Month: October 2011

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Spiritual approach to Economic future

coins-and-paper-money-showing-economic-exchange-tools.

I saw a post this week with the song lyric that many of you will remember, “There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear”** The recent Occupy Wall Street movement raises complex ethical and spiritual questions regarding our global economic system. It’s not clear what needs to happen next to fix our global economic system. It is clear that many people don’t trust the system we have. I’m going to ruminate a little here, offering more questions than answers. It seems timely to examine the ramifications of our current economic system and consider spiritual principles to move forward.

Usury Fees- Time for another Examination

The prophet Muhammad forbade charging interest for trading (usury fees) because he saw the moral hazards of doing so. Though he came from the trading class himself, he understood the perils of creating uneven distributions of wealth, leaving many in poverty. He saw that usury fees could indenture many people who borrowed money just to pay for food or housing.

In Exodus (22:25) the prohibition was sweeping, no usury was allowed for lending to anyone who was poor “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.” In Deuteronomy (23:19) there were similar condemnations for charging interest to one’s family or countrymen. Martin Luther also saw the corruption of the Catholic church over its use of money and lending practices and warned against such practices. We see from the Abrahamic traditions clear prohibitions against usury fees.

Since the early Mesopotamian, Graeco-Roman, and Arab trading cultures, societies have had to deal with the quandary of establishing just and profitable trading rules. In today’s world with instantaneous global access to trading, the prohibition on charging interest seems antiquated. Most of us rely on usury fees to support our future. Pension funds and retirement savings are based on investment growth that involves credit and lending and earning interest. Who is responsible for controlling and/or establishing reasonable lending practices (and from a spiritual perspective just practices) in today’s global economy?

Money and Justice- A spiritual perspective

As anyone who has studied finance knows, money begets money when interest is compounded over time. Those who start out with wealth earn far more than those who have little. We see the moral hazard of our current financial markets resulting in gross inequality of wealth. Is it up to the corporations and political leaders to fix the economic structures? What responsibilities do we as individuals have to trade, borrow, or invest in socially responsible ways?

Many threads tie together our economic system and our spiritual principles. They intersect at living wages, executive compensation, sustainable development, payday lending, hedge fund trading, campaign finance reform, corporations’ rights as citizens, Triple Bottom Line business practices. And on and on…..

The answers will come from moral and spiritual reflection as well as economic and political analysis. If we address these issues purely from an economic perspective, we miss the mark. There is something happening here. It is an awakening that the global economic system is somehow out of balance- whether it’s out of touch with our spiritual principles or simply not meeting the needs of too many people. I’d like to encourage the discourse to include an examination of the spiritual principles needed to guide us so we can make lasting changes in how money is earned, saved, invested and borrowed.

Please share your comments and reflections here or elsewhere as you feel so moved.

** Buffalo Springfield- 1967 – nice video of their performance in 1967.

Related links to Occupy Wall Street movement:

Occupy Wall Street Facebook page

Interview of recent college grad at Occupy Wall St. -“Occupy, but First Call Your Mother”

Interesting analysis by TeaParty member re: Occupy movement and grass roots organizing

Occupy Cities movement- Guardian article

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For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.

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Strategic Planning Primer

A compass illustrating strategy planning concept

When developing strategy, managers are often called upon to interview executives and other managers on a variety of issues facing an organization. Questions often arise concerning the organization’s vision, or its critical success factors, or key strategies, objectives or goals. “What is a strategy? How does it differ from a goal or an objective? How is mission different from vision, or are they really the same?”

The more managers understand strategy, the more effective they can be in driving to the critical questions for a business.

Through my years as a Certified Master Facilitator, and CEO of Leadership Strategies, I developed the Drivers Model, a method for taking a strategic approach to addressing a business situation. The model provides a simple communication tool for helping organizations construct a business strategy. It is fully scalable and applies to all sizes of organizations: Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, a field office, an individual department, a work team, etc.

There are four major steps in the Drivers Model.

Step 1: Where are we now? (Situation Assessment)

Understanding the current situation is vital to identifying the approaches needed to drive success. A full understanding of the current situation includes an analysis of several areas. The list below shows a sample of assessment areas and one or two of the key questions to be answered for each.

