Friends,
If you haven't had a chance to attend a District 5 County training seminar, you really need to watch for and seize relevant opportunities to do so. I certainly intend to watch for more such opportunities from the County, again.
Purposes
- To tell you about another invaluable free, one-day seminar, this time for Grant-writing, also presented by our County Supervisor Federal Glover's 5th District Office -- so that you might watch for and better appreciate the quality of these training opportunities.
- To share a few concepts that were presented, which might prove useful in your fund-raising considerations.
- To share my sincere impressions -- and boy, was I impressed!
- To remark on the "jewel in our midst," Los Medanos College (with more to follow in a later article).
Rationale
- It's good for the people to be aware of the important direct impact that a well-run county government can have on the quality of day-to-day life within its jurisdiction. Lucky us!
- It's good to raise awareness that society means to help people do good things.
- It's also good to remind people of the local presence of the excellent and beautiful college here.
ABOUT THE GRANT-WRITING SEMINAR
Background
Last week, on October 3, I was privileged to attend an all-day "Grant Research, Writing and Administration Seminar," sponsored, for the 6th year, by Contra Costa County Supervisor, District 5, Federal Glover.
Purpose of Training
To give County residents, and others, information that individuals and organizations can use to help them qualify for and request financial grant assistance for worthy social and business causes.
Scope of Training
There are numerous sources for grant money, regardless of current national financial ups and downs. It is a built-in tendency for our society to try to insure the success of various social initiatives aimed at the public good. And clearly, it is in the national interest for well-managed social causes and businesses to thrive. So there exists great will to be generous, when doing so is reasonable.
There are abundant and readily available how-to-instructions for proper grant-writing and each grantor-institution is likely to have "a few" of it's own special requirements and "hoops" to jump through.
There is an enormous advantage in hearing a brisk, sensible explanation of how the system works, its general processes, why grant requests can fail, why others succeed, and the essential must-do's -- or what to look into, further. Very eye-opening.
There is an enormous advantage in hearing a brisk, sensible explanation of how the system works, its general processes, why grant requests can fail, why others succeed, and the essential must-do's -- or what to look into, further. Very eye-opening.
This gives each person a crucial mental framework -- by which to better understand and organize -- the future growing knowledge base -- which they will surely amass -- as they navigate their way through the grant-request process.
It also provided insight into when, how, and where to gain additional assistance from abundant resources.
The seminar stressed funding from governmental sources, yet provided insights that can be helpful in pursuit of private and corporate funding.
It also provided insight into when, how, and where to gain additional assistance from abundant resources.
The seminar stressed funding from governmental sources, yet provided insights that can be helpful in pursuit of private and corporate funding.
Limitations of Training
It was a one day course. This topic represents a huge field of professional knowledge and built-up standards. We could only scratch the surface, in a matter of hours. But, because of expert, beautifully-presented guidance, it was a very good surface we scratched, indeed.
A well-organized one-day survey can do much -- to implant a conceptual framework -- in the minds of non-professionals -- for making sense of the basic processes -- for effective grant-writing -- to achieve financial objectives -- important to their social and economic missions.
Armed with such a mental framework, the student gains the advantage of being able to proceed, confidently and more deeply, into the field (less likely to become lost) and to absorb the more detailed knowledge needed to achieve success. It's a superb head start.
A Training Advantage
A well-organized one-day survey can do much -- to implant a conceptual framework -- in the minds of non-professionals -- for making sense of the basic processes -- for effective grant-writing -- to achieve financial objectives -- important to their social and economic missions.
Armed with such a mental framework, the student gains the advantage of being able to proceed, confidently and more deeply, into the field (less likely to become lost) and to absorb the more detailed knowledge needed to achieve success. It's a superb head start.
Why Was This Seminar Conducted
Supervisor Glover has, during his tenure as County Supervisor, consistently put forth high-quality training programs and astute public initiatives. At least some of these are designed to increase individual knowledge and understanding as to how things work, so as to better navigate through life here -- and raise the County's (and even wider) living standards. This topic is one more such course of instruction.
Tight economic times or not, it is usually the case that there are never enough funds to do all that we would like to do. BUT READY FUNDS DO EXIST, even now, to support worthwhile social and economic endeavors dedicated to the public good -- as far as those funds will stretch.
This money is available from government and private sources and is paid out to those who can make a convincing case. Unfortunately, the process must be competitive as these scarce dollars MUST be put to their best possible use -- and not go to waste -- and how else is there to tell?
This money is available from government and private sources and is paid out to those who can make a convincing case. Unfortunately, the process must be competitive as these scarce dollars MUST be put to their best possible use -- and not go to waste -- and how else is there to tell?
This course presents a "lay of the land" and an idea as to how to BEGIN to compete, effectively.
