Issue 24
March 19, 2004

NEWSNOTES is a monthly email newsletter published by Nonprofit Enterprise at Work. It includes items of interest to the nonprofit community in Washtenaw County and the surrounding areas, as well as resources available at NEW. Encourage your friends and colleagues to join over 300 other NEWSNOTES subscribers!

NEW would like to recognize the generous support of its Community Partners:

IN THIS ISSUE

LEAD STORY

Finally, You've Got Grant Notification!

by Karen Glaser*

You have worked very hard on your grant proposal. After all that hard work, your efforts have paid off. The phone rings and a cheerful voice on the other end says, "I'm pleased to tell you that our board has awarded you a grant in the amount of…." This is cause for celebration! But what do you do if you receive partial funding? Some foundations will divide their funds among several worthy projects; others simply don't have the budget to meet your entire request. Still, it beats the alternative--a brief, but polite, rejection letter. Whether accepted, partially funded, or rejected, your proposal can still be the platform from which to build a relationship with a private foundation or government agency. It all depends on how you handle the news.

Take Time to be Disappointed
Competition for funding can be daunting, and no matter how good your proposal looks, rejection is always a strong possibility. When you get the bad news, take time to be disappointed. Complain to a trusted colleague that the foundation obviously doesn't recognize the quality of your application. Take a moment to lick your wounds; then, get over it. Swallow your pride and draft a letter of thanks to the donor. Tell them you appreciate their taking the time to look at your proposal and ask to obtain reviewers' comments, if appropriate.

You can gain insight from those comments that will help you with future requests. But don't take every little detail to heart; look for overriding themes in the critique. The comments may be from an individual or team who may not be critiquing your proposal next year. If your resources allow, ask if you can meet with the board of review or the grant officer in person. Such a one-to-one encounter demonstrates commitment to your project and the foundation. This commitment and newly acquired information about your proposal will strengthen next year's application.

Say Thank You in a Million Ways
When you get good news, call the donors immediately to thank them. Follow-up with official thank you letters. Stay in touch. Send monthly updates telling donors about the progress of "their" program, even if these reports are unsolicited. Include success stories as anecdotal testimony. Stage a recognition event on-site and invite donors to attend. Ask recipients of program services to prepare thank you letters-parents and children write great letters! Take a picture of project participants in action and turn it into a photo plaque for the donor's office. A word of caution--be sure to check with the donor before publicly recognizing the award. Some donors will want to remain anonymous so they are not subsequently deluged with other requests.

Be Prepared for Partial Funding
That wonderful moment when you're informed of a grant award can be compromised by the reality that you may not get the full amount you requested. Be sure your donor is aware that partial funding may delay the implementation of your project. Your letter of thanks would include a respectful mention: "We need to tell you that we cannot launch our project without X dollars more. With your permission, we will hold your gift as we continue to raise funds." Then, put the check in the bank where it will be earning interest.

How do you make up for a shortfall? Go to other sources and explain your dilemma. Many foundations will "add to the project" once one or two donors are on board.

At the state and federal level, grants often have a cap on total award amounts-but that cap will be split among many applicants. It's customary for government agencies to make partial awards. Be prepared with a Plan B in case you don't get all you ask for. Inform the government grantor that, with a reduced award, you will have to change program objectives to reflect the lesser amount.

Always Look Towards the Next Grant
Keep the idea of "next year's grant" in your mind's eye and in front of your generous benefactor. The relationship you build today, whether based on initial acceptance or rejection, will pay off tomorrow.

*Karen Glaser is Director of Grants and Development for the Lenawee Intermediate School District and is a member of NEW's Online Consultant Directory. Take advantage of her experience and expertise - register for "Grant Writing for Results" on Tuesday, April 20, a full-day workshop in NEW's Managing for Nonprofit Excellence series.

Resources:

• Other NEW Workshops on Fund Development
• NEW's Bookstore page on Grantwriting
• Nonprofit Good Practice Guide:
  • Foundations and Grantmaking
  • Fundraising and Financial Sustainability

FEATURED ITEMS

Education Services: Workshops Start March 22!

Take advantage of the professional expertise of the many volunteer faculty members teaching in this term's Managing for Nonprofit Excellence workshop series. Choose one or several workshops to improve your skill in a wide variety of nonprofit topic areas. Want to include board members in fundraising activities? Invite them to attend Everyone Pitch In! Involving the Board in Fundraising with you. No need to feel flummoxed by your new duties as the organization's accountant. Relax -- sign up for Basic Nonprofit Accounting and learn alongside others who are in the same boat.

Sessions begin March 22 and run through May 25. There is still plenty of time to register. Pay with a credit card using our nifty new online registration process or send a check with the registration form. Please sign up at least one week before the class of your choice.

