"I got more in these three hours than I did from a three-day seminar in an university's arts management program." --seminar participant

Services

Workshops and Seminars

It's not unusual for volunteers to be asked to prepare grant proposals, especially in supporting organizations made up of parents or other supporters. My grant writing seminars can train a number of volunteers (or professionals new to grant writing) quickly and efficiently. Seminars can be structured to fit into larger programs, such as daylong fundraising workshops or multi-purpose conventions. Seminars I offer include:

Basics of Research: Put your natural curiosity to work to identify the most likely funders of your programs, including individuals, foundations, corporations, and government agencies. Learn the differences among search engines and fee-for-use online databases. (1 - 1.5 hours)

Proposal Writing: Good writing skills are just the beginning. You also need to know what to include in a proposal and what techniques can be used to show your program at its best. The differences between proposals for corporations and foundations are also discussed. Longer seminars allow for detailed analysis of real proposals supplied by participants. (1 to 3 hours)

Budgets: A well prepared budget demonstrates to the potential funder that you really understand what it takes to accomplish your goals and lets them know just how their money will be spent. Learn about indirect costs, salary allocations, and how to make the income section as convicing as the expenses. This seminar will help you answer funders' questions rather than provoking new ones. (2 hours)

Grant Writing Overview: Everything you need to know about grant writing in a nutshell. Handouts and examples facilitate independent study post-seminar. (1.5 hours)

Here are a few unsolicited comments from participants in my seminars:

  • I thought your presentation was truly fantastic. I go to plenty of these seminars. My rule of thumb is if I can get one good page of notes out of it, it's a good meeting. I took five pages of notes! You were most generous with your knowledge and very astute advice.

  • It was a pleasure attending your presentation last night on grant proposal budgets. It was deeply informative.

    • My workshops have been sponsored by Arts Council of Rockland, New York Foundation for the Arts, Nonprofit Leadership League, Queens Council on the Arts, and Westchester Arts Council.

    Grant Writing

    Sometimes putting together the grant proposal many seem overwhelming, you just don't have enough time, or you want to make sure you are submitting the best proposal possible. I am available to write grant proposals for you for any funding agency (or individual). My rates are based on the complexity of the required elements in the proposal and the amount of time it will take me to complete the proposal. The latter is largely affected by the amount of written materials you have on hand. In all cases, I will give you a flat fee for the project. I do not work on a percentage basis.

    My clients have included Minus Space, a gallery of minimalist art; Oratorio Society of New York; and Free World University, a pre-K through college online school.

    Fundraising Audits

    Too often, fundraising materials created over time bear the handprints of many writers. Proposals are typically revised year after year rather than being reconceived. It can be difficult for those involved in a program to realize that the descriptions lack life and, in fact, present a muddled message.

    By bringing a fresh, outside perspective and more than two decades of fundraising experience, I can help your charity identify over-worked proposals and find new ways to sell its programs to funders. Your charity's history, newsletter, brochures, and other materials may be in the same tired state.

    A fundraising audit includes review of all your pertinent materials and meeting with key staff to learn about what you do first hand. At the conclusion of the fundraising audit, you will have my written recommendations for where changes need to be made and what new materials need to be created. You will also receive sample documents I create for your programs to serve as examples and get the changes underway.

    Membership

    Membership programs are the base of support for many organizations. I offer assistance in structuring your program, creating acquisition campaigns, and increasing retention. Let me bring my record of creating historic high numbers of members to your organization. I can also help you validate your acquisition budget through analysis of lifetime donor value.

    Annual Fund

    Soliciting individuals for unrestricted gifts can create a steady income stream for your nonprofit. Let me help you customize your appeals to maximize income. And for organizations with membership programs in place, I can assist you in distinguishing between membership and annual giving to avoid donor confusion and bring in more income.

    Planned Giving

    Integrating planned giving into your membership and/or annual giving campaign will reap rewards in future years. It's easy to do well, but also easy to do badly. Let me help you get it right the first time.