Program Funding
Securing reliable funding can be one of the more difficult aspects of running your grant program. Thankfully, several grants are available to fund large environmental projects like your grant program. Either additionally or in its stead, individual contributions and corporate donations can keep your program financially supported. Consider all of the following options, and then pursue the one(s) you see as most promising. Contact us for additional ideas, if these paths do not lead to success.
Grants
Applying periodically for grants within the range of $3000 – $15,000 can maintain your grant program without the need for a long-term program donor. This type of funding can be especially helpful when you are first starting out, as many grants fund projects or programs not yet in process, and many individual contributors might want to see results before investing in your program.
The Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program was initially funded by a $10,000 Green Heroes Grant, a (now discontinued) online national grant contest sponsored by Clorox GreenWorks Green Cleaners. This type of funding worked very well for us because we only had to provide a plan for the program rather than already have deliverables. You may find that this funding option is a good place to begin.
To get you started on potential funding opportunities through grants, look through the “Funding Opportunities” document in the grant program package. You can also find a surprising number of relevant opportunities merely by searching “environmental youth grants” in Google. When applying for grants, utilize the tips found in “Tips on Applying for Awards” to maximize your chances of receiving funding. As detailed in that document, keywords are an incredibly simple yet incredibly effective manner of connecting with your judges. Don’t lower your chances by forgetting this easy step!
Keep in mind that, for most funding opportunities through grants, you must have 501(c)(3) nonprofit / tax-exempt status or be associated with an institution that has such a status to qualify for funding. Find a fiscal sponsor before applying for funding. They can provide you with the status and necessary proof of status.
Also take note of the terms of acceptance of the grant you seek to earn. Do you need to be sending receipts or other forms of documentation to the organization that gave you the grant? Should you be putting their logo on your big checks or on your website? Keep your granters updated on the progress of your program, and be sure to thank them for making it possible. Cultivating a positive relationship with this granting organization could help you secure more permanent ongoing funding from them in the future. By being in communication with the granters, you can show them how well you are using the money that they originally gave you and showing that perhaps additional funding would be a good investment, too.
Applying periodically for grants within the range of $3000 – $15,000 can maintain your grant program without the need for a long-term program donor. This type of funding can be especially helpful when you are first starting out, as many grants fund projects or programs not yet in process, and many individual contributors might want to see results before investing in your program.
The Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program was initially funded by a $10,000 Green Heroes Grant, a (now discontinued) online national grant contest sponsored by Clorox GreenWorks Green Cleaners. This type of funding worked very well for us because we only had to provide a plan for the program rather than already have deliverables. You may find that this funding option is a good place to begin.
To get you started on potential funding opportunities through grants, look through the “Funding Opportunities” document in the grant program package. You can also find a surprising number of relevant opportunities merely by searching “environmental youth grants” in Google. When applying for grants, utilize the tips found in “Tips on Applying for Awards” to maximize your chances of receiving funding. As detailed in that document, keywords are an incredibly simple yet incredibly effective manner of connecting with your judges. Don’t lower your chances by forgetting this easy step!
Keep in mind that, for most funding opportunities through grants, you must have 501(c)(3) nonprofit / tax-exempt status or be associated with an institution that has such a status to qualify for funding. Find a fiscal sponsor before applying for funding. They can provide you with the status and necessary proof of status.
Also take note of the terms of acceptance of the grant you seek to earn. Do you need to be sending receipts or other forms of documentation to the organization that gave you the grant? Should you be putting their logo on your big checks or on your website? Keep your granters updated on the progress of your program, and be sure to thank them for making it possible. Cultivating a positive relationship with this granting organization could help you secure more permanent ongoing funding from them in the future. By being in communication with the granters, you can show them how well you are using the money that they originally gave you and showing that perhaps additional funding would be a good investment, too.
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Corporate Sponsorship
For more continuous funding, you can ask a specific company, corporation, institution, or organization to provide you with yearly funding.