  • Customers – What are their current and future needs? What are their perceptions of our performance
  • Competitors – How do we compare against our competitors? What are their recent and anticipated initiatives?
  • Industry trends – What have been recent shifts in the industry? What shifts are anticipated for the future?
  • Performance trends – How are we performing by product, by market, by channel?
  • Recent goals and initiatives – How are we achieving against our plan? How successful have we been with recent initiatives?
  • Employees – What are their perceptions of our organization and how we can improve? How can we make them more effective in their roles?
  • Organization profile – What are our strengths and areas for improvement with regard to our organization structure, processes, technology, culture, etc.?

Often, planning teams summarize the current situation information into a SWOT: a summary of the organizations key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Step 2. Where do we want to be? (Strategic Direction)

The heart of strategic direction setting is this second step. In the Drivers Model, the information from the situation assessment is combined with the understanding of future trends to formulate a series of trend and positioning statements. These statements, which outline the overall future direction of the organization, are structured as: “We believe (trend)…Therefore we must (positioning)…”

Positioning statements outline specific directions. However, the full business strategy must take a comprehensive approach to addressing goals (broad aims) and objectives (specific, measurable targets). Therefore, the second step in the strategy development process includes several other activities as well:

  • Vision statement
  • Mission statement
  • Goals
  • Objectives
  • Positioning statements

Step 3 – How do we plan to get there? (Implementation Planning)

Once the strategic direction is established, the next step is to develop the road map for achieving the direction. For the road map to be viable, however, it must focus on three areas in particular.

  • The barriers to achieving the vision indicate those challenges which the organization must overcome to achieve its strategic direction. Barriers answer the following questions: “Why haven’t we achieved our vision already? What is standing in our way?”
  • While barriers address the challenges, the critical success factors identify those key conditions that must be met to achieve the vision. Critical success factors, typically no fewer than two and no more than seven, serve as a guide for determining the strategies to be developed.
  • The strategies that are undertaken (i.e., the road map) must drive achievement of the strategic direction by controlling the critical success factors and overcoming the barriers.

Step 4 – How will we monitor progress? (Monitoring)

Many organizations benefit simply from going through the process of creating a strategy. At this point, everyone is clear on where we are going and how we plan to get there. However, the key value to strategy development comes in the implementation of the plan. Unfortunately, much too often, strategic plans become space fillers on an executive’s bookshelf. To prevent this from happening, we recommend a structured monitoring process every 3 to 6 months. The structured review involves assessing progress on strategies and grading the current and projected performance against the quantified objectives. While often a sobering process, this detailed level of monitoring provides a method for ensuring that long-term strategy stays on the front burners, despite the pressures of the day-to-day business operation.

Conclusion

More and more organizations are learning the value of a well-communicated and executed strategy. Human resource managers well-grounded in the language of strategy can provide key insights into where a company is going, and where it might be going wrong.

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Michael Wilkinson is the CEO and Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, Inc., “The Facilitation Company” and author of Amazon best-seller “The Secrets of Facilitation”, “The Secrets to Masterful Meetings”, and the brand new “The Executive Guide to Facilitating Strategy.” Leadership Strategies is a global leader in facilitation services, providing companies with dynamic professional facilitators who lead executive teams and task forces in areas like strategic planning, issue resolution, process improvement and others. They are also a leading provider of facilitation training in the United States.

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Questions From A New Executive Director/Founder

Businessman looking at question marks on a black board

I do know at least one person who has been the chair of a board for over 20 years (a big organization). Is that unusual?

It is an extremely unhealthy situation, but is not unusual for an NPO that never grew up. I’d expect that the same people are doing the same things they’ve done, and where the organization is not providing much more service now than it did a decade (or more) ago.

Besides the fact that the laws of many states prohibit officers from holding posts indefinitely (many require specific terms of office), there should be board turnover on a regular basis … for the health of an organization. The usual is three-year terms, with a six year concurrent total.

Board members of a 501(c)(3) are the representatives of the community. They are responsible for seeing that the NPO is operated in a responsible manner, and that it meets the needs of the community. As a community changes, so do its needs, and NPO boards should change commensurately. A non-changing board (especially where the leadership is entrenched) cannot adequately respond to the changing needs of the community.

I used to say [tongue in cheek, that] I’d like to show up once a quarter, like some of [our board members], make decisions, then come back in 3 months to see how it went….

Boards should, for the most part, only meet once a quarter. Most of the work of a board should be done in committees. The board assigns the tasks; the committees investigate, plan and take any authorized action, then report back to the board.

If an organization functions as ours does, where the VP has most responsibility for admin and/or operations, is he the VP Executive Director? [Are] the ED and the CEO always the same? My role will not be primarily staff management, etc. Am I the CEO, since he is under me?

