Grassroots grants : an activist's guide to grantseeking / Andy Robinson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Robinson, Andy, 1957-

Series:

Chardon Press series

The Chardon Press series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Proposal writing for grants--United States--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Proposal writing for grants.

United States.

Genre:

Handbooks and manuals.

Physical Description:

xxiii, 259 pages ; 29 cm.

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass, [2004]

Summary:

In the revised second edition of the bestselling guide to grantseeking, author and activist Andy Robinson walks you through the challenges of incorporating grants into a complete fundraising program, using grant proposals as organizing plans, designing fundable projects, building proposals piece by piece, and fostering effective communication with funders who support the activist community. This updated edition keeps pace with the changing times and contains all new budgets and model proposals, interviews with funders from the grassroots community, and timely information about grantseeking on the Internet. "With the new edition of Grassroots Grants, Andy Robinson has done all of us a great service. He's compiled and organized dozens of commonsense tips for building effective partnerships with funders, many presented in the words of the grantmakers themselves. From the art of the schmooze to effective letters of inquiry to simple, fun exercises that will help get your organization off the dime and into the money, Grassroots Grants is a must-read for those in charge of sustaining and strengthening community voices.

Contents:

1 Up from the Grassroots: The Evolution of Grants and Grantseeking 1

The Expanding Philanthropic Sector 2

A Different Set of Circumstances: Economy, Politics, Technology 3

Grantmaking: An Experiment in Democracy? 5

Funders Don't Act the Way They Used to Act 9

2 What Grants Will Get You ... and What They Won't 12

Who's Got the Money? 13

The Downside: Ten Ways That Grants Can Drive You Crazy 14

The Upside: Ten Ways That Grants Can Benefit Your Work 17

How Grants Fit into a Complete Fundraising Strategy 19

3 Why People (and Funders) Give Away Their Money 22

Who Gets the Money? Criteria for Giving 23

Foundation Culture 27

4 The Grant Proposal as Organizing Plan 33

Building the Case for Support 34

Programs, Projects, and Campaigns 35

General Support Grants 37

Designing Fundable Projects: The Grantwriter as Feasibility Tester 38

Involving Your Coworkers, Your Allies, Your Neighbors 41

How Much Money? Developing Budgets for Grant-Funded Projects 51

5 Finding Funders 55

Do Your Homework! 56

Follow the Guidelines 57

Phase 1 Sleuthing 57

Phase 2 Using Computer Resources and Web Searches 60

Phase 3 Doing Library Research 61

Phase 4 Studying the Current Guidelines 64

6 Building Peer-to-Peer Relationships with Grantmakers 67

Leveling the Playing Field 68

Grantmaking: It's a Job 69

Are We Partners or What? The Value of Honesty 72

Pick Up the Telephone 73

Honor the Gatekeepers 74

How to Meet Grantmakers 74

Donor-Directed Grants 79

Letters of Inquiry 82

Be Professional, Be Patient 86

7 Creating Your Proposal, Piece by Piece 88

The Value (or Not) of Good Writing 89

Should You Hire an Outside Grantwriter? 91

Layout: Creating a Good-Looking Proposal 94

The Components of a Grant Proposal 98

8 A Tour Through Four Winning Proposals 128

Urban Garden Resources of Worcester (UGROW) 131

Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington 139

Supportive Parents Information Network (SPIN) 151

Wildlands Project 167

9 Creative Ways to Leverage Your Grants 180

Matching and Challenge Grants 180

In-Kind Donations 182

Program-Related Investments and Loans 183

10 Successful Grants Administration 186

Record Keeping and Reporting 187

Managing Grant Money 192

The Value of Honesty, Revisited 194

Your Mother Was Right: The Value of Good Manners 194

11 The Grantseeker's Guide to Surviving and Thriving 197

Dealing with Rejection 198

Diversifying Your Funding 200

Using Your Time and Energy Effectively 201

The Perfect Organization 203

Resource A Useful Publications 205

Resource B Grant Database Tools / Jean Lewis 212

Resource C Raising Money from Faith-Based Grant Programs 225

Resource D Legal Issues for Nonprofit Advocates / John Pomeranz 230

Resource E Sharing Grants: A Strategy for Collaborative Fundraising / Wendy Wilson 242.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0787965782

9780787965785

OCLC:

54407714

Publisher Number:

99948224519

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description