For the Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program, this was the option we pursued after our initial grant ran out. One of our biggest stakeholders, the City of Carmel, was so interested in seeing our program continue that they offered to find us $5000 yearly as funding. This security of yearly funding is wonderful for a program that does not see an end to the program in the near future. Long-term sponsorship often requires more proof of success and more concrete deliverables than does a one-time grant, so it could be a better fit for your program once it becomes established in the community.
The tricky part about corporate sponsorship involves making sure that the sponsoring company or organization does not stand for ideas or actions that contradict your program’s goals. For example, be wary of sponsorship from companies that have a reputation for being environmentally unfriendly or that might have used child slavery to create cheap products to sell. You do not want to be associated with or support corporations with unacceptable actions and poor reputations.
The “Funding Outreach Letter” can be edited to include your program’s information and delivered to potential sponsoring corporations, preferably by hand during an in-person meeting, to highlight your program’s importance to the community and the world environment. Be sure to also discuss why your program would be a good investment for that company. Does your program line up with the values of the company? Do you see your program giving positive press to the company? How will you publicize your partnership with this company (their logo on your website, big checks, award ceremony programs, etc.)? Remember to talk about how you can give back to the company in addition to how the company can give to you.
For more continuous funding, you can ask a specific company, corporation, institution, or organization to provide you with yearly funding.
For the Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program, this was the option we pursued after our initial grant ran out. One of our biggest stakeholders, the City of Carmel, was so interested in seeing our program continue that they offered to find us $5000 yearly as funding. This security of yearly funding is wonderful for a program that does not see an end to the program in the near future. Long-term sponsorship often requires more proof of success and more concrete deliverables than does a one-time grant, so it could be a better fit for your program once it becomes established in the community.
The tricky part about corporate sponsorship involves making sure that the sponsoring company or organization does not stand for ideas or actions that contradict your program’s goals. For example, be wary of sponsorship from companies that have a reputation for being environmentally unfriendly or that might have used child slavery to create cheap products to sell. You do not want to be associated with or support corporations with unacceptable actions and poor reputations.
The “Funding Outreach Letter” can be edited to include your program’s information and delivered to potential sponsoring corporations, preferably by hand during an in-person meeting, to highlight your program’s importance to the community and the world environment. Be sure to also discuss why your program would be a good investment for that company. Does your program line up with the values of the company? Do you see your program giving positive press to the company? How will you publicize your partnership with this company (their logo on your website, big checks, award ceremony programs, etc.)? Remember to talk about how you can give back to the company in addition to how the company can give to you.
Funding Outreach Letter | |
File Size: | 35 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Individual Donors
Occasionally, a wealthy individual or two will show interest in providing funds for the program. Unless these individuals indicate that they have the donating capacity to act as a corporate sponsor, individual donations should be a supplement to more consistent funds rather than a relied-upon main source of funding. Ask your fiscal sponsor how people wishing to make a donation to your program should donate (ie, what the check should be made out to).
To thank donors for their contributions, you can add their names to the award ceremony program of the grant cycle they helped to fund. Sending a handwritten thank-you card to your donor with signatures from all of your board members would also be a good token of thanks. Including a photo or two of a youth project that the donor helped to fund makes the letter extra special. For donors who fund a high percentage of your yearly budget, you can thank them in a similar way that you would thank corporate sponsors.
Occasionally, a wealthy individual or two will show interest in providing funds for the program. Unless these individuals indicate that they have the donating capacity to act as a corporate sponsor, individual donations should be a supplement to more consistent funds rather than a relied-upon main source of funding. Ask your fiscal sponsor how people wishing to make a donation to your program should donate (ie, what the check should be made out to).
To thank donors for their contributions, you can add their names to the award ceremony program of the grant cycle they helped to fund. Sending a handwritten thank-you card to your donor with signatures from all of your board members would also be a good token of thanks. Including a photo or two of a youth project that the donor helped to fund makes the letter extra special. For donors who fund a high percentage of your yearly budget, you can thank them in a similar way that you would thank corporate sponsors.