Christian schools can successfully receive funding from private foundations through the proposal writing and granting process. If time is taken to understand the process, conduct the needed research, and maintain appropriate expectations, your school can receive grants for mission-centered programming and project needs. Foundation funding—in most instances—is part of a small piece of the funding pie that represents your school’s donation portfolio. Annual giving statistics repeatedly demonstrate that over 85 percent of all donations given in the United States (for all causes) are from individuals. Thus, it is reasonable to target foundation support for a comparable percentage of your contribution goal.
Along with reasonable funding expectations, it is important to understand that your school will most likely receive grants from local or regional foundations. While national foundations may fund Christian causes, and even Christian education causes, few will invest in a local Christian school with limited geographical reach. Most national or international foundations choose organizations that have a comparable scope, unless one of their trustees has a personal interest in or connection with your school. However, every community and region has foundations (private and family) that exist to support and sustain local interests, and Christian schools would do well to focus their efforts on building long-term relationships with foundations that support local causes. Your school can successfully access foundation support for mission-driven projects and programs if your school has realistic expectations and carefully follows a foundation’s stated guidelines.
Do your homework. Although careful preparation and research prior to writing and submitting proposals take time and discipline, these efforts will usually pay off. Your researcher needs to start with a short list of compelling projects that support your school’s mission in important and measurable ways. This list should guide your search. Without specific mission-related projects in mind, you might be tempted to craft proposals that match foundation priorities rather than your own. The Internet now provides excellent research tools at little or no cost to schools. By contacting the Foundation Center (www.foundationcenter.org), you can locate the nearest online foundation-search resource in your community—usually housed in a public or university library. Trained reference librarians are often on-site to help you search effectively.
Once a prioritized list of foundation prospects is developed, you can dig deeper by locating the foundations’ websites to learn more about each foundation: its funding priorities, submission guidelines, and contact information. It is often useful to download and request annual reports, which provide helpful background information as well as listings of grants awarded. All foundations have available for review their IRS Form 990s, which provide listings of annual grant amounts, designations, and recipients. This useful information can show you the type of project a foundation funds and the average size of grant it awards. The nonprofit resource GuideStar offers free access to a foundation’s archived Form 990s.
While careful research takes time, in the long run it saves effort. Schools need to abandon their “shotgun” approach for the strategic aim of a “rifle.” Careful preparation enables you to target potential funders in hopes of finding a worthy match for your mission. Sending out boilerplate proposals to a database of potential foundations will result in little more than frustration. According to one program director of a national foundation, “Failure to do homework is a major reason most rejected grant applications fail. Not that the project is undeserving; not that the people lack qualifications, vision, dedication and drive. Simply the necessary homework hasn’t been done.”
Follow application guidelines carefully. Foundations often require a formal letter of inquiry before a formal application or proposal can be submitted. This letter must briefly but compellingly summarize your project and carefully connect to the grantor’s priorities. Throughout the application process you must follow the guidelines explicitly—submitting all required attachments. This is not the time to include brochures, excessive attachments, or media marketing tools, unless they are specifically requested. A carelessly prepared proposal can disguise the merits of an excellent project and cause it to be rejected.
Some grantors welcome personal visits prior to proposal submissions, and others discourage them. A phone call to the appropriate program office will guide you to the next step to take. If you are introducing your school for the first time, it is effective to meet foundation staff and provide general information about your school.
Establish the significance of your project. Proposals that are likely to gain attention are those that are strategically linked to your school’s mission. There should be a clear and compelling connection to the core values and mission delivery of the school. Most foundations want you to demonstrate how your school contributes to the issues they care about and how your program benefits the public good in the region they serve. Ultimately, grantor organizations must fulfill their own mission and core values and will strategically invest in programs that further those priorities. They will seek projects that are thoughtfully aligned with their priorities. You must be able to give specific persuasive reasons why your school deserves support.
An important way to demonstrate significance is to establish a clear framework for measuring project results. Successful proposals answer the following questions: What are the goals of the project? What is the desired outcome? What are the indicators established to demonstrate success? Simply, what is your target and how will you know if you have hit your mark? As you know, training young people requires long-term investment, and the impact is seldom fully evident at the completion of a grant cycle. However, you should carefully establish appropriate metrics to assess the return on the investment in your educational mission. This process should result in proposals that are SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, results driven, and time determined.
Provide your funding plan. Typically, foundations do not want to be the first or only funder of a major project. Often, they will ask schools to outline their fund-raising plan, including all expected funding, in the grant application. Is the school board, staff, and constituency committed financially to the project? Are those closest to your mission truly “invested” in the project? It is possible that a foundation that rejects a proposal at the beginning of a project or campaign will reconsider once internal support is confirmed.
It is important to be candid about potential pitfalls for a project, addressing the factors that could influence its success. If foundation staff are made aware of potential changes that may have an impact on a project, they can provide counsel instead of being surprised by unmet or amended project goals.
Be concise and correct. While your proposal should be thorough, the writing needs to be succinct. Do not use jargon, acronyms, or effusive language. Rather, use active sentences with strong verbs. As you edit your work, strive for a consistent tone that reflects a single voice—even though several individuals may have contributed to the project. It is essential that you and your colleagues review the proposal for correctness, accuracy of statements, and consistency of statistics before submittal.
Generally, foundations will inform you by letter about their funding decision. If you know trustees or staff personally, it is prudent not to circumvent the established process by trying to influence them or gain access to internal information. If you maintain a professional relationship with a grantor, the door will be open for future consideration for funding. A negative response on one proposal does not necessarily preclude funding for other projects during another granting cycle.
Even the process of strategic planning, research, proposal preparation, and submission can strengthen an organization. It is helpful for you to remember that foundations are not merely entities that give money away; rather, they are investors in causes that they care about. Foundations are looking for a return on their investment that is explicitly stated and measurable. This emphasis on strategic outcomes in turn aids in the accomplishment of a school’s mission.