On “Free Money”

I found a great post today about “free grant money,”  written by a fellow Grant Resource Center person in Ohio.  Please read it!   I cannot tell you how often I am forced to break the “free grant money” myths, and how frustrating it is when people don’t believe me, or think that surely I must be hiding something.

A Break

I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be off on maternity leave for eight weeks, beginning next week.  However, I will be checking email the entire time, so please feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions or need anything at all during that time.  My email address is katebfpl at gmail dot com.  You can also call the library with any questions at 814-432-5062, and they will be able to pass messages along to me.  See you around the holidays!

Webinar: Funding Trends in Arts and Culture

It looks like October is Funding for the Arts month at the Foundation Center, and I happen to know that a lot of you are involved in the arts.  Why not attend the Funding Trends in Arts and Culture webinar and see what you can learn?  Experts in the arts and culture field will discuss funding trends, you can attend from your own office, and it is free.

The Foundation Center webinars use Microsoft Office Live Meeting software.  There is a link on the registration page to download it, along with some basic instructions.  The software is very easy to install and use (don’t be scared away!), but if you have any questions or problems, feel free to call (432 5062) or email me for help { katebfpl at gmail dot com }.

The Business of Nonprofits

This is a lengthy article, but well worth the time to read.   Please check it out over at the Philanthropy News Digest.

The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle

by Don Howard, Ann Goggins Gregory A vicious cycle is leaving nonprofits so hungry for decent infrastructure that they can barely function as organizations — let alone serve their beneficiaries. The cycle starts with funders’ unrealistic expectations about how much running a nonprofit costs, and results in nonprofits misrepresenting their costs while skimping on vital systems — acts that feed funders’ skewed beliefs. To break the nonprofit starvation cycle, funders must take the lead.

What is the Common Grant Application?

The name Common Grant Application is misleading.  It is not a simple application for grant seekers to fill in.  Rather, it is a general outline for grant seekers to use when crafting their proposals.

The Foundation Center describes how to use the Common Grant Application:

“The common grant application format has been adopted by groups of grantmakers to allow grant applicants to produce a single proposal for a specific community of funders, thereby saving time. Before applying to any funder that accepts a common grant application form, be sure to check that your project matches the funder’s stated interests, and ascertain whether the funder would prefer a letter of inquiry in advance of receiving a proposal. Also be sure to check whether the funder has a deadline for proposals, as well as whether it requires multiple copies of your proposal.”

Here is the Common Grant Application for Grantmakers of Western PA.   On page 9, there is a list of the grantmakers who accept this format.