If you want your proposals to stand out, take a look at the advice the Institute of Museum and Library Services offers their grant applicants (“More Tips to Make Your Grant Proposal as Competitive as Possible,” Local/State Funding Report, December 1 and December 8, 2008). Among their suggestions:

• Propose projects that will reach a broad audience.
• Tailor each proposal to a specific funder.
• Talk about your clients’ needs, not the needs of your organization.
• Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
• Build a relationship with your program officer—and maintain it.
• Ask someone who wasn’t involved in preparing the proposal to review and critique it.

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The fate of federal grant proposals is often determined by panels of reviewers from outside the federal government. To get a reviewer on your side, follow the advice Laura Lundahl offers in “Government Grants:  Who is your biggest advocate?” (CharityChannel, November 26, 2008).  Lundahl, who reviews proposals for several federal agencies, notes that all proposals are assigned to one or more members of a review panel. The panel then decides, as a group, on the score each proposal will get.

Write your proposal, says Lundahl, “so that a stranger to the organization can read it, understand what is being proposed, and fight for your cause.” Above all, make it easy for the reviewer to understand how your application meets the criteria the federal agency has established. This raises your chances of winning an advocate who’ll stand up for your proposal during the give-and-take of the panel discussion. (Full article can be accessed only by CharityChannel subscribers.)

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Incomplete and untimely grant requests rarely make the cut. For proposals that are complete, thorough, and on-time, follow the pointers the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has published for their grant applicants. Some are specific to federal funding; the following work for other kinds of proposals as well:

• Start preparing your proposal well before the deadline.
• Be brief, concise, and clear.
• Be organized and logical.
• If information is required in the body of the application, put it there (not in an attachment).
• Proofread.
• Use abbreviations and acronyms sparingly.
• Print out and review your application before you submit it electronically.
• Send all information at the same time.

For the full story, read “Guide for a Complete and Thorough Grant Application” (Local/State Funding Report, November 24, 2008).

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Grantmakers are often criticized for favoring the newest projects and charities, while existing programs with a strong track record are left begging for the funds they need to expand. The Growth Philanthropy Network, however, is working to match donors and grantmakers with charities that seek to build on past performance. Created by businessmen Alexander Rossides and S. Robert Levine, the Network is focusing on youth development, K-12 education, poverty, and family health services.

To raise money through the Network, a charity must (1) be able to show documentation by an independent evaluator that its work has produced measurable, successful results, and (2) have proven its ability to work in multiple locations. For more about the Growth Philanthropy Network, read “Businessmen Match Donors With Fast-Growth Charities,” (The Chronicle of Philanthropy, December 11, 2008).

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Family foundations—relatively small, usually without paid staff and often supporting only local causes—comprise the largest section of the private foundation world. Though their grants are seldom large, support from family foundations can be extremely rewarding:

• Their grants are often repeated, year after year.
• Their grants are often unrestricted or minimally restricted.
• You rarely have to write a proposal (though good stewardship is essential).

But to get in the door of the family foundation you’ve got to have personal contact with a member of the family. You can’t mail a letter of inquiry or even a formal proposal; no one will open it. In the rare instances where you can find a phone number, it’s often that of the accountant who prepares the annual 990. You can’t send an email—the foundation doesn’t have a web site or list an email address. So you need to find someone connected with your organization who knows a family member and is willing to ask for the opportunity to “tell the story.” This could be a board member, a staff member, or a volunteer—the crucial factor is the relationship that already exists between that individual and the family member.

Typically, you’ll begin by identifying a family foundation that sounds promising: it supports organizations like yours, in your geographic area, doing the kinds of work you do, and doesn’t indicate any restrictions that would make you ineligible for support. The next step is to get the names of family members from the foundation’s 990-PF (the tax return it’s required to file with the IRS). After that, circulate the names within your organization; you may be surprised at who knows whom. For example, I know one instance where a staff member went to school with the daughter-in-law of the head of the family.

Once you’ve identified a connection, you’ll need to do some prep work. Let’s assume that Joe, a member of your board, knows Sally, the vice president of the foundation. Reassure Joe that board members of family foundations are used to being approached by grantseekers and don’t take offense. Make sure Joe knows and can present the basic facts about your organization. Make sure, also, that he can talk about why he himself became involved; his passion for your cause is likely to impress Sally even more than a list of your organization’s achievements. If Joe can get Sally’s attention, he can offer to introduce her to your executive director (or another staff member), who can provide more detailed information. If Sally develops a positive impression of your organization, and if the foundation has some uncommitted resources, a check will simply arrive—no written proposal necessary.

Once in a while it works the other way: your organization gets a check from a foundation no one has ever heard of. Somehow, a family member has heard about you. You’ll want to find out what the connection is and build on it. Invite the family for a site visit. Look for opportunities to engage some of them directly, as volunteers or as committee or board members. Ask for their help in identifying other potential supporters. And make sure they know how much you welcome their grant. Stewardship is the art of demonstrating to your supporters the value of their support—not just saying “Thank you,” but showing them how their grant has made a difference. Keep them informed. Bring them into direct contact with the work of your organization. Let them see for themselves how the people you serve are benefiting. That’s the best way to turn a one-time grant into ongoing support.

Judy Gooch has been a consultant trainer for The Grantsmanship Center since 1994. She has been involved in all aspects of the grantseeking process for a wide range of nonprofits, including institutions of higher education, museums and other cultural organizations, health care providers, and social services.

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