• Request for Proposals (RFP)

• Grant Guidelines
  
• Grant Application

A grant proposal should represent just one of many tactics employed in an overall organizational fundraising strategy or development plan. The stakes are high and the competition for funding is extrmemly competitive in the professional practice of Development (i.e. the art and science of getting contributions, grants, gifts, and bequests).

Development - Whose Job is it, Anyway?
In a not-for-profit corporation the roles of Board Members and Chief Executive Officer carry with them the responsibility for Fundraising and Development. The Development process is inextricably linked to the organization’s Strategic Plan. Therefore, the project concept for which funding is sought will already be thoroughly researched and documented, it will not be a last minute reactive response to funding availability.

Funding applications and proposals must relate to the strategic direction identified by the leadership. Throughout the Development process, our consultants support the chief executive in this role - connecting strategy to project to funding applications. We facilitate the grant application process, empowering the board, chief executive and the not-for-profit leadership with technical assistance by editing and formatting the written application or proposal document.

Cultivating Relationships
Successful Fundraising, Development and Grantsmanship are as much a result of relationships as they are a result of effective projects expressed through well-written applications and proposals. The old adage, “it’s not what you know, but WHO you know (and how well),” rings especially true in the process of development.

Did you know?

• there are over 58,000 active private and community foundations in the United States
  
• less than 1% of these foundations have assets of $50 million or more
  
• the vast majority of these foundations (over 80%) have assets of less than $1 million
  
• most of these smaller foundations tend to limit their funding by geographic areas, and as local foundations, they are particularly oriented to and concerned with local needs
  

Strategic Grantsmanship
In most cases, the funding source for a project should be directly related to the population that will be served by that project. Local population -- local funding; state population -- state funding; national population -- national funding.

Many projects draw upon all three sources of private funding:

• individuals
• corporations
• foundations

along with a fourth - public or government sources.

In seeking support from national foundations the key words are:

• national impact
  
• evaluation
  
• replication potential
  

We attempt to research foundation funding priorities, and to match your proposal to the right foundation.

When we develop a grant application or proposal in response to a specific RFP (usually from a public/government funding source), we diligently follow the guidelines. The majority of grant applications and proposals are rejected due to the applicant’s failure to follow the RFP’s instructions. These are usually deadline-driven projects that Executive Performance is experienced at handling successfully.

Typical Grant Application (or Proposal) Components
However, in the case of most grant proposals we develop for public or government funding sources, local or national foundations, corporate or individual donors we consider the following:

• Project Feasibility
  
• Appropriateness of the project for the funding source
  
• Internal Revenue Service 501(c)3 documentation
  

and we include

• Statement of Need
  
• Project Description (including Goals & Objectives)
  
• Project Impact Analysis / Measurable Outcomes
  
• Project Originality
  
• Replication Prospects
  
• Administration & Staff
  
• Financial Requirements
  
• Project Evaluation Criteria
  

Each funding source has its own application requirements and funding criteria, and we research those criteria extensively before submitting a request for funding. Most funding sources consider favorably those organizations which present innovative problem-solving initiatives that can be objectively and quantifiably evaluated.

Executive Performance has a proven record of developing millions of dollars in successful grant applications that obtain funding.