Make it Transformational: A Blog for Champion Discipleship

Is 2010 the year you've vowed to go after grant money?  Has there been fervent discussion in your board meetings about finding new sources of income because current donations have been declining?  If so, allow me to offer some...well...bad news, then some more bad news, but leave you with some good news!  (If you think this doesn't apply to you, you might want to stick around because this sort of conversation DOES come up at some point - guaranteed!)

Read what the Foundation Center reported on about the state of foundations during these tough economic times: "The Foundation Center's prediction that overall foundation giving will likely decline further in 2010 is holding true...a larger share of respondents expect that their giving will be lower next year (26%) than higher (17%)." (You can read the full report here.)  Does this mean there are no grants to be had this year?  Absolutely not, but let's not think grants are the pot of gold we've been overlooking all these years!

Here's the other bit of bad news...if your purpose in applying for grants is to simply fulfill your budget needs, you're not likely to get very far!  Why?  Because foundations, although love to give money away, have larger goals than just writing checks, and if that's all you're looking for there's no fit between you and them. 

In the Foundation Center's report, here's a telling quote: "There is a clear expectation among grantmakers that the field of philanthropy will become more strategic..."  What does that mean?  Take a look at this fascinating new website - glasspockets.org.  Spend time "looking inside" some of the foundations and what you'll see is that they are very much interested in being a part of the solution and not just doling out money.  Check out the in depth evaluations the Robert Wood Foundation does to assess if they’re making an impact.  Here’s a snippet pulled from a paragraph about their approach to evaluations: “evaluation designs flow from where the greatest opportunities for learning lie. Learning will often focus on: how to improve the program; how to best create social change; ways to document helpful approaches and best practices for the field and ways to improve our grantmaking.”

Next month (in March), Mission Increase Foundation will be tackling the big issue of how you know you are or are not a fit with a foundation.  I'll give you a clue...it goes beyond just meeting the guidelines on their website (albeit those are important!)  You can sign up for a Grant Writing Workshop near you by clicking here.

Here's the good news I want to leave you with... we serve an all-knowing, all-powerful God who provides for our every need.  That need may or MAY NOT include a partnership with a foundation, but we can trust that He will provide. 2 Corinthians 9:8 reminds us "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."  Amen!