It sounds as if you and your associate are in the roles most suited to your abilities and preferences, and that the only question is what your titles should be.

You’re the visionary and the decision maker — so you’re the chief executive officer (CEO). Your associate is the nuts-and-bolts type and functions as the chief operating officer (COO). But don’t get hung up on titles.

Executive Director and Deputy Director would work. So would President and Executive Vice President. As long as you have the job descriptions clear — the titles are only as important as you want them to be.

But, there is one more consideration: Typically an organization’s bylaws define the title/job description of the CEO; and, typically, that person is responsible for hiring and firing of all other staff, their periodic evaluations and salary recommendations.

If you’re going to distance yourself from the day-to-day, and if your associate will be responsible for staff oversight, maybe both positions – CEO and COO – should be defined in the bylaws. Ask your attorney to check on your state laws.

We’re in that gray in-between area, as I’m sure you guessed. The mission of the organization is strong, the development role of the board has not been, as is a result of our youth and my gradual recruiting of people who fit that role.

At this stage in the life of your organization, it’s important that you have a board that can share and help shape the vision, as well as provide various kinds of expertise needed by a growing NPO. It is also important that every board member be a donor, and that they give at an appropriate level — based on their ability to give.

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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating or expanding your fundraising program? Contact Hank@Major-Capital-Giving.com With over 30 years of counseling in major gifts, capital campaigns, bequest programs and the planning studies to precede these three, he’ll be pleased to answer your questions.

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Career Trends: What You Need to Know So You Wont Be Left Behind

Picture-of-male-and-female-entrepeurs-smiling-to-a-camera

career advacementWelcome to the new world of work!

Whether you’re just starting out, on the way to climbing that ladder of success or looking for a new job or opportunity, here are three trends from JobMob as well as tips to adapt so you won’t be left behind.

1. Out: The Traditional Career. In: Multiple Careers/Multiple Income Streams
We no longer live in a world of the “lifetime career” and nor can one job serve as a reliable source of income. The writing has been on the wall for a long time.

I remember reading In 1994 William Bridges’ Job Shift: How to Prosper In a Workplace Without Jobs and started talking about the concept of becoming a “career entrepreneur”. In 2001, Daniel Pink followed with Free Agent Nation and in 2007 Marci Alboher reiterated this trend in her book One Person/Multiple Careers.

Career Success Tip:

SWOT yourself. First examine what you bring to the employment table. Review your Strengths (your skills and experiences that can move you from one career to another and your Weaknesses (the lack of skills and experiences that can hold you back. Then look outside your present company and industry. Review the Opportunities (where are the best place to be to further your career) and the Threats (where are the places that could hold back your career). Use this information to plan your next career moves.

2. Out: Full-time Permanent Jobs. In: Contract/Part-time/Consulting Work
The new reality that is hard for most people to fully comprehend and then act o is the following: Every job is temporary and we live in a Freelance economy. You may have a great job today; you may be in career transition tomorrow. Your long term career success will depend on your attitude (your ability to accept reality as it is not as you want it to be) and your aptitude (your ability to retool and reposition your skills for the changing employment scene).

Career Success Tip:

Think portfolio. How many different skills, interests or roles can you leverage to create different careers and income sources? The sooner professionals acknowledge that work today comes in different forms (contract, full-time, part-time, consulting/entrepreneur) the easier one will be able to transition far more easily from one to the next.

3. Out: Company Manages Your Career. In: You Are the BOSS
Just a generation ago, most professionals were told that getting a job with a stable company was the reliable thing to do, and the corporation would “take care of you.” In the new economy, you have been promoted, whether you like it or not, to be the boss of you. In order to do this job well you better be a good career manager, because that’s what you are now.

Career Success Tip:

Take full responsibility for your career. Yes, of course, you manager should have your best interests in mind, but your career development is not at the top of his her daily to-do list. It should be on the top of yours. That’s the only way you will not only survive but thrive in this new world of work.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

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Fundraising Consultants & Credibility: Some Thoughts

A fundraiser consultant meeting with a client

This is a follow-up to an earlier posting – see: Who/What is a Fundraising Consultant?

Sometimes a client will accept as gospel every bit of advice/direction that a fundraising consultant provides. Sometimes everything the consultant advises/suggests is questioned.

I’ve worked with organizations/institutions that fit each category, and of course I prefer working with the former type. [In fact, if/when I can identify the latter type during pre-contract discussions, those conversations terminate early.]

