foundations must be thanked immediately for their support and all donors should be kept informed of the progress of the nonprofit as to how the grant money or funds are used in support of the mission of the organization. This is critical and will go a long way toward increasing the probability of future funding.
Browning talked about how much valuable information is available to nonprofits by examining both the 990 forms submitted to the IRS by nonprofits and the 990 PF forms submitted by private foundations. Names of trustees, revenues and expenditures and much other useful information is obtainable through 990s. The Foundation Center Website has a 990 finder where you can locate this information and it is also available through the Foundation Center's grants database located at the Charleston County Public Library.
Browning concluded her presentation by saying that although these were challenging times for fundraising -- including this year and the next -- there will be a rebound with good prospects for nonprofits in the future.
Speaking to members and visitors at a meeting Feb. 19 of the Charleston Association of Grant Professionals (CAGP), Browning said a strong development program has these essential components: strategic planning, a case for support, annual giving, major gifts, planned gifts, events, capital campaigns, and grants.
It's important to match existing programs with funding and grant sources. When making a case for support, nonprofits should ask themselves what community needs they are filling. What is the return on investment for donors? And, What is your impact on the community?
Annual giving is the bread and butter of nonprofits, she said. It is critical to have a pool of annual donors, and annual giving is very important in terms of grantwriting as well.
With regard to major gifts, she advised identifying a major donor's interests and trying match what your programs do with the motivations and interests of major donors out there in the community.
She downplayed the importance of major fundraising events saying nonprofits must ask hard questions regarding whether a huge investment of time is worthwhile and prudent. Often there are issues of lack of return on investment for all the time expended on major events.
Capital campaigns for an organization represent an opportunity to transform an organization. These campaigns do not necessarily have to be about raising money for buildings or facilities, but can be for the purpose of transforming the mission of an organization.
Grants involve potentially large sums of money coming in all at once, but seeking grants is time-consuming and there are no guarantees of funding. Foundations that give grants want to see a broad base of support for a nonprofit. Browning advised nonprofits to ask their board members for help in cultivating foundations. As with individual donors, foundations must be thanked immediately for their support and all donors should be kept informed of the progress of the nonprofit as to how the grant money or funds are used in support of the mission of the organization. This is critical and will go a long way toward increasing the probability of future funding.
Browning talked about how much valuable information is available to nonprofits by examining both the 990 forms submitted to the IRS by nonprofits and the 990 PF forms submitted by private foundations. Names of trustees, revenues and expenditures and much other useful information is obtainable through 990s. The Foundation Center Website has a 990 finder where you can locate this information and it is also available through the Foundation Center's grants database located at the Charleston County Public Library.
Browning concluded her presentation by saying that although these were challenging times for fundraising -- including this year and the next -- there will be a rebound with good prospects for nonprofits in the future.
The Winkler Group was founded for the sole purpose of helping organizations achieve maximum fundraising success. It is a full service fundraising consulting firm headquartered in Charleston, and specializes in highly customized capital campaigns, planning studies, and strategic planning to maximize money raised for organizations with great causes.
For more information, visit their Web site
The Winkler Group
The Winkler Group
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