Erica V. Ekwurzel, CFRE, MPAffAdvocacy In Motion
Caroline Newman Phillips, MPAffAustin Public Education Foundation
Texas Education Foundation Network Conference
April 10, 2015
Understanding the Foundation Landscape◦ Statistics on Family & Private Grantmakers
Utilizing the Donor Cycle to secure funding!◦ Identification: Finding grantmakers◦ Cultivation: Building relationships with funders◦ Solicitation: How the process works◦ Stewardship: Sustaining strong relationships
Types of Funding Organizations◦ Corporate giving programs◦ Community foundations◦ Grantmaking public charities◦ Private foundations
Family Independent Corporate
In 2012, there were 86,192 active, grantmaking foundations in the U.S.
~90% had endowments of less than $10 million with $88 billion in total endowments.
Most of these are family foundations.
Private foundations are required to make grants of at least 5% of their average assets annually.
Education is consistently the top priority of all types of foundations.
Source: Foundation Center
Source: Giving USA Foundation – GIVING USA 2014
Small Foundations (90%--under $10M)
Large Foundations (10%--over $10M)
Staff Few or no staff Multi-level staff
Public profile Keep a low profile Publicize, share data, and advocate
Geographic scope
Tend to fund locally More expansive; local/ national/ international
Grant size 4-5-figure, one-year 5-6-figure, multi-year
Motivation Storytelling Statistics
Metrics Informal Reporting Formal Evaluation
Cultivation Best to approach through personal relationships!
Source: CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Network locally Online resources:
◦ Foundation Center: www.foundationcenter.org
◦ Guidestar: www.guidestar.org
◦ Urban Institute: http://nccs.urban.org/statistics
◦ FC Cooperating Collections: http://foundationcenter.org/collections/cctx.html 20+ Cooperating Collections around Texas Electronic & Print Resources such as:
The Foundation Directory Online Professional Philanthropy In/Sight
National Center for Charitable Statistics Search by Texas County View Board Members See Past Grants (by IRS Form 990s)
Download 2013 version at: http://commit2dallas.org/giving-profile/
Download 2014 version at: http://centraltexasedfunders.org/giving-profile/
Private Foundation Website Grant guidelines & funding priorities Current & past grantees Grant process & timeline Annual reports Staff & board biographies General information/FAQ
In a survey of family foundations by Foundation Source, 58% said it is very important that:
“Someone I know and respect is closely involved or has asked me to support the
project.”
Site visits “Friendraising” events Maximize your board relationships Leverage your current funder base Storytelling and/or Statistics = Success Collaborating closely with foundation staff Transparency and trust-building
1-Step & “Texas 2-Step” Brief Amount requested Specific purpose of funds Why it is needed Who it will help & how many What you hope to accomplish
Full Proposal Many foundations have their own application. Most small foundations do not want a long
proposal. Be direct and honest. Be accountable to project goals and budget
needs. Cut the jargon talk. State how your work differs from other similar
organizations/programs.
Don’t Expect Quick Results Often part-time philanthropists Small or no staff 3 or 4 funding cycles annually
Don’t Let a Rejection Discourage You
•Rejection is part of the process of finding funding.
•Listen to the rationale for the decline and incorporate into future decision-making.
•Reasons for rejection may have nothing to do with the quality of your program or proposal:- Funding priorities may have changed
- Reached annual quota for funding
- Timing/ Windows of opportunity
• If a mission match, contact them again as appropriate.
Immediate: Thank-you & IRS letters; public recognition where appropriate
Short-term: Engaged funder in Foundation’s activities; keep Foundation top of mind, like offering program tours, e-newsletter, press release; and keep apprised of program evaluations
Long-term: Serve as a direct liaison to ISD & priorities; create Ambassadors for your programs
Thank You!
Erica V. Ekwurzel Caroline Newman [email protected] [email protected] CivicAIM www.supportaustined.org