2008-11-15

Fundraising in Lean Times. Are Grants the Answer?

Times are tight and nonprofits are searching for answers. They desperately need to address their budgets that are simply not sufficient enough to meet current demands, never mind the increases to come as a result of our current economic climate. We all know the reality: more and more people in communities all across our country are losing their jobs...their homes...their basic lifeline services.

In search of a fix, many nonprofits will turn to foundations and corporate giving programs for grants -- both funders with whom they already have relationships, as well as those they don't. In talking with one national corporate funder, she indicated that her company's grantmaking funding was literally cut in half. A regional private foundation representative with whom I spoke said that even some of her foundation's most tried-and-true nonprofit partners will likely see a reduction in their grant amount -- and a few will not be funded this year at all.

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Tori O'Neal-McElrath, Principal of O'Neal Consulting Services and author of "Winning Grants", Step by Step, 3rd Edition