Proposal Writing Basics Canceled

We have canceled the Proposal Writing Basics workshop on October 29 due to a lack of registrants.  I will try again in the next class schedule.

However, for those of you who need a grant proposal writing class right now, Steve Kosak and Ed Bergin are holding a class in November.  I will be presenting on how to use the Foundation Directory Online database.  Click here for the press release.  To register for the class, email us at franklinpl {at} franklinlibrary {dot} org or call the library at (814) 432-5062.

Green Funding

With the Green Movement in full swing lately, I decided to do a little research on grants for green building and renovation.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Building Funding Opportunities page should be the first stop on any search for green funding:

“Numerous sources of funding for green building are available at the national, state and local levels for homeowners, industry, government organizations and nonprofits. We are providing the links on this page to help you find a variety of funding sources including grants, tax-credits, loans, or others.”

The site also covers other topics related to green building, including Components of Green Building, Building Types, Frequently Asked Questions & Additional Resources (which has lots of useful links and is worth a visit on its own).

The second site I would recommend visiting is DSIRE: Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency.  While not as pretty or easy to use as the EPA site, it is full of reputable funding opportunities for the environmentalists among us:

“DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.”

Upcoming Class Schedule

Currently, I’m thinking about the Spring 2009 class schedule for the Grant Resource Center (January – June 2009).  Are there any classes you would like to see offered?  Are there any topics you need to learn more about?  I would like to cater the classes to our patrons’ needs, so I really need your input!

Things I’m thinking about including on the Spring 2009 schedule include:

• a Grants.gov presentation
• continuing the Foundation Directory Online Basics classes every other month, but cutting it down to once a week (instead of three times a week)
• creating a class for municipalities, volunteer fire departments, and community ambulance services (I find that these patrons have unique and specific needs)

Any thoughts?  Suggestions?  Please let me know what you need!

Image from Theerin at http://www.flickr.com/photos/theeerin/2634480835/

Foundations and Web 2.0

Here’s an interesting report on foundations and web 2.0 that came to me via the Foundation Center’s Philanthropy News Digest:

“According to a new report from the Communications Network, many foundations remain skeptical about the use of Web 2.0 tools, despite the potential of those tools to create opportunities to connect people who are interested in an issue with each other and grantees working on the issue. The report, Come On In. The Water’s Fine: An Exploration of Web 2.0 Technology and Its Emerging Impact on Foundation Communications (45 pages, PDF), acknowledges that while foundations moving into the world of Web 2.0 face risks and challenges, they need to move beyond more traditional communications channels and embrace the participatory nature of Web communications. Recommendations for foundations interested in moving ahead with a Web 2.0 strategy include identifying and building the “human capital” of their staffs, making internal institutional reforms to reward creativity and innovation, and building on the successes of others.”

Some good advice in there for any organization looking into web 2.0.

Link Love

Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com/cuorhome

Some good stuff from around the web …

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Planning a fundraising event?  Follow in the footsteps of Chicago’s After School Matters charity and consider holding it in a unique venue.  Their choice of location definitely affected their attendance rate.

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Jeff Brooks points us to an incredibly powerful and incredibly risky campaign in Belgium focused on raising funds for clean drinking water.  You must watch the video.  I’d love to hear your reaction!  Let me know what you think about it in the comments.

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What challenges do you face as a nonprofit in a small town?  (If you are in northwest Pennsylvania, I can almost guarantee you’re in a small town!)  Read FLIP’s two part series on Fundraising in a Small Town, and you might gain a new perspective on things.  Part one focuses on some of the benefits of being in a small town:

• The media is accessible.
• So are the politicians.
• People sincerely care.
• Business trends move in slower motion.
• Your reach doesn’t stop at the county line anymore.

And part two focuses on some of the obstacles and how you might overcome them:

• Reputations last.
• Smaller population, smaller local donor pool.
• Events must be geared accordingly.
• This town isn’t big enough for the two of us.

Are there any obstacles you encounter that weren’t addressed in these two articles?

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