Difference between revisions of "Basics for Seeking Grants and Other Funding"
From NGO Handbook
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If your organization is of the type where the person in charge ultimately runs the organization, make sure that there is someone else to take care of the money. For organizations in the United States, there are generally accepted accounting practices, such as an audit every year, a third-party review by the board of finances, checks signed by two individuals, and so forth. | If your organization is of the type where the person in charge ultimately runs the organization, make sure that there is someone else to take care of the money. For organizations in the United States, there are generally accepted accounting practices, such as an audit every year, a third-party review by the board of finances, checks signed by two individuals, and so forth. | ||
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| + | ==Niche== | ||
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| + | One of the hardest things in developing a non-profit organization involves critically assessing your task and your vision. It is hard in the beginning to take a step back and say, “Who else is doing this work and what is the difference between what they do and what we do?” Because if somebody else is already doing the work, and doing it well, does your organization even need to exist? Maybe you should just work for them. That is a hard question! But it is one of the first questions that major donors are going to ask you. Why fund you? Who else does this? | ||
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| + | You have a unique niche if you can quantify and identify exactly whom you serve and why you are the only ones who can do it. Or you are the only ones who can do it in this country, or this state. Or you are the only ones who work with girls ages 14 to 20 when another program works with younger girls or older women. Identify your niche. And check out your competition, the organizations which do similar things. Who are they? What do they do? How do they do it? They may be able to help define who you are and what your niche is. “They do this, but they do not do that, and here is an area where we are the best!” | ||
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| + | For example, you may assist underprivileged children who otherwise might not go to school. They fall below the radar screen of other organizations that offer scholarship funds. Nobody knows that they are here. You identify who you are and what you do and why you deserve funding. It helps the donor know why to give to your organization versus somebody else | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
The foundation for this article are excerpts from a presentation by Theresa Rudacille (Director of Development, Empowerment Resource Network) on October 20, 2002 in at a WANGO Conference in Washington, D.C. | The foundation for this article are excerpts from a presentation by Theresa Rudacille (Director of Development, Empowerment Resource Network) on October 20, 2002 in at a WANGO Conference in Washington, D.C. | ||
Revision as of 08:38, 28 August 2008
Every organization needs money. But in order to get money, before we can even start to address how to ask for money and where to get it, we have to talk about your organization, because people do not just hand out money. Ted Turner is not going to walk up to your door with a briefcase full of a million dollars. Your organization has to have certain things in line, legal and otherwise.
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