The Setting
Training was conducted in a spacious, comfortable and well-designed and -equipped conference room at the Los Medanos College Library, here in Pittsburg -- a college which, in many ways, is a "crown jewel" for the City, and which deserves a separate City-Journal article. At least 80 very enthusiastic attendees seemed to enjoy the experience, from start to finish. At least to me, time was exceedingly well-spent.
The Human Factor
Introductories
Supervisor Glover personally opened the session and introduced the course -- along with members of his very impressive administrative and teaching staffs. I have long been enjoying dealings with his administrative support team and was glad to finally see some of the faces behind all the responsive service. But, the teachers were new to me.
What wonderful and skillful presenters we had to guide us through the material and bring it to life. There, before us, were three extremely intelligent people -- who clearly know and love what they do (and why not, since it is kind of important?) -- and know how to tell about it in a thoroughly pleasing and effective way. No yawning and squirming from us. They rank among the best I think I have ever seen. The following brief bio's depict three lifetimes of dedication to directing society's resources where they are most needed, and in good time.
- David Fraser, MPA, Ed.S, Ed.D Candidate -- serves, among other important things, as Supervisor Glover's Chief of Staff -- and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Public Affairs and Administration at California State University, East Bay. He teaches, primarily, Public Management, Public Program Evaluation, Organizational Change, and Research Methods. Oh, there is much more on his list of credentials but, suffice it to say, these attributes were more than obvious as we listened, spell-bound, to his brilliant and engaging presentations.
- Lavonna Martin, MPH, MPA, is Director of Operations for the newly created Behavioral Health Division of Contra Costa Health Services. She is organizing a new division to integrate the county's compassionate services under "one roof" -- including Alcohol & Drugs Services; Mental Health; Homeless Program. A Homeless Program director, herself, she has long worked to serve homeless youth, families and adults throughout the County. Her remaining credentials are long, too. And her performance reflected her great skill and experience -- in doing and teaching.
- Laura Escobar -- Director of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, at United Way of the Bay Area and has managed grant-making for United Way's Emergency Food and Shelter Program -- funded through FEMA -- in a unique partnership with the government. She sees to the funding of 100 food, shelter, and "safety-net" agencies in seven of the nine Bay Area counties -- and much more. Another superb teacher -- clear, crisp, concise. And, the United Way has been a big and highly effective public partner (beginning in 1887) in the efficient accumulation and sharing of social resources -- so Ms. Escobar's insights were important in further deepening the discussion.
About the Subject Matter
As in most endeavors dealing with -- the handling of other people's money and generosity -- an entire professional field of knowledge has been built up -- to do the job properly. Often, many steps are involved. Mistakes are likely. Delays, disappointments, denials can result. These are undesirable but often avoidable, with knowledge. Society provides ways to gain that knowledge, including seminars such as this.
Special emphasis was placed on how the process works and how to prepare a complete and convincing funding request which can win the competition for scarce funds.
As a very significant side-benefit gained -- from the process (of preparing an effective funding request) -- is that the training also helps the grant-requester -- to build a convincing case -- for many other crucial purposes -- such as formulating a more effective business plan.
Definitions of Some Key Terms Addressed
Annual gift -- A generally unrestricted gift made each year.
Bequest -- A gift left by someone or to an organization through a will.
Block Grant -- a grant provided in a large sum, typically from one public agency to another, without detailed oversight of its appropriation.
Bridge Funding -- Provided for the purpose of helping a nonprofit on an interim basis.
Capital Funding -- Provided for buildings, construction, equipment and endowments.
Challenge Grant -- Grant provided on the basis that the grantee is able to raise additional funding from other sources.
Community Foundation -- A local or regional nonprofit that accumulates its assets through a number of donors and in turn often redistributes the assets to its community.
Corporate Foundation --- A private foundation that is funded largely by the contributions of a for-profit business (e.g. Annie Casey Foundation / UPS).
Development -- A general and somewhat professional term for the field of fundraising.
Endowment -- Funds that exist in perpetuity.
Grant -- A financial award made to an individual or organization, often through a competitive process.
Grant-making -- The business of developing funding and awarding grants to individuals or organizations.
Grantor -- A foundation or other agency that has awarded a grant.
Grantee -- An individual or organization that has received a grant.
In-kind Contributions -- A contribution of tangible assets other than money, including equipment, supplies, space, staff time, etc.
Major Gift -- A gift that is generally a single (as opposed to annual) gift that exceeds the financial threshold that varies by organization.
Matching Grant -- A grant that matches a gift made by other donors.
David Nelson
All Original Content © 2012 , The MENTOR Enterprises / ELMS, All Rights Reserved -- BUT, I hereby suspend those rights, to this extent: You may freely copy and pass this along, if you think it will do some good -- as long as it's free of charge, unchanged, and you include this statement.
