Foundation Funding Opportunities for IPY

1. Foundation Funding Opportunities for IPY Poles Together: Coordinating IPY Outreach and Education D. Lance King Senior Vice President for Development University of Colorado Foundation

2. 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.

3. 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?

4. 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?

5. 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

6. 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”, remembercorporate foundations

7. 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