Grants Gone Digital: What it Means for
Your Organization
Presented by:
Tina Barber, Program Officer
tbarber@donorswhocare.org
Today’s Session
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Brief History of the Community Foundation for SCNY
Why Go Digital?
Then and Now: Major Differences
No Paper…Now What?
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Create an Account
Grant Opportunities for 2016
LOI
Application
Follow-Ups
Today’s Session
• Managing Your Applications in Foundant
• What Goes “Live” in January
▫ Spring 2016 Community Fund
▫ Small Grants Program
 Mattern Fund
 Broome Library Foundation Fund
• HELP!
• Questions
Brief History of CFSCNY
History
• CFSCNY began operation in 1997
• Mission: “To offer caring individuals an effective way to endow their community in a manner that is
responsible, responsive and lasting.”
 Through our various funds, we offer a variety of convenient, meaningful ways for people to create a
personal charitable legacy that will be used for the good of their community.
 Make grants consistent with region’s needs which have recently been assessed and analyzed
A summary of the report can be found on our website: www.donorswhocare.org
“For good. For ever.”
Role of the Program Officer
Provide technical assistance to applicants to ensure they put
forward the best proposal possible
Staff liaison to CF Grant Panels and the Grant Committee
Oversees the grant process; prepares each year’s grant guidelines
and criteria at direction of the Board of Directors
Reviews proposals, performs due diligence; attends all proposal
review meetings (Program Officer has no vote)
Once grant is awarded, prepares grant contracts, reviews periodic
reports, performs due diligence, including site visits as necessary
Why Go Digital?
• Volume of applications has been steadily increasing
• Efficient use of staff time
• Decrease expenses in order to maintain level of granting
• Reduce waste and burden on organizations
Differences
Then
Now
• Paper
• Digital
• 15-copies
• No copies!
• Call for inquiry
• Inquire on-line
• Call for status of request
• Status updates automated
• Lack of continuity
• Organization’s application history in one place
• Due-dates unmanageable
• Due date reminders and reports sent
automatically
How to Create an Account in Foundant
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Visit our website: www.donorswhocare.org
Go to the “How to Apply” tab
Click on the highlighted Foundant tab
To our “logon” page
Brand new system…there were no “pre-existing”
accounts
6. All organizations must create a new account
7. If an organization has more than one account, make
sure to designate the department
8. Make sure all relevant staff know the logon
information
9. Take advantage of the video tutorial highlighted on
the logon page
10. Call Tina if you are experiencing difficulties or have
questions
Creating Your Account
Creating Your Account
2016 Funding Opportunities
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Community Fund (Spring and Fall)
Small Grants Program
The Women’s Fund
The Mattern Fund
The Broome Library Foundation Fund
The Barbara H. Chaffee Educational Fund
Special Funds (Invitation Only)
The Community Fund
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Two grant cycles in 2016: 3/8 and 9/7 deadline dates
Open, competitive grant process
$200,000 total may be awarded in 2016
Grants awarded for amounts between $5,000 and $15,000
An additional targeted opportunity may be offered for the Fall cycle
Must be located in, or be a project primarily serving, residents of our 5-county
service area in NY: Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga
• Utilizes the Uniform Grant Application (UGA)
The Community Fund
• Our competitive grant making is done with the help of interested
citizens from the region who serve on our grant review panels.
• As proposals are received, they’re separated into four panel categories:
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Health and Human Services
Education
Arts & Humanities
Sports / Recreation / Community
The Community Fund
• March/September: Panel Meetings
• March/September: Those proposals moved forward by the Grant
Panels are distributed to the Board Grant Committee for review.
• April/October Board Grant Committee meets to choose grants for final
recommendation to the full Board.
• April/October: Full Board meets to formally approve grants.
• Awards made total up to $100,000 in the spring and $100,000 in the fall
The Community Fund
For 2016, the CF considers 4 types of grant requests:
▫ Program: Proposals that address a specific need which, if funded or seeded, will create, improve
or strengthen that program.
