In the non-profit world it seems that there is overlap in job duties because each dollar has to be stretched to keep the agency on its feet.  When I was Executive Director of a small non-profit I did everything from program implementation to fundraising to board management, and everything in between.  Having volunteers provide their expertise in various areas was not only helpful, but necessary to keep the agency moving forward.

The most common use of volunteers in a non-profit agency is as board members.  These individuals usually serve on boards because they are committed to the cause, and at times they may provide an in-kind service to the agency such as accounting, marketing, or legal advice.

Other volunteers might be engaged to assist with program implementation.  They might work with clients of the non-profit, provide education or share a skill or talent.  Still others might provide administrative support such as answering phones, filing, or data entry

When developing a grant proposal budget, you can include volunteer time as an in-kind match.  The value of volunteering for your agency can be calculated based on the estimated hours times a rate that is determined by each state.  For example, in California the current hourly rate is nearly $25/hour. 

Describing how volunteers support your agency in a grant application can be compelling.  It demonstrates that there is community support for your cause, and that your agency is willing to take the time to engage volunteers in their programming.

According to the Corporation for National and Community service, about 63.4 million Americans gave 8.1 billion hours of volunteer service in 2010, valued at $173 billion.  Consider what enormous impact and value volunteers can have on your agency.  

For more information, check out these links:

www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.

http://www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Goals, objectives, methods, activities, outcomes—Oh my!  These terms get thrown into nearly every grant application and can be confusing.  And as mentioned last week, I am a visual thinker, so I have found that putting these terms into a picture helps me keep them straight.

I’ve developed a picture that we use in our training to help everyone understand goals, objectives, methods or activities, and outcomes.  Imagine constructing a building and here’s how that project is related:

Goal:  Picture the building.  What does it look like?  Where is it located?  What is the reason for building it? Here’s an example, “To support improvement in a neighborhood undergoing redevelopment.”  This is the goal.  In program development and in a grant application the goal is a broad statement, the one that is the driving force for everything you do.  For your grant application, there should only be one goal statement.

Objectives:  When planning our building, we create a project timeline with benchmarks to achieve along the way.  In program planning and grant development, these are the objectives.  They are specific, time limited, measurable, and achievable statements of purpose to guide you toward reaching the goal. For our building, an objective might be “By October 30, 2012 the foundation will be completed.”  There may be several objectives for each goal. 

Methods or Activities:  Notice that the Objectives can be specific and yet broad.  That is because the methods or activities are those building blocks that support the objectives.  In the case of our building, activities to support the objective named above could be (1) Dig the hole for the foundation; (2) lay the frame and rebar to support the foundation; and (3) pour the concrete.  There are usually numerous activities to support each objective. 

Outcomes:  These are the expected results of the endeavor or program.  Once the building is completed, an expected outcome could be “New business attracted to the community” or “Non-profits organizations providing community services in the building for the area residents.”  The outcomes are what effect will occur during the grant period as a result of the proposed activities.  

I am a visual thinker.  When a new idea comes to me, I see in my head as a picture.  And if I take a few moments, I can actually feel it and get sensations from it.  I love having this ability, but where I get caught up is in the details of making the vision happen.  If I jump directly from this powerful vision to thinking ‘how will I ever get this accomplished?’ I usually feel a great sense of overwhelm and may be stopped right in my tracks.

So what’s the missing link?  For me it’s clarity supported by information.  Instead of going directly to the ‘how’, I go back to the vision with the intention of clarifying what it is I want it to do.  In other words, I look at the vision with the question, “what is the outcome I wish to achieve with this?”  This usually provides me with an answer that leads me on the quest for information to support the vision.

Here’s how this works:

1.       Visualize a program; for example a literacy program for adults.  The program could help people learn how to read; have individuals tutored by volunteers in a setting that is bright, supportive, and successful.  Now, how is all of this going to be accomplished?  This is where overwhelm can happen.  Instead of wallowing in it, go to the next step.