Leadership²Go Panel on April 23: Executive Transitions

It was a hot topic at the December 2003 session - now it's back as a headliner! Every organization should have an executive transition plan, but what does that mean exactly? Assessments, job descriptions, interviews, search committees - what's the deal? From preparation to the day of turnover, come to learn from our panelists -- recent executives, one near retirement, and a board chair who's overseen many transitions. No matter your stage as executive director, you need to be at this session!

Panelists include:
Susan Wiant Crabb, President of HelpSource
Jim Frenza, President & CEO, Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
Sabrina Keeley, President, Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce
Cal Williams, Board Co-Chair, Student Advocacy Center of Michigan

Friday, April 23, 2004
8:30-10:30 am
Nonprofit Enterprise at Work, 1100 N. Main St., Ann Arbor
Register online or call 734-998-0160. Continental breakfast included. The fee is $10/session.

Nonprofit Excellence Awards Program Retired

For eight years, the Nonprofit Excellence Awards celebrated the central role and achievements of Washtenaw County's nonprofit community. After careful consideration, NEW's Board of Trustees has decided to retire the Nonprofit Excellence Awards program. Everyone at NEW is dedicated to helping nonprofits succeed and we wish to focus our efforts on programs that directly build management capacity.

We wish to extend a warm thank you to all of our sponsors and supporters, award underwriters, applicants, and of course, award recipients for contributing to the success of this wonderful program. See our site for a complete listing of award recipients and supporters.

Technology: Discounted Software

TechSoup Stock (formerly known as DiscountTech) connects nonprofits with donated and discounted technology products in the supportive environment of the TechSoup Web site. Choose from over 240 products from 25 providers, including Cisco and Microsoft.

Also on the TechSoup site, find over 380 how-to articles, 15 community message boards, and other technology resources written specifically with nonprofits in mind.

Michigan Budget Crisis

The Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) is working on behalf of all nonprofits in the state to increase awareness of Michigan's budget crisis. The state is facing a projected $1 billion revenue shortfall for the next fiscal year.

The full text of MNA's recent letter to members contains the MNA Board's position statement which, among other suggestions, urges the state to postpone future reductions in the personal income tax. Sam Singh, MNA President and CEO states, "It is critical that your organization contact your state officials to share your concerns and begin informing others of the need to find long-term solutions for the budget crisis."

Election-Year Advocacy Training

Nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) designation are prohibited from intervening in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. However, as long as groups abide by the IRS rules and regulations, nonprofits can be involved in election-year advocacy.

Attend a workshop sponsored by Michigan Nonprofit Association to learn what you can and cannot do and why nonprofit organizations should take advantage of this advocacy opportunity. The class is offered on Wednesday, March 24, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. at MNA offices in Lansing. Erin Skene, Director of the Michigan Public Policy Initiative will teach. Register online or call (517) 492-2400 for more information.

Local Funding Opportunities

Ann Arbor Rotary Club Grants
Washtenaw County area nonprofit organizations are invited to apply for grants up to $2,000 from the Ann Arbor Rotary 2004 Community Allocations Fund. Projects will be reviewed for their alignment with the Fund's goal of "Helping Kids Succeed". Applications must be postmarked by April 15, 2004; grants will be announced mid-June. For application forms, write to Charles Olson, 3327 Yellowstone, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, or email: colson147440MI@comcast.net.

Ann Arbor Thrift Shop is accepting requests for proposals from social service agencies in the Ann Arbor Area. Grants from $2000 to $5000 will be disbursed in June 2004. Applications are available at www.annarborthriftshop.org and the Thrift Shop at 3530 Washtenaw Ave in Ann Arbor. The application deadline is March 31.

Reminders:

The Arts Alliance of the Ann Arbor Area (A5): The Economic Impact Study will be presented at a public meeting, Thursday, March 25 at 9 a.m. at the new Mallett's Creek Branch Library, 3090 East Eisenhower Pkwy, Ann Arbor.

At the same meeting, learn about A5's Youth Promotions Project. Contact Tamara Real (734-665-4433) for more information.

Volunteerism SuperConference 2004: May 24 and 25 in Grand Rapids. This year's conference theme is Strengthening Communities through Service. Workshops, plenary speakers, exhibits and a bookstore will focus on building attendees' knowledge and skills in volunteer program administration, financial resource development, nonprofit management and evaluation. Find information on programs, presenters, accommodations, and more at Michigan Nonprofit Association's Web site.

NPower Michigan Seminar: April 28, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. in Detroit. "Choosing and Using your Donor Management System."

Office space available to nonprofits at the NEW Center. Contact Lia Stevens (734-998-0160).

REGULAR FEATURES

Nonprofit Bulletin Board

Visit NEW's Nonprofit Bulletin Board to post and view notices about free resources, fundraising opportunities, and other items relevant to the southeast Michigan nonprofit community.

Events Calendars

Ring!Michigan   Select a county below. Scroll to the end of the calendar to find the posting form.