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For an organization facing an executive director transition, it is crucial to manage the impact on the grant seeking program. What are the right steps to communicate the leadership change? We decided to consult the best possible resources: grant makers themselves! Read on for insights from four regional foundation leaders on mindfully maintaining strong relationships…

Having a smart marketing practice in place for your organization can influence the success of your fundraising and grant seeking effort. To learn more, we talked to Ceci Dadisman, a national expert on nonprofit marketing and communications. Ceci is a celebrated speaker and trainer who travels the country to empower and inspire nonprofit leaders. Via…

“How can we receive grants through donor-advised funds?” Savvy fund development professionals feel confident pursuing grants from traditional foundations but are less sure about maximizing funding from donor-advised funds (DAFs).  The donors who give through DAFs are often high-net-worth individuals with the propensity to volunteer and make major or planned gifts. That means that nonprofits risk…

Winning a big grant can almost feel like magic: a major award can capture attention, summon other support, and even transform an organization or community. What’s the trick to conjuring such success? No tricks at all—just the powerful alchemy of planful funder cultivation, stewardship, and affirmation.    Try this potion for prosperity:  Pre-Award Cultivation: Introduce, Inspire,…

Are Congressional earmarks coming back? To better understand, Grants Plus hosted an informational forum featuring Lee Weingart, President of LNE Group, who gave the following advice to nonprofits who could stand to gain millions of dollars in earmarked funds for local projects.   For a basic overview of earmarks—what they are and who they benefit—see…

Maximize your grants success by following these best practice tips!  Grant Calendar is Key: Make sure you have an up–to–date road map that will lead your way.  Craft your yearly grants calendar by mapping out the deadlines of your current funders. Don’t forget to include when reports are due!  Research new potential funders to confirm…

To learn about the community impact of giving circles, we talked to Jenny Neyer Berg, a local and national leader in collective giving. Jenny is Chair of the national board of Catalist (formerly the Women’s Collective Giving Grant Makers Network), a network of 66 women’s giving circles across the U.S. and even in Australia.   She…

Congratulations! You got the grant. And as the representative of a conscientious grantee organization, you set a reminder to submit the final report on time. But do not stop there! With so many technological tools at our fingertips, grant professionals can steward funders with greater ease, frequency, and personalization than ever before. Thank You 2.0…

What size grants do private and corporate foundations make to your organization? $25,000? $100,000? Much more? Most likely, grant funders are some of the most generous contributors to your organization. As such, it’s crucial to have a tailored strategy for every foundation funder, just as you should for every high-level individual donor.  Yet too often…