Christian Nonprofits Share Grant-seeking Tips
Mike Buwalda
CSA Stewardship Connections Editor Mike Buwalda recently asked Christian nonprofits to share their best grant-seeking tips-and received over 100 responses!
When researching for this article, I discovered is that there are a lot of emotions about grants out there! Just over half (51%) of Christian nonprofits are satisfied with their grant funding, and just under half (49%) are frustrated by the lack of results they are experiencing.
Many helpful insights were shared by a wide range of Christian nonprofits. Three major themes emerged:
Below is a summary of the comments I received. Thank you to all who shared their invaluable experience and insights!
For many of the successful grant requests, this was not the first time we asked. Lesson: Be persistent. Also, do your homework about what the granter is interested in and tailor your request to show how you are meeting that need in the school. For example, if someone is interested in funding technology, we show our commitment to technology literacy and what we have done at the school in that regard.
Dr. Lichi
Chapel Hill Christian School
I am treating our first applications as a get-to-know-you-tool. We call the foundations to see if they received the application and then ask some questions about our project and the fit. We follow up after we get a response and ask about applying again if we didn't get funded. You have to establish relationships with the funders.
Paul Spence, Executive Director
Crossroads Center
We have been awarded a total of $640,300 this year-$230,300 is from new funding sources. The greatest lesson is: It takes time to develop a strong grant program, so be patient and follow the process (the process is the A, B, and C steps for grant writing that I am most used to).
Anonymous by request
My proposals were not the generic version most often presented in seminars. They included some pictures and especially testimony or quotes from church leader(s) in the target area or language. Our proposals included in the budget the funds already received, and an idea of other outstanding grant requests, so the trustees could have a feel that we weren't expecting them to fund it all. Building the relationship is the key, and regular, believable reports post-grant are indispensable for that. I send e-mails with photos when in China, India, Cuba, etc. It gives the beneficiary an authentic feel of the national pastor or church leader.
Jack Walker
Outline Bible Resources
A valuable lesson I learned recently is this: Let people outside the Christian nonprofit world] review your material to point out weaknesses in your case statement, mission, vision, etc. They'll point out something we may have repeatedly overlooked or taken for granted. Christians tend to hone our terminology to be understandable by those who think like us.
John Briggs
Mission Builders International
This past year Barnabas has been more successful in securing grants (mostly smaller ones) than before. I attribute most of this to the learning process all nonprofits are going through to become fluent in "speaking grant language." Smaller nonprofits, especially faith-based ones, have very little history of communicating with funders who are looking for things like measurable outcomes, research-based programming, best practice programs, etc. We, as a group, seem to have been too afraid that if we learn a different language we'll lose our Biblical authenticity. The growing pains of maintaining our ministry target (doing exactly what God has called us to do), accomplishing it in line with our mission statement (doing it in the way God has called us to), and finding the funding to support it are just beginning to work together to produce the organizational stability that we need.
Lori Jo Schepers, Executive Director
Barnabas Ministries, Inc.
Yes, we did have some success with grant awards last year. Three of the six foundations to which I appealed responded with gifts. Why do I believe we were successful? I think that the main reasons were as follows: the foundations were a good match to our mission and needs; in two of the cases, there were past or current relationships with people from our organization.
Beth Healey, Communications/Media Relations Coordinator
Light of Life Rescue Mission
We had success with foundations because we have a professional grant writer working for us.
Kay Rogers, Executive Director for Strategic Ministry Development
Aglow International
By creating community collaboration and support on the grant request (e.g., city, local soccer leagues) and by our intent to make the facilities available for community use, we were able to get $100,000 that I doubt we would have otherwise and will help bring more people in the community to the RCS campus who otherwise may have never set foot on our facilities.
Douglas E. Evilsizor, Director of Development
Rehoboth Christian School
I probably won't submit to any foundation again that doesn't publish a phone number to contact them, unless it is simply to write a 1-page letter. I am growing really frustrated with foundations that do not do well in promoting the proper deadlines and other information. I wrote one really comprehensive proposal that met all of the published guidelines, but they didn't even read it as we didn't fit their internal geographic guidelines!
Jule' Colvin, Director of Development
Somebody Cares Tampa Bay
We received grants from those with whom we have an existing relationship. Why? They know us. They are strapped by limited funds are now giving to more geo-local interests and numerous grant submissions.
Randall W. Phillips, PhD, Senior Associate Vice President For Development
Union University
Our grant success came through partnerships with volunteers and foundations. We contacted another Christian organization in our area, Builders Without Borders, that builds orphanages, schools, and medical clinics overseas. They agreed to build 4 bedroom/4 baths houses for only $50,000 on our campus as a training exercise for their teams that are going overseas. That partnership will save us $1 million. There was only one problem. We needed six houses and we did not have the $50,000 per house and we would not borrow money. So we approached the local Southwest Florida Community Foundation and asked if they would be willing to give us a matching grant for $25,000 to build a house if we could raise the matching funds. They agreed! We approached three other foundations (St. Mary's Foundation, The Kliest Foundation, and The Rotary Foundation) about getting the matching funds so we could save the $1 million in construction costs. All three agreed and two of them even sent foundation board members to help build the houses! Once God began to put things together, it was amazing what happened. Local companies donated the furniture, concrete, air conditioning, and even pictures and window treatments! The secret to our success was prayer and partnerships!
