PHILANTHROPY AND FUNDRAISING

Small and Mid-size Foundations’ Grant Making Rose in 2010
The first available data on 2010 grant making by small and mid-size foundations indicate that the number of grants rose 8.7 percent over 2009, while the value of these grants increased by 17.8 percent.

The significant rise in value was driven by the number of large grants of $1 million or more, which rose by 32.6 percent year over year. Even so, the number of grants under $1 million grew by 8.6 percent.

The analysis was prepared by Foundation Source based on its database of more than 900 private foundations nationwide. The findings were drawn from real-time data—not survey responses—captured as Foundation Source processed more than 33,000 grants for its client foundations during the two year period.

“The 2010 increase came on top of 2009’s 15 percent increase in the number of grants made by the same universe of small and mid-size foundations,” said Page Snow, Chief Philanthropic Officer of Foundation Source. “This points to a dichotomy in foundation grant making as grants by larger institutional foundations are reported to have declined in 2009. In fact, ninety-nine percent of all family foundations have assets under $100 million and represent more than half of all foundations. Based on this new grant making data, these foundations remain focused on their mission and have not been deterred by recent uncertainty in the economy and financial markets.”

The categories that benefited most from increased giving by small and mid-size foundations’ grant-making in 2010 were:

• Arts and culture—Value of grants up 67.6 percent
• Public Affairs/Society Benefit—Value of grants up 33.2 percent
• Religion— Value of grants up 29.3 percent

Only two categories received a decreased amount of grants in 2010: Health (down 0.3 percent) Science & Technology (down 41.6 percent).

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT

National Service Agency Requests Applications for Social Innovation Fund Competition
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) recently released a Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2011 grant competition of the Social Innovation Fund. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.

“In its first year, the Social Innovation Fund has laid a sound foundation for improving the lives of thousands of people in low-income communities throughout the U.S.,” said Patrick Corvington, CEO of CNCS. “The second grant selection competition represents a critical next step toward demonstrating that the federal government – working in partnership with nonprofit organizations, private philanthropies, municipal governments and other key agents of change – can be an innovative and effective catalyst for tackling some of our most persistent social challenges.”

The Social Innovation Fund represents a new way of doing business for the federal government. Through an innovative public-private partnership, the Social Innovation Fund and selected local and national grant makers co-invest in programs that increase the scale of community-based solutions that have evidence of real impact in three priority areas: youth development, economic opportunity or healthy futures. When the first round of grant making is completed in March, the Social Innovation Fund’s eleven 2010 grantees will have awarded nearly $100 million to approximately 150 innovative community-based non-profits organizations.

The release of this NOFO follows a one-month public comment period. The suggestions gathered during this process resulted in numerous revisions that clarified the proposed transparency process, budget instructions, and evidence requirements.

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, the Corporation plans to award up to approximately $28 million in grants to up to ten intermediary grant making institutions. Each award will range from $1 – $7 million and will be matched dollar for dollar by the intermediary. Subsequent awards by the intermediaries to their selected sub grantees will also be matched 1:1, yielding up to $3 in private funding for every $1 in federal funding committed to this program.
Successful intermediary applicants will have the following characteristics:

• A strong track record of using rigorous evidence to select, invest in, support, and monitor the replication and expansion of their sub grantees;
• The capacity to conduct an open, competitive process for selecting innovative nonprofit community organizations with effective and potentially transformative approaches;
• Expertise in one or more priority issue areas; and
• Deep and broad relationships with stakeholders in one or more priority issue areas and and/or specific geographic regions.

Please consult the CNCS website to read or download a copy of the NOFO, which provides complete information about this grant competition, including instructions for how to apply. The website also contains information on other resources CNCS will make available to potential applicants, including technical assistance calls, a webinar and access to proposals and application executive summaries from the 2010 competition.

Please note that the initial technical assistance call will be held on March 2, 2011, at 1:00 pm Eastern Time. The call can be accessed at 888-989-7535 (Passcode: 2414449.)

Applicants must apply using the Corporation’s eGrants system. The eGrants Web site is: https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT

Encourage Your Members to Get Moving
When planning member events and field trips, consider offering options that emphasize fitness and exercise opportunities, such as group walks, hikes and similar activities.

If your organization is near lakes and campgrounds, consider offering organized hikes, swimming/water activities, bird watching and other outdoor excursions to get your members out of the office and encourage both staff and members to get active.

You can also organize similar activities in colder months such as ski trips, snow shoeing, ice skating and other winter-friendly group activities.

If your members are scattered across the state, country or planet, consider including such health-conscious and friend-building activities at annual meetings or chapter get-togethers to take advantage of the locale’s unique features and encourage networking.

Offering these types of outings for your members can set you apart from other organizations while also giving your members a chance to pursue the sports and activities they enjoy, or perhaps discover a new hobby. In addition, these types of group activities can create a worthwhile team-building experience for your members.

RESOURCES FOR NONPROFIT AND ASSOCIATION PROFESSIONALS

Upcoming Webinars
Forget what you’ve learned about fundraising in the past? Sign up now for the March 28 Webinar, Myths of Fundraising presented by fundraising consultant Jerry Smith. How do you decide and know what to collect when it comes to records management? Sign up for Brian Dowling’s The Science and Art of Data and Records Management (April 13), sure to be worth your while! Also coming up in April, don’t miss David Lamb’s 90-minute Webinar, How to Evaluate Publicly-owned Company Officers and Directors.

Nonprofit and Association Jobs
Looking for a position or want to post a job opening? Check out our Jobs Center! Typical job titles include, but are not limited to: Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Director of Development, Executive Director, Director of Volunteer Services, Director of Membership, Director of Annual Giving, Director of Special Events, Director of Planned Giving, Director of Communications, Director of Media Relations, Director of Alumni Relations and the list goes on…