▫ Capital Projects / Capital Campaigns: Proposals for property purchase, facilities improvement
and equipment
▫ Operating Support: Two categories: General and Program-Specific. Proposals will be accepted
from well-established organizations that are in need of short-term financial support to increase
long-term sustainability.
▫ Capacity Building: Proposals that build organizational capacity and do not qualify for NYCON’s
(New York Council on Non-Profits) mini-grant program which awards up to $1,000 to qualified
non-profits for various projects.
Small Grants Program
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Incoming Proposals $5,000 and under
Utilized the Small Grant Application (SGA)
Vetted by Program Officer
Reviewed by Special Grants Committee
Assigned a Fund
Board Approval of Recommendations From Special Grants
Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Considered by Special Grants
Committee 6 times a year: February, April, June, August, October, and
December. Process takes 4-6 weeks
The Women’s Fund
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Grant Proposals accepted one time per year (summer)
Utilizes the Small Grant Application (SGA)
Awards range from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $6,000
Guidelines will be available in March 2016, deadline June 17, 2016
 A. Innovative approaches to create positive change and which demonstrate the potential to improve the
well-being of women and/or girls. Proposals must address one or more of the following areas:
 Promoting economic self-sufficiency
 Supporting healthy decision-making and taking control of one’s life; improving self-esteem
 Leadership development
 Education
 Personal Safety
 B. Emergency assistance projects or programs that serve women and/or girls who find themselves in
short-term crisis situations.
The Mattern Fund
• Successful proposals will seek to enrich the cultural life and/or the social
well-being of the residents of the village and township of Walton, New
York.
• Support for capacity building, program and capital will be available.
• Matching grants are encouraged.
• Grants will be awarded from $500 to $5,000.
• Utilizes the Small Grants Application (SGA)
• Applications will be accepted annually with the following deadline:
 4PM Tuesday, March 8th, 2016
Broome Library Foundation Fund
• NOT JUST FOR BROOME!!!
• Grant applications will be accepted from public libraries or historical societies in
collaboration with public libraries in Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Tioga
counties.
• Grant proposals will be considered for amounts from $250 and up to $1,250 that address a
specific public library need to enhance library resources, programs or services or that will
assist in the production of an historical exhibition in conjunction with a public library.
• Grant proposals for library operating and maintenance funds, reimbursed expenses, funds
for existing programs where no improvement or expansion is proposed and staff salaries are
specifically excluded from consideration; the purpose of the fund is to enrich rather than
replace traditional tax-based support.
• The Broome Library Foundation Fund may award less than the amount requested and may
consider matching or challenge grants.
• Utilizes the Small Grants Application (SGA)
Barbara H. Chaffee Educational Fund
• The Barbara H. Chaffee, MD, MPH Educational Fund welcomes proposals from physicians
(attendings and residents), medical students, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers,
case managers and nurses.
• The mission of the fund is to enable local health professionals to advance their knowledge of
HIV/AIDS. It is hoped that award recipients from the fund are or will be caring for patients with
HIV/AIDS and plan to remain in the immediate or upstate New York area to serve HIV-infected people
in our communities.
• Applicants can request funding for conference registration, hotel and meals, travel, and/or CEU fees
• Grants will be awarded from $500 to $1,500
• Applicants should utilize the Barbara H. Chaffee Educational Fund application located on the
Community Foundation website: http://donorswhocare.org
• Applications will be accepted on an on-going basis and will be considered quarterly with decisions
made in: February, April, June, August, October and December
Special Funds
• By invitation only
• Include annual operating grants from the Briggs and Dickenson Funds
• Are typically utilized one of four ways:
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To process all Small Grant requests
In emergencies
When more than $15,000 is needed
When a special Request for Proposals (RFP) is released
How to Apply
1. From your dashboard, click “Apply”
2. This will take you to the “Application Page”
3. Any open application will have a hyper-link
here (e.g. 2016 Spring Community Fund or
Small Grant Program)
4. Click on the hyper-link
5. Begin the process with an“LOI”
Completing the LOI
Completing the LOI
Completing the LOI
• Make sure to fill out all of the information completely
• If you do not see your type of organization in that section, call the
Program Officer
• Please check the county(ies) that the project will serve directly
• Be clear with your project description and include the type of support:
capital, program, capacity building or operating
The Uniform Grant Application (UGA)
The following Broome County- based foundations accept the UGA*:
▫ The Community Foundation for South Central New York
▫ The Dr. G. Clifford & Florence B. Decker Foundation
▫ The Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation
▫ The Conrad and Virginia Klee Foundation
▫ The Roger Kresge Foundation
▫ The George A. and Margaret Mee Charitable Foundation
*Only CFSCNY accepts the Small Grants Application
The Uniform Grant Application
The Uniform Grant Application
The Uniform Grant Application-Budget
The Uniform Grant Application-Budget
The Uniform Grant Application-Attachments
The UGA Narrative
• Take time to review the “Tips and Strategies” before beginning the UGA Narrative. Please use headings that
correspond with the UGA and number your responses!
