Foundation Funding Opportunities for IPY

Poles Together: Coordinating IPY Outreach and Education

D. Lance King

Senior Vice President for Development

University of Colorado Foundation

IPY Funding Opportunities Among Foundations

• You will increase your chances of success with foundations if:

– You do your homework and find a “good match” for the project• Understand foundation’s history; mindset of founder(s)

– You make an effort to understand the foundation’s perspective• Foundation’s charitable mission is to solve problems

– You approach the foundation in a way it establishes• No “one-size-fits-all,” no mail-merge boilerplate proposals!!

– You write to the foundation in a way it recognizes• Don’t ignore their guidelines, information requested, format, etc.

IPY Funding Opportunities Among Foundations

• Is your project a fit for foundation funding?– Lots of IPY project ideas… but, are foundations the right funding source

for your project? • Foundations want to affect social change and be associated with greatness

• Foundations prefer to fund programs and projects (good news for IPY!!)

– Is your idea really a project?• Is your project doable? Be visionary but be realistic.

• Is there a timetable? A specific goal? Who will benefit? How will you measure success? Measurable outcomes?

• Can you answer the question, “So what?”

• Added bonuses for your project: Leveraging other funds? Community involvement? Engaging underserved populations? Something novel? Plans to continue the work after grant concludes? Replication? Dissemination of findings?

IPY Funding Opportunities Among Foundations

• Tips on Researching Foundations:– Consider foundation’s history and current “personality,” source(s) of

funding, read president’s letter in annual report, in a “spend down” mode?

– Distinct political/ideological leanings?

– Assess staffing – program officers? former academics?

– Pay attention to guidelines but also recent grants (follow the $!)

– Consider foundation’s grant-making philosophy…• Direct service? Research? Education? K-12? Community engagement?

Advocacy/Activism? Educating policy-makers? Conservative/Liberal?

• Local? Regional? National? Global? Are there restrictions?

• Use of RFPs? Accepts unsolicited proposals/LOIs? Deadlines?

• Who makes decisions about funding? Staff? Board? Peer review?

IPY Funding Opportunities Among Foundations

• Tips on Approaching Foundations:– Foundations provide funding through RFPs, ongoing programs with

deadlines, funding guidelines with open-ended submission– Ways to respond:

• Look at annual report, web site, guidelines, recent grants• After you’ve reviewed the above, okay to make inquiries for clarification• Letter of inquiry (include workshop report?)• Proposal• Personal contact/visit to foundation HQ

– Seek help from development professionals if available– Develop your “elevator speech” (can you explain it to your Mother?)– What would happen if your project isn’t funded?– Be mindful of the foundation’s deadlines, Board meeting schedule

IPY Funding Opportunities Among Corporations

• Corporate philanthropy is an oxymoron!

• To attract corporate support for IPY, you must:– Convince the corporation there’s a benefit to their bottom line

– Connect IPY goals/objectives to company’s strategic objectives

– Find ways to give them visibility

– Be willing to take the “bad with the good”… will other potential funding sources (or other stakeholders) be alienated by corporate involvement?

• Be mindful of sources of corporate funds for particular projects:– R&D budgets, marketing budgets, human resources (“talent pipeline”),

discretionary budgets, connection to image/branding that is consistent with your “cause”, remember corporate foundations

Coordinating IPY Fundraising With Your Institution/Organization…

• If you work in higher education, engage your development office (particularly corporate/foundation relations office) – never hurts to ask!

• Most university development offices are charged with raising money for “institutional” priorities… Is IPY on your institution’s radar?

• Consult with your OSP/OGC office• Make IPY fundraising a “win-win” for IPY and your institution – avoid

competition for resources – does not have to be “either/or”• May be beneficial for IPY gifts/grants to be administered by your institution

and/or institution’s foundation (credibility with donor)• Downside is that some funding entities limit solicitations by your institution

within a given time period (creates competition with other funding needs on your campus)

• Leverage NSF and any similar support; many corps/fdns look for this investment before investing