Yesterday

Yesterday, I went on an informational interview with a friend of a friend, Jordan, who works at a foundation. I have met with a few different people in development, but this informational interview was with someone in programs. It was interesting to get a different perspective on how the money is dispersed from a foundation and how grants are evaluated.

I am currently writing a grant proposal, and this was a great opportunity for me to get some solid advice on how to best write a grant that is most appealing to the grantor. I found out that the key to getting a grant is creating a program that is sustainable over time. Grantors want to make sure that they aren't giving a grant for a flash in the pan program. Foundations want to give funding to kickstart a program, but is up to the grantee to ensure that the program continues.

Jordan also mentioned that something that his particular foundation advocates is for smaller (community) NPOs to join forces with the others that have a similar mission. By doing this, these smaller NPOs can have a stronger impact. This is a trend that is happening throughout the nonprofit world. Nonprofits not only need to build community with their constituents, they need to build a strong network with others in their area and those with similar missions.

This was a super meeting and I am looking forward to the few that I have going on this week!