In the wake of last year\u2019s federal funding freezes and cuts that canceled billions of dollars, nonprofits are confronting the hard reality that those grants may not be coming back anytime soon. The revenue sources that supported thousands of organizations for decades have dried up. Nonprofits cannot afford to wait for Washington to reverse course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To fill budget gaps, more grant seekers are turning to private foundations for general operating support. However, funders tend to award unrestricted grants to organizations they know and trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Securing unrestricted funding isn’t an overnight proposition. It requires a sustained effort to get on a foundation’s radar, build rapport with program officers, and demonstrate that you\u2019ll use flexible funding responsibly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Funders are looking for people who share their level of passion and concern and interest in solving problems,” says Alexander Justice Moore, chief development officer at D.C. Central Kitchen<\/a>. “So when they give you something like general operating funding, they’re tapping you in to go solve that problem on their behalf.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Chronicle<\/em> spoke with Moore and three other experts to learn how grant seekers can best position themselves to earn that confidence. Here are their top recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the Surdna Foundation<\/a>, general operating grants made up 67 percent of its $53 million in grant making over the last fiscal year, says Sophy Yem, senior program officer for philanthropy. However, like many grant makers, Surdna doesn\u2019t accept unsolicited proposals. When that\u2019s the case, you\u2019ll have to work at boosting your group\u2019s profile with a potential funder if you want to be invited to apply, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When [foundations] give you something like general operating funding, they’re tapping you in to go solve that problem on their behalf.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Funder briefings and gatherings of grantees are typically private, but if one of your grant makers is hosting or attending a conference, find out which other foundations will be there, Yem advises. Then ask the program officer how you can apply to be a speaker during a panel or session: \u201cIt\u2019s how you get visibility with other funders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Foundations attend cause-specific conferences because they are prepared to give to groups working on that issue, so regularly review networking events in your field or region, advises Tonia Brown-Kinzel, grant-compliance manager at the Grant Plant<\/a>, a consulting group that helps nonprofits secure and manage grants.<\/p>\n\n\n Raise your profile where program officers are looking.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n