It's difficult for start-up non-profits to get funding for projects and programs. Funding is a lot like credit; you can't get credit unless you already have credit! So what's a new organization to do?
Here are seven ways to help your agency or organization create a funding history:
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1. Partner/Collaborate with an Existing Agency or Organization
Identify an existing agency or organization with an established track record for receiving funding on a regular basis. Ideally, the organization you choose to collaborate with should be very visible in the community, and provide projects and programs that have been acclaimed by participants, politicians, the press and their funders.
Establish and develop your partnership one project at a time. It's important that you not commit yourself to a long term relationship at the beginning of your collaboration for many reasons. Perhaps you find that you can't work well together, or you may find they don't keep records as thoroughly as you'd like. Perhaps they are not equitable with the way they decide to divide up the funding, or perhaps over time, your programs may evolve so that there are more differences than similarities between you.
Choose a partner that appears to share you vision and provides similar or complimenting services to a population that you would like to serve. The purpose of a partner is to be able to use their experience, positive track record, and programmatic expertise as leverage to build your reputation in a positive way, and for you to receive funds in the future.
2. Solicit Funding From Local Foundations/Charitable Giving Organizations
Start by applying for small amounts of money from local entities. There are many foundations represented in your immediate area that fund projects locally. Try applying for smaller awards as opposed to asking for 0,000. 00 right off the bat. Some of your usual local entities include but are not limited to, The United Way, cable company; phone company, and mega-chains like Lowe's, B.J.'s, Starbuck's, and Walgreen's. These companies like to fund where they are located, and even though you may be new, they have a local person who will be willing to listen to your project ideas, and give you a few dollars to make it happen. Make sure you're asking for program/project money, not start-up funding. Most funders frown on applications asking for start-up funds!
3. Apply to become a sub-grantee of your local government's BLOCK Grant Funding
Larger municipalities, and all counties, and the state receive government "formula" grants. Sometimes it's a CDBG Grant (Community Development Block Grant) or an SSBG (Social Services Bock Grant). In many cases, portions of this funding are set aside to provide funding for sub-grantees: smaller entities like grassroots organizations, and local non-profits to provide community specific programs.
Call you local Community Development Office (usually county or municipal) to find out what kind of funding is available to the local non-profit community, and what criteria you need to meet in order to qualify for CDBG funds, and call your state department of Health & Human Services to find out if you qualify for SSBG funding.
4. Try to do a program or project the is Press friendly
For your first projects(s), it's important to get as much publicity as possible. In order for that to happen, your project will need to be interesting, as well as public and press friendly. If you can garner support from your local political community you provide a win-win situation for everyone involved. The more people you have who are willing to publicly support your project, the better it is for you. Make sure you give the press ample notification so they can either come to your kick off event, or write about your project in the papers. If there is going to be a photo opportunity, make sure you invite everyone that has helped you, especially the local politicians.
Maintain everything you need to show the success of your project. It's important to keep a record of the success of your projects. How many people served, how much funding you've received to date, and who you've partnered with. It will become your "portfolio."
5. Join a Social Networking Site
Sites like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter just to name a few are becoming more and more popular with non-profit agencies and charitable organizations. Visit alltop.com and click "N" for non-profits. You'll see there are mainstream organizations who have boarded the social media ship for purposes ranging from inviting friends and followers to attend their fund raising events, to promoting online charitable giving on a global scale.
Take time to get an understanding of these sites and you will more than double your sphere of influence. You will create opportunities to reach people that would otherwise be unreachable, and you will appear to be cutting edge in your approach to service, knowledge, and effectiveness in the services you are able to provide to your target population.
6. Some examples of easy and productive collaborations for beginning non-profits:
A Community Day type of event: This event usually last one day only, and provides a collections of services and opportunities which are diverse but complimentary to the targeted participants. This type of event allows for you to engage both large and small partners. This event could be a health fair, reading fair, women's health event, men's health event, free health screenings, an event that makes people aware of the various social services in their area, or a housing fair. The possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination.
It isn't necessary to limit yourself to one partner at a time. You may develop a collaboration that includes several partners at once.
7. Here are a few suggestions for organizations to partner with. They don't provide funding, but they provide
educated and experienced volunteers, great hand-outs, and a marvelous reputation for leverage:
- The Cancer Society
- Your state division of Youth & Family Services
- Parents Anonymous
- Your county one stop career center
- The Heart Association (and other similar organizations)
- Local YW or YMCA
- Local Boys & Girls Club (or similar organizations)
Agencies like this don't have money for funding purposes, but they are extremely valuable partners to have. This doesn't mean they won't pay for something, it simply means they will not be cutting you a check. In addition, they have endless resources, an in-exhaustible knowledge base, and a national circle of influence.
7 Ways to Create a Funding History For Newly Established Non-profits LOWES ONLINE APPLICATION
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