Present: Mindy Beltramo, Emily Calhoun, Ellen Doris, Robin Fairfield, Liza Lowe, Marie Robinson
Meeting Notes:
4:00-4:15 introductions, light snacks and drinks
4:15-5:00 grant info./conversation with Don Woodhouse
Do your homework and pull together the most recent documentation you’ll need: 501C3, 990, list of board of directors. Funders will want to see that your organization is financially stable.
Find a funding application template through an on-line portal. These tend to be prescriptive with information. Even if it is not a grant that you qualify for, go through the process and fill out the template and then you’ll have all the info. ready to go for when you do find a funding opportunity that matches your interests and needs. It can take some time to complete the application initially because there are several steps to follow. Everyone basically wants the same information so once you have gone through this process once you’ll be in a good position to crank out a proposal quickly and easily when you find what you are after.
The Foundation Center (nationwide) offers free tutorials and a free RFP (request for proposal) bulletin, education funding watch. Don will pass along grant info. To our group as it comes through Antioch’s subscription services. Otherwise, you can find a cooperating library - Concord, Plymouth State, etc. - and you can access the portal through their subscription services.
Do your homework so you really know the big picture and have objective data.
Follow keywords!
Ask for what you really need (what is your budget? What is a realistic cost??
Who will benefit?
Why are you uniquely suited for this grant?
Sustainability: do some serious thinking on this, be up front and honest
Mini proposal - when there are no or very few specifics asked by funder you should:
Provide an intro.
Explain your need
Provide data
Share what the proposed solution is
In these cover letters/mini grants there is no need to get into budget details
Whatever the interest is, think about all the angels you can approach it from and that potential funders might be interested in (preserving historical sites, arts, new programming, does it serve people with disabilities or elderly, will it be used by the greater community, etc.). Once you identify your funder you can really hone in.
→ work with your board of directors, folks may have a personal connection somewhere
→ With any kind of funder you are working to develop a relationship! Keep them updated. Stay in touch with the funder and recognize them in your newsletters, signage on your site, etc.
—>Start looking close to home - foundations, business funders, corporate funders. Look and see how you might align with their work/mission.
→ example: American Academy of Dermatology is offering an $8,000 grant for outdoor play space to build a structure that will provide shade!
Places to look for grants:
Whole Kids Foundation
We NHEEd to Get Outside
Donors Choose
GoFundMe (small projects)
Home Depot and Lowes
Bogs, Darn Tough, Patagonia, etc.
Local banks
LL Bean (Maine)
Ben and Jerry’s (Vermont)
Annie’s
EMS
Target
York Hospital (Maine)
NH Charitable Foundation
Wellborn Ecology Fund
→ look to create/build a business relationship with a local business
* Be persistent!!!! Ask for feedback if you didn’t get the grant. Ask if you can resubmit.
5:00-5:30 check-in/networking
What’s the news?! - e-mail me (elowe@antioch.edu) what you have going on (jobs, local updates, exciting happenings at your program/site, etc.), I’ll share it on the NENNECE website and feel free to post it to the NENNECE Facebook page!
→ Next meeting time/date? Wednesday, Feb. 20th 4:30-6:00
* Mark Your Calendars! In Bloom Conference
Brattleboro, VT (Sat. March 23rd)
Kittery, ME (Sat. April 27th)
Amherst, MA (Sat. June 8th)
