Grant & Online Donor Readiness

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1 Coming Attractions February 16 11:30 am* NGPA Webinar: Basics of Researching Federal Grants with U.S. Senator Harry Reid s Staff (Disclaimer) 50% Off for ANN Members February 23 9:00 am** ANN Google Grant Project launch Webinar 1 of 2 February 29 9:00 am* ANN Webinar: Financial Capability: Resources & Strategies for Inspiring Client Success March 6 9:00 am** ANN Google Places Project launch Webinar * Tickets on sale now **Tickets go on sale next week Grant & Online Donor Readiness Phil Johncock Interim Executive Director Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 1

2 Why is grant and online donor readiness important? Grant Readiness 80-90% of your grant narrative & application can be completed before you even see a funder s Request For Proposal (RFP) Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 2

3 Online Donor Readiness The Internet shows donors how accountable and transparent your nonprofit is AND is not. The Internet provides nonprofits creative ways to raise Billions in funds online. Bottom Line You re wasting time AND losing money if you don t have a system in place to ensure your nonprofit is grant & online donor ready! Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 3

4 What Role Do You Play? Board Members Staff Development Grant Program managers Clerical Others Volunteers Example: Grant Team International Institute for Social Artistry My Story - Back in 1988 A client asked me to write a Federal proposal It took me 100 hours Unfortunately, you won t write Something amazing happened to me after 12 years in the grant writing business... and a 92% success rate on all my grants. When I finished writing proposal #52 Somehow, I had gone from writing my first grant proposal in 100 hours... Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 4

5 My Story For 20 Years For the last 20 years, I ve been wondering how I went from a $125,000 grant and 100 hours of work to a $420,000 grant and only 4 hours of work... with 92% success rate. The secret is to be grant ready and have a system in place before an RFP ever gets announced, including an RFP Analysis system. Whether you need $400 or $4,000 or even $400,000, this grant readiness system works. My Story - Three Weeks Ago A prospective client called. He had 10 days to complete an application for a Federal grant. He also knew that he (the Executive Director) would be out-of-town for 7 of the 10 days. When he asked if I would write the grant, I said, I ve got 4 hours I can give you next week, which is all I need if you re grant ready. Do you think the client was grant ready? On the Online Donor Readiness side Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 5

6 Our Story - Online Donor Side Chase Nevada s Big Give: $413,000 in 24 hrs Dolan Automotive GuideStar Giving Season Giveaway Definition: Grant Readiness Means Having Electronic copies of agency-specific documents that you can Copy-and-paste or edit-and-paste into the narrative Include, if requested, in the appendixes Post on the Public Documents page on your website Immediate access to statistics (national, statewide and local, if possible) and data to illustrate a problem Strategic plans: sustainability (minimal) Funder Research: Funder priorities, patterns, values, eligibility, preferences, past grantees and timelines Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 6

7 Most Widely Used Grant Writing Format In The World 1. Summary or Abstract 2. Agency Introduction 3. Problem or Needs Statement 4. Solution or Methods 5. Outcomes or Objectives 6. Evaluation 7. Future Funding or Sustainability 8. Budget Grant Ready Standards Grants.gov (i.e., Dun & Bradstreet) Online submissions (i.e., # of characters,.pdf s) GuideStar Nonprofit Report Checklist & Exchange Seal = Get GuideStar Premium ($1,500 value) for 12 months free Charity Navigator United Way Standards of Excellence = Get Partner Status BBB Standards for Charity Accountability Others? Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 7

8 Being Grant Ready Is Being Accountable & Transparent! BEST PRACTICES 1. Governance 2. Financial 3. Legal 4. Program Management Accountability is an obligation or willingness by a charity to explain its actions to its stakeholders. Transparency is an obligation or willingness by a charity to publish and make available critical data about the organization. Generally speaking, charities that follow best practices in governance, donor relations and related areas are less likely to engage in unethical and irresponsible activities. Governance Charter or Bylaws* Board Meeting Minutes Policies Conflict of Interest* Code of Ethics* Whistle Blower* Document Destruction Document Retention Nondiscrimination Donor Bill of Rights Gift Acceptance Policies and Procedures Annual Report* Board: Terms* Selection process Demographics Committees *Include In Public Disclosures Page On Website Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 8

9 Financial Annual Operating Budget Financial Management Policies & Procedures CFO Sign Off 990, 990 PF, 990 EZ or 990 N Proportion expended on fundraising = $ Proportion expended on nonprogram administration = $ Plans: Fundraising, Capital Campaign, Sustainability Travel Reimbursement Top Funding Sources Cash Reserve = $ Audits >$250,000 Audit every year $100k-$250k Financial review by independent CPA who follows AICPA standards <$100k Internallyproduced, complete financial statement: Profit & Loss Statement Balance Sheet Employer Identification Number (EIN) Duns & Bradstreet # IRS Letter of Determination* Articles of Incorporation (Nevada)* Any federal, state and local licensing requirements (i.e., child care, food prep, etc.) and laws Federal Assurances Legal Follow employment laws Annual filing of officers with state Manage Compensation Process Create a rebuttable presumption of reasonableness Grants.gov Profile *Include In Public Disclosures Page On Website Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 9

10 Program Management Community Needs Assessments Mission statement* Policies Confidentiality Privacy Performance Evaluation: Report How Often? Time sheets Matching & In-Kind documentation Testimonials News Room: clips, videos, newsletter, publications Logo* Organizational Chart Job Descriptions Activity Timelines Process for Managing Letters of Support RFP Analysis System *Include In Public Disclosures Page On Website Definition: Online Donor Readiness Means Having Lots of traffic come to your website Single call-to-action landing pages: That match each marketing campaign Donate, Volunteer, Fundraising Events, Outreach, Public Disclosures With low bounce rates & high quality scores That convert traffic into opt-ins or sales (i.e., act) An up-to-date list of s, fans, followers An action plan for planned (Nevada s Big Give) & unplanned grant opportunities Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 10

11 Being Online Donor Ready Is Following The Leaders! BEST PRACTICES 1. Public Disclosures on Website 2. Drive Traffic 3. Single Action Public Disclosures On Website Charter or Bylaws Policies Conflict of Interest Code of Ethics Whistle Blower Annual Report Board: Terms (AB 242) IRS Letter of Determination Articles of Incorporation (Nevada) Mission statement Logo Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 11

12 Drive Traffic Drive Traffic Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 12

13 From Lots of Choices To Single Action Above the Fold Bottom Line Maximize your time AND get more money by having a system in place that guarantees your nonprofit is grant & online donor ready! Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 13

14 GRANT & ONLINE DONOR READ QUESTIONS? Prize Drawing Who brought a Board Member? Up to $480,000/Year In Free Advertising Webinar 1 of 2: February 23 at 9 am Free Traffic (Most Nonprofits Are Not Optimized) Webinar: March 6 at 9 am Copyright 2012 Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits 14