BillHustonBlog: O2E-TV Grant Writing Workshop NOTES

Here are my notes in case you missed the presentation:

Grant Writing Workshop
Dec 3, 2009

http://o2etv.org/3904418494_b98d6fc979_o.png

Prepared by William Huston
for O2E-TV

WilliamAHuston@gmail.com 607-321-7846

For-profit vs. Non-profit corporations

For profit: revenues beyond expenses distributed to investors, and bonuses
Non-profit: revenues beyond expenses kept for program expenses
Not-for-profit corporations must be created for a charitable purpose.

Funding Foundations vs. Direct Charities

Foundations purpose is to collect and distribute funds to other non-profits
Charities offer funded programs which directly affect people in need.
Some "funding foundations" also have their own funded programs.

How to create a not-for-profit corporation

Incorporate in your state

Must have a board of directors, articles of incorporation, bylaws, mission statement, and a charitable purpose
Filing fees with the state are approximately $100, depending on whether expediting is required.
The Board of Directors (or Trustees) are typically volunteer positions. The board has a treasurer, a chairman, and a recording secretary. The board will create various standing and ad-hoc committees for various functions.
They will typically hire an Executive Director who manages the daily operations and hires other positions.
It's highly recommended that once you get up and running, you hire an accountant, an attorney, and an auditor.
For NY, a lot of documentation is available from the State here: http://www.charitiesnys.com (website operated by the Office of the Attorney General) Booklets available online or from the Attorney General's office in the State Office Bldg downtown (17th floor)
NY codes governing non-profit corps: http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/nycode/NPC

Get an EIN number (See IRS website)
Apply for federal 501(c)3 designation.

IRS Publication 557 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p557.pdf
Tax Exempt Organizations Tax Kit
Get IRS pubs online, or call 1-800-TAX-FORM / 1-800-829-3676

Your own 501c3 vs. a funded program under a fiscal sponsor

A fiscal sponsor is an existing 501(c)(3) corporation which will act as an umbrella organization to funnel grants through to your program.
A fiscal sponsor takes on the responsibility to make sure your program expenses are spent appropriately and that the grant guidelines are met.
A fiscal sponsor typically takes 5%-14% of the amount of the grant for administration fees.
Different types. Please read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiscal_sponsorship

Types of money

Capital

building
equipment
Most foundations grants are for capital expenses

Operational costs (reoccurring, non-capital)

salaries + benefits
electricity + phone + gas + internet
office supplies and other consumables
equipment repairs
insurance
operational costs typically not covered by grants!!

All grants have "strings attached"!

All grants have purposes, guidelines, and restrictions.
Sometimes the project must be crafted to meet these guidelines.
Grants are usually administered in cycles: annual, bi-annual, or quarterly.
So your application must be timely.

Locating grants

Free services

Fee-based subscription services also exist

(some of the above also have subscription-services)
The Broome County Public Library has a subscription to
Foundation Directory Online, and terminals are open to the public.
See: Tim

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_charitable_foundations
http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/topfunders/top100assets.html

Writing grants

Follow the guidelines!
Have a detailed business plan prepared before you get started.
Common sections to every grant:

Executive Summary
Statement of Need
Project Description
Budget
Governance / Organizational Structure

See also http://npguides.org

Here is a list of some possible funding sources for O2E-TV.
This is NOT an exhaustive list! Use the above resources
and creative Googl'ing to locate others!!!