The best client to work with, however, is the one that asks questions so they can learn. Working with a client that wants to learn is better than working with NPOs that never question or question everything.

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Often, when working with a client, I have found that the advice/direction I was providing duplicated what their (development) staff person had already suggested. They’re willing to take advice from a stranger, but not a person they’ve hired….

The old phrase, “Familiarity breeds contempt,” may be a partial explanation for why that happens so often, but it’s probably not the only explanation.

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Sometimes I find that organizations view fundraising consultants with a jaundiced eye. They just feel uncomfortable about talking with/hiring/using consultants.

I imagine that they’ve had and/or have heard of other NPOs that have had bad experiences with consultants. After all, not every consultant can be highly rated !!

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I recently met with an executive director who said that she called me because all of the other fundraising consultants she’d contacted had the “template” that they were going to apply to whatever situation they encountered !!

Some fundraising consultants are so locked into one pattern, one philosophy, one approach to every problem, that their mind-set doesn’t allow them to approach a client’s needs with an open mind.

I expect that one of the things that “fundraising consultants” need do is focus on the needs of the NPOs they (want to) serve, not on a method that puts process over the interests/needs of the “client.”

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When a consultant’s ethics don’t put the effective pursuit of a NPO’s mission above the pursuit of a consulting fee, when those ethics consider what the client wants above what the client needs (to pursue it’s mission), one of the frequent end results is some degree of discomfort/distrust of consultants.

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Right now, anyone can say that s/he is a consultant – anyone can hang out that shingle.

If we don’t, by our actions, convince the public that we’re honest, honorable and ethical, and that our advice is based on experience and expertise — not a couple of courses we’ve taken or some volunteer works we’ve done, fundraising consultants won’t engender the level of trust that we’d like.

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If you’re a fundraising consultant, work with an NPO that hires fundraising consultants, or just have a thought (or two) that can add perspective to any of the above “questions,” I’d really like to hear your thoughts on the subject.

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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating or expanding your fundraising program? Contact me at Hank@Major-Capital-Giving.com With over 30 years of counseling in major gifts, capital campaigns, bequest programs and the planning studies to precede these three, I’ll be pleased to answer your questions.

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Don’t Piss off the Press!

man-woman-talking-podcast-

Treat the media right

In the world of crisis management and public relations, the media is a double-edged sword. With the right treatment, you can turn the media into your greatest tool and ally. Piss them off, though, and you’ll have a monster on your hands.

In order to help prevent that, here’s a list of “5 bad PR practices that will frustrate journalists,” from a PR Daily article by Gil Rudawsky:

  1. No one home. Sending out a media release and then not having a spokesperson prepped and available to talk about it.
  2. Spinning the news. A common example of this is how some companies disguise terrible earnings by highlighting one piece of good news, even if it is irrelevant.
  3. Flat-out lying. Remember, some reporters will actually make follow-up calls to check out information.
  4. No homework. Following up on a story pitch or idea that already ran in the media outlet. It’s an easy rule, and it takes several minutes.
  5. Sly pitching. Pitching a story to two reporters at the same outlet and not letting either know about it. Trust me, they will find out about it, and good luck getting them to return your calls afterward.

Reporters, whether professional or amateur, are doing their job just as we’re trying to do ours. Standard professional courtesy goes a long way. Often, responding to requests for interviews or details in a crisis case can lead to favorably placed articles when you’ve got more positive events to announce. Provide solid information to a journalist and you’ve got a lasting connection that benefits both parties.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. , an international crisis management consultancy, and author of Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training.]

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Flipping Classrooms: New Look for Experiential Training

A-teacher-teaching-in-a-classroom
But teachers say flipped, or upside-down, classes offer greater control of material and more face time with students.

Taking advantage of technology, a teacher in Potomac, Maryland conducts her Advanced Placement Calculus class a little differently. In fact she has turned the traditional method on its head by having her students view her lectures via podcast and bring their homework to school. This has phenomenal applications for experiential training.

According to Gregg Toppo of USA Today in his article, “Flipped Classrooms Take Advantage of Technology,” students are less stressed and teachers lecture less–or so it seems – and teach more. It’s the latest way technology is changing teachers’ jobs — in this case it’s literally turning their workday upside-down. But teachers say flipped, or upside-down, classes offer greater control of material and more face time with students.”

