When an organization announces a request for proposals for an open-application grant program, hopeful candidates comb the details and requirements seeking to align their needs with the program's criteria. They want their proposals to stand out among the competition, and they want to prove their relevance and awareness of current trends and exemplars.
Applicants often scour the web or draw on their network connections to identify the most renowned experts in the field with whom they will consult if the grant comes through.
Certainly, it looks good to be able to fly in an international celebrity speaker for a packed day of lectures, consultations and interviews. Look at the experts you know and at the resources you have access to!
We see this often in our work with multiple grant programs at Leadership Education. It makes sense. Resources seem scarce. Competition is fierce. Some organizations employ professional grant writers in hopes of increasing their chances of receiving funds.
Logic says the more important the people you can bring into conversations and collaborations, the more likely your project idea is to succeed, thus raising the chances of your proposal's being funded. That logic model is 100% true -- but not in the way that most people think.
Important conversation partners and collaborators are crucial to a successful project. The problem lies in the perception of "important."
Read more from Victoria Atkinson White » |
| | RELATED: ARE GRANTS THE ANSWER? |
Grant funding isn't the answer to all financial woes, but it can provide needed money, particularly for community outreach programs, says an Alban author.
Read more from Joy Skjegstad » |
Planning for the future is not primarily about trimming costs or adding a bit of revenue. A strategic sustainability plan involves regularly revisiting foundational questions about your program's purpose and impact.
Read more from David Odom » |
Yes, money is essential to the life of any church or organization, but it is other forms of capital that really build the community of faith, says a Houston leadership consultant and UMC layperson.
Read more from Laura Nichol » |
Offerings of the Heart: Money and Values in Faith Communities by Rabbi Shawn Israel Zevit
Nadiv Lev. "Offerings of the Heart." This phrase sets the tone for the Jewish spiritual perspective that money is a tool for actualizing God's presence in the world.
Building on this core value and setting aside the financial/spiritual split with which many congregational leaders operate, Rabbi Shawn Zevit brings the depth and breadth of Jewish teachings on money and the spiritual life to all faith communities. This book provides texts and tools to help clergy, staff, and lay leaders of congregations of any faith approach financial and other resources as core means to build and maintain whole and holy lives in a communal setting. Zevit demonstrates how faith communities can create values-based approaches to developing and managing financial and human resources that are rooted in the very sacred traditions, principles, and impulses that bring us together.
Learn more and order the book » |
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