2.       Answer the question “what is the outcome I want to achieve?” Is it that more adults will be able to read?  What happens when they can read? Does it help them in job search? Can they read to their children? Are there other opportunities for them? Can they tutor others?  Take the time to define the outcome(s).

3.       Once there is clarity around the outcomes, gather the information needed to support the vision.  Research the need for adult literacy, how it affects lives, what programs work best. Clarify the need.

4.       Next, write it all down.  Begin with the outcomes, plug in the activities and methods to support the outcomes, outline a timeline and benchmarks, and define costs associated with each step.

5.       Voila and congratulations! A program is created and now the basics for a grant proposal are down on paper.

I go through this process several times in order to triumph over the feeling of overwhelm and to develop deliberate steps I can take to power up my vision.  The clarity and information are the amps and watts I need to light the bulb, and once the bulb is lit, my pathway is clear. 

It can be a challenge to find a funder that will support a newly developed nonprofit organization or that will award a grant to an organization that has not yet been classified as a 501(c)(3).  Depending on your organization’s focus you could consider looking within your community to find an organization with a similar vision and ask them to serve as your fiscal agent. 

A fiscal agent is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that agrees to accept and be responsible for grant monies on your behalf. This partnership could allow you to seek grants and other tax-deductible donations under the fiscal agent’s exempt status allowing you to start your project sooner.  This arrangement is useful for new organizations that want to “test the waters” before deciding whether to seek 501(c)(3) status, as well as coalitions that are looking for a neutral party to administer their funds.

The grant would be awarded to the name of the fiscal agent and they would forward the funds to your organization.  The fiscal agent is legally responsible for receiving and safeguarding your grant funds and must maintain separate records of disbursements related to the grant but will be required to distribute the funds in accordance with the grant award notice.  Because you will not have direct control of the grant funds you will need develop a legally-binding contract outlining funding details.  It is your responsibility to follow up with the fiscal agent to ensure that you receive your grant funds.

For more information: Fiscalsponsorship.com, an authoritative site by nonprofit attorney Gregory L. Colvin

You've spent hours researching possible funding sources for your program, and you've found a few that seem to be a match.  You look up the deadlines and find one of these situations: either the due date has passed, is a week away, or is six months from now.   Should  you jam and go for the short deadline or take your time and wait for six months?

If you've taken the time to develop your goals and objectives, need statements, organizational history statement, and budget, you might just be able to turn the grant application around in a week.  Otherwise you may have to wait until the next funding cycle.

How can you determine the foundation's funding cycle?  You may have to do a bit of investigation to find out what a foundation's cycle is--look at their IRS Form 990, annual reports, and past grants awarded.  You can call the foundation and ask for its funding cycle.  It's a great question to get a conversation started and begin developing a relationship. 

It's pretty obvious why deadlines are important.  Deadlines mitigate procrastination. They motivate us to get something done.  They promote focus and  productivity. Deadlines and funding cycles are your friend.  They help you stay on task and plan for the future.  

 It does not make sense to develop and submit 100 grant applications asking for $10 each to fund a program that costs $100, just as it doesn't make sense to submit a grant application to a foundation for $100 when the published grant award range is between $25,000 and $50,000. You may think that you are being nice and "saving the funding" for other applicants but you would be better served by being strategic about the amount you request in your grant applications.


Foundations that are required to give away 5% of their profit by the IRS, often state the amount of money they expect to give away in individual grants. If the grant maker provides a range, make sure your project budget is presented within that range. Your proposal runs the risk of being tossed out if it does not meet those basic criteria. 


If you take the time to conduct research  on the funding agency, especially looking at their IRS 990 Tax Forms,  you can see what past funding levels were made by the grant maker. If your request is too low, your project may be seen as less deserving;  while too large a request may tell a funder that your organization does not have the capacity to carry out the work. Use the information gathered from your research to frame the application and budget for specifically to each funding agency, based on its past awards and published grant award amounts.