The Method:

The teacher (in this case, Stacey Roshan) records her lesson on her tablet using it as virtual blackboard and uploads it to ITunes as a podcast. Students view the podcast at their convenience, once or as many times as needed. When they come to class, they bring out what would traditionally be “homework” to work on in class, first by themselves, then with a fellow student, and finally with the teacher. If something wasn’t clear in the lecture, time can be taken now to clarify it. Time is not wasted on what was easily digested and understood, but on the areas that plagued the students, and contacting a peer or problem solving didn’t resolve. It seems a wonderful application of hands-on experiential learning.

The Arguments:

One of the cons: Interactive lecture in class is better, constantly checking on the student’s grasp by asking questions as you go.

The Cons. Disadvantaged students don’t have access to the technology, or what they have is unreliable. That sentiment was echoed in the comment section as well, also pointing out that “again we’re proving anything works for top tier students.” The technology becomes the focus, not the lesson. Lecture is still lecture however leisurely its delivered, and not the best way to teach; “it is still bad pedagogy,” say one detractor. Interactive lecture in class is better, constantly checking on the student’s grasp by asking questions as you go.

The Pros. On the plus side, according to Toppo, the teacher, Roshan “says it’s all about helping students understand difficult material. Flipping the classroom, she says, has made her students more independent, less-stressed learners, because for many students, the hardest part is applying the lesson to problem sets.” It also offers the students more face-time with the teacher.

The Training Application:

The idea of experiential training is nothing new to trainers, and neither is idea of passing out “lecture” materials to trainees and having them review them and bring (homework) to class to work on in teams or alone with instructor guidance. Also, although personally I haven’t seen it yet with the corporate universities, I can’t imagine it isn’t part of their curriculum. The idea, of course, is the hands-on approach to problem solving, and the kinetic approach to learning. In simple terms, we learn best by doing.

In simple terms, we learn best by doing.

Similar to this approach is the hybrid education I have mentioned previously here in, “Are Hybrid Online/ Classrooms the Answer?” In fact, hybrid education and training seems to be the future, with so little time being available in today’s fast-paced world. The very technology making some things easier for us is also making us work harder because we are constantly available and answers can be researched and delivered in a matter of minutes instead of hours and days.

By the way, I will soon be teaching two hybrid public speaking classes, and I suspect during and after that experience I may have more to report on the subject of hybrid learning and its applicability to training and development. So far, I am very intrigued by this approach and can’t wait to start my learning process. Two different audiences, two different environments and the same class and teacher may make for an interesting discussion at some point.

What are your thoughts on experiential learning and the “flipped classroom” scenario? Do you see any applicable training applications? Give us some examples of techniques you’ve used in your training. Let me know in the comments section here. Also, if you want to contact me or check out my Acting Smarts website feel free. I have a new eBook out for anyone interested in my Cave Man approach to training, The Cave Man Guide to Training and Development. It includes a lot of helpful ideas and insights for all levels of trainers. Happy training.

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For more resources about training, see the Training library.

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Free Team Building Activity: Group Development

Team-members-welcoming-a-new-colleague

GROUP DEVELOPMENT

Below is an idea for a team building activity focusing on the what happens when new members join a team.

Learning Objectives
1. To experience the process and feelings that arise when a new member joins
an ongoing group with defined tasks and roles;
2. To explore the coping mechanisms adopted by the individual and the group
to deal with entry problems;
3. To examine functional and dysfunctional coping strategies of groups. Continue reading “Free Team Building Activity: Group Development”

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Spiritual Menu Planning

A-person-planning-and-using-sticky-notes-on-his-wall

FYI: I’m breaking for a bit from my A-Z case study to share with you this article by Laura Lambert that I recently came across. The idea of spiritual menu planning intrigued me as I hope it does you. I’m part of a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group and this comes from another MOPS member from a different chapter.

I have a love-hate relationship with menu-planning. I love the fact that when I plan out our meals for a week I don’t have to think about what’s for dinner every night. I love that I have all the ingredients I need since our grocery shopping is structured around the chosen menus. I love that we save money when I plan ahead since we only buy what is needed for that week’s meals.

But, I hate the time it takes. Dragging out the cookbooks, thinking about what the kids will eat, thinking about what I want to eat, thinking about what my husband’s preferences are, wondering how many nights of Mexican food we can tolerate in a single week, etc. Not to mention, after narrowing it down to seven recipes, there is a shopping list to be made. That involves checking what we already have in the pantry, refrigerator and freezer, noting what ingredients we still need and (I admit this is the good part) emailing the list to my husband who shops on his way home from work once a week. (I know, I’m really lucky about that one.)