Mike Sullivan
ECHO
We received two small foundation grants. They were less than $50,000. We did not have a staff person, either full time or consulting, to find grants. This year I located a faculty member at our local university to be on contract. So far he spends about 20 hours per month looking for grants and submitting them.
Bob Flournoy
Louisiana United Methodist Children & Family Services
Our successes over the years from non-family foundations resulted from interdenominational initiatives that included para-church ministries. Our family foundation support comes from individuals who are members or attendees of EFCA churches. National foundations tend to prefer non-denominational ministries.
Lanny L. Harris
EFCA Foundation
The success we have enjoyed is directly related to the relationships we have built with the foundations that have made grants to LDi. We did not find success with foundations where we have not yet built a relationship.
Mary Pat Norton, Communications Liaison
Leadership Development International (LDi)
I think there are several reasons for our success including: a 23 year track record; relationships we have developed over the years with funders; participation from our board members; staff dedicated to writing grants; quality of grants and proposals submitted; outcomes of our programs and services.
Cathey Brown
Rainbow Days, Inc.
We were successful with [foundations] that we had a previous track record with and who are a good fit with John Brown University (JBU). In some cases, we received less funding than we had requested, but some funding is so much more welcome than a "no!" In large part the foundations we were not successful with were foundations new to JBU that we were trying to break into. The proposals were essentially "cold calls" in most cases. While we try to apply to foundations that look like they would be interested in our specific organization, getting your foot in the door with a new foundation is often difficult. One program officer encouraged us last year to keep trying-that our turn would come. Apparently this particular foundation prizes or at least eventually rewards persistence. Without that program officer's counsel, after 2 or 3 turndowns, I would likely have given up. Her advice was a good lesson, and I am now going back through my list of those who have turned us down and I am considering which to re-apply to. Let me know if I can give you any further information. I'm happy to talk to other Christian organizations, especially Christian colleges, and share our experiences.
Cheryl L. Kester, Director of Grants and Foundation Relations
John Brown Universitycherylk@jbu.edu
We have had success with foundations or grants if we know someone within the organization giving it. If we are an outsider we have not been successful.
Dr. Michael Leaming
Christian School of York
Find a foundation that overlaps with your mission 100% (In spiritual terms, you are looking for a group of individuals with a similar heart for God's work in your area not trying to give them a heart for your ministry) and then it's relationships, relationships, relationships. Don't write the grant first. First do your homework on the foundation and especially its key players. Research more with the director in person while confirming or not confirming that there is values overlap/mission alignment-if there is no alignment move on to the next foundation. Ask for project funds first for the exciting growing wings of your organization. After 2-3 grants, ask for general operations.
Dr. Steve Sweatman, President
Mission Training International
Our success was mainly due to matching our needs with grantors' interests.
Brent Chapman, Director of Grants & Prospect Research
Taylor University
It is essential when seeking to develop a new relationship to continue the dialogue long after the rejection. We are working on honing that as well.
Jill Feikema, Advancement Office, Grants & Foundation Relations
Trinity Christian College
At least some of the success we experienced is based on grant makers
identifying with our mission to offer hope and healing to disabled
children in developing world countries. The old adage remains true: Be
true to your mission with consistency and integrity. Do not compromise
in the interest of acquiring additional
funding.
Layton Shoemaker, Vice President for Major Gifts
CURE International
I've tried grant writers and attended many workshops on this subject. I've been turned down for all the reasons one could think and then some. I've been most successful when I write the grant and target it specifically. Generally, I've discovered that the person who knows best how the ministry works, what its mission is, and what the need is can articulate better (in the grant format) than a professional grant writer.
Harl Hargett, Executive Director
Lost and Found Inc.
We have had success when we have built relationships with foundation executives. In other words, I do not subscribe to a SPAM approach. I give a list of foundation names and the names of their directors to my board and ask them to tell me who they know, then we set up appointments, learn the mission and goals of the foundation, share ours, and then hope there's a match.
Gary Hoag
Denver Seminary
I tried just writing letters and proposals but find that building the relationship by picking up the phone and visiting in person are the best ways to cultivate giving. Send regular stewardship reports to those who have not yet given but especially those who have given to a project.
Cathleen Lawler
TEAM Stewardship Ministries
We contacted those foundations by letter and by phone to verify that they would consider a grant request from Methodist Retirement Communities for a building campaign or equipment request and the amount they would consider. We asked for any guidelines, written or otherwise expected; we visited them before the request or after the request was submitted. If a grant was received, we thanked them by phone, and 2-3 of our staff wrote thank you letters. When the project was completed, we sent them copies of the invoices verifying that the funds were spent as requested. Some months later we approached them through the same channels asking consideration for another project. Grants were requested and received from four foundations.
Don Johnson, Director of Capital Fund Development
Methodist Retirement Communities
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