• Section One: Organizational History: Briefly discuss your organization’s major successes, current programs and how
these fit in with your mission. You are making the case for funding your organization above others. Do not simply cut and
paste your organization’s mission statement.
• Section Two: Administrative: The purpose of this section is to provide information about the operation of your
organization and the role the board of director’s plays in planning
• Section Three: Need for Program/Project: Perhaps the most important section. There are three areas that need to be
addressed:
 The LOCAL need for the program
 Evidence that your target audience is interested in your proposed intervention
 Evidence that you have scanned the local service environment to ensure that the need is not being addressed already
The UGA Narrative
Section Four: Program/Project Description: Refer to “Tips and Strategies” for specific examples. Proposals that
include collaborative partners and/or share resources are strongly encouraged. Stating your goals, objectives and
activities clearly will be critical to the success of your application. Keep in mind the following:
Goal statements are what you’d like to have accomplished by the end of your program/project and need to be
attainable v. unattainable:
ATTAINABLE: As a result of this program, we will reduce the drop-out rate in Chenango County by 10%
UNATTAINABLE: As a result of this program, we will end teen drop-out in Chenango County
ATTAINABLE: As a result of this project, we will increase our operating revenue
UNATTAINABLE: As a result of this project, we will be completely self-sustaining
The UGA Narrative
• Program/Project Objectives will outline the steps your organization will take towards accomplishing your endproduct: the goal statement
• In order to simplify the evaluation process, all objectives should be measurable and matched to your stated
goal(s):
GOAL: Reduce the drop-out rate in Chenango County by 10%
MEASURABLE OBJECTIVE: 85% of identified at-risk students participating in intensive tutoring program will
receive passing grades in current course load
GOAL: Increase operating revenue
MEASURABLE OBJECTIVE: XYZ Agency will generate 5% of operating revenue through on-line donations
The UGA Narrative
Section Five: Evaluation: Evaluation is important to the Community Foundation! It helps us demonstrate the
effectiveness of our granting to our board of directors and to our potential investors. There is no need for an
evaluation to be cumbersome! Just stick to your objectives.
MEASURABLE OBJECTIVE: 85% of identified at-risk students participating in intensive tutoring program will
receive passing grades in current course load
EVALUATION STRATEGY: As measured through mid-term and final grade reports
MEASURABLE OBJECTIVE: XYZ Agency will generate 5% of operating revenue through on-line donations
EVALUATION STRATEGY: As measured through a general accounting and comparison of year-end fundraising
activities
The UGA/SGA Budget
The Community Foundation will want both the Project Budget and the Organizational
Budget.
Project Budget: Should detail SPECIFICALLY what your award will be allocated to. The
panels want to know what they are “investing” in. Budget should also detail other
sources of funding
Organizational Budget: Gives the review panel a comprehensive picture of your
organization’s fiscal health
HELP!
• There is still an actual person able to assist you should you run into
trouble!
• Call Tina Barber, Program Officer at 607-772-6773 or e-mail her at
tbarber@donorswhocare.org
• She can log-in as you and see what you are seeing on the screen so you
can troubleshoot in real-time