Frankly, it just seems like a lot of effort. However, when I think about the outcome of this effort, I immediately realize that it’s all worthwhile. Planning ahead ensures that my children have home-cooked, nutritious meals. It makes me feel good to know that their little bodies are well-fed. Every mom wants her children to grow up strong and healthy. And good nutrition is an essential part of that growing process.

However, I realize that it is not just my children’s bodies that require daily nourishment. Their spirits must also be fed and nurtured on a daily basis in order for them to grow into the strong, compassionate, caring, and sensitive men I hope they will someday become. While I may not actually write out a weekly menu for “spiritual meals,” I am going to try to be more intentional about feeding their spirits each day.
Some ideas for a spiritual menu-plan include:

Finding time each day to help children see the wonder of God’s creation.

Whether it is the toad living in our garage, the autumn leaf streaked with a rainbow of colors or the shiny icicle hanging from the eaves, God’s beauty is everywhere. Helping children see and discover it strengthens their connection to God.

Practicing the attitude of gratitude.

A simple prayer at mealtime and/or bedtime thanking God for all the blessings he has given can strengthen the spiritual bond between children and God.

Slowing down and spending time together.

Spirits are nourished when people connect with one another in positive ways. Though moms are never without household tasks and to-do lists, taking five or ten minutes to join children in their play, read a story or just talk can have a big spiritual impact.

Discovering the joy of giving to others.

Focusing on the needs of those around you can be a wonderful way to create spiritual joy. Writing a postcard to a far-away relative, taking homemade cookies to a shut-in neighbor or picking up trash at the local park are all easy ways for children to experience the joy that comes from helping.

What’s on your spiritual menu-plan? Maybe we can swap recipes.

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For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.

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Laura Lambert is a founding member of her local MOPS group, blessed mom to two beautiful sons, wife to a great guy and a Montessori preschool teacher in Iowa.

www.mops.org/page.php?pageid=2987&srctype=body&src=558

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If You’ve Met One Type of Grant, You’ve Met Them All

colleagues-writing-a-business-grants-proposal.

Not Exactly…
There are a variety of grants available, but they’re not all the same. Sure, the basic proposal stuff will be the same: organization information, mission, history, and general agency overview, but the guts of these proposals may differ significantly.

Program/Project Support Grants

• The most common type of foundation grant, and funded by most foundations
• Grants to support specific projects or programs
• Require detailed program description, including: program need, target
  audience, and program goals and objectives
• Require program evaluation section that specifically relates back to program
  goals and objectives
• Require program budget including revenue and expenses in addition to annual
  operating budget
• Often require a detailed listing of program activities and timeline
• May also require personnel section with qualifications of program staff

General/Operating Support Grants

• Grants to support operating costs of an organization, also called unrestricted
  grants or general-purpose grants
• Desirable, as they help “keep the lights on,” but not available from all
  foundations
• In place of specific program information, usually require section on programs
  and general activities of the organization
• Require section that addresses the need to be satisfied and the population
  to be served
• Evaluation section is often less specific than for program/project support
• Require annual operating budget

Capacity Building Grants

• May seem very desirable – after all, what nonprofit doesn’t want to build
   capacity – but, and this is a big but, they have a very specific goal, and
   they are not funded by many foundations
• Goal is to assist nonprofits in securing the professional assistance they need
   to address organizational development and effectiveness and enhance
   organizational capacity
• Include support for short-term initiatives, including: strategic planning,
   organizational assessment, board development, financial management,
   information technology assessment/planning, among others
• Most exclude hiring staff from list of allowed activities
• Require capacity building plan, list of activities, timeline and evaluation
   methodology

Capital/Building Grants

• Grants to support capital campaigns for building construction or acquisition
• Not funded by many foundations
• Usually require extensive financial data to show that completion of the project
   is financially feasible

Matching/Challenge Grants

• Help nonprofits increase their fundraising effectiveness by matching other
   donors’ contributions
• Not funded by many foundations
• Grant money is most often released after the challenge has been met;
   i.e., $100,000 in contributions has been raised as 1:1 match for the grant

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Lynn deLearie, owner of Lynn deLearie Consulting, LLC, helps nonprofit organizations develop, enhance and expand grant programs, and helps them secure funding from foundations and corporations. She can be contacted at lynn.delearie@gmail.com..