Project Funding 101: Bonner Scholar Programs

1. Project Funding 101: Bonner Scholar Programs Funding for Your Capstone Project

2. Overview & General Rules • Use existing frameworks: • Chances are, your school or community has avenues for fundraising already. • Consider asking advice from a staff member in your school's development office. • Try to partner with a greek organization or sports team that already engages in fundraising. • Try to get funding from your program first, there are avenues already set up for you to use. • All of the underlined terms are hyperlinks, follow them to learn more! • For more information see the training guide “Fundraising Strategies: Developing and Executing a Plan”.

3. Community Fund • Community Fund: $50 per Bonner Scholar per semester is allocated to the Community Fund. • For use to support a community program, student program, or training. • Funding amount is variable and will be dispensed as appropriate upon project approval. • Check out the powerpoint by Sam Ha and Elvis Diaz on slideshare.net for more information

4. Rising Senior Fund • Rising Senior Fund: $500 may be applied for in a student’s senior year to support activities related to service. • Strictly for senior year. It can be used to attend conferences, support learning, support a third SOS, or fund your capstone. • For more information see the, “Finances” section of the Bonner Scholar Program Rules or look up the fund on the Bonner Wiki

5. Junior/Senior Leadership Fund • Jr/Sr Leadership Fund: A surplus fund that varies based on the amount of money left over each year. • Broad usage guidelines, including capstones. • Must be applied for 6 weeks in advance of expenditure. • Will not always be available at your school—ask now! • For more information see the “2017 Bonner Scholar Funding Guidelines” on Slideshare (specifically slide #21).

6. Fundraising Through Events • Decide what kind of event you want to hold (formal vs. casual, passive vs. active). • Make sure theme and advertising for your event is intentional and consistent. • Engage participants and try to have them take an active role. • See the training guide "Fundraising on Campus" for more information.

7. Fundraising Online • It is easier than ever to network with relatives, friends, social networks, and other nonprofits or businesses to raise funds. • Consider starting a GoFundMe page or a Facebook Fundraiser as a low cost way to utilize your personal network. • Advertising is key online. Crowdsourcing is a great solution, but it requires you to clearly state your project goals and put yourself out there! • See the training guides “Mapping out Donors I & II” for more information on how to utilize your network.

8. Fundraising in the Local Community • Before starting any event, consider whether it could be expanded to include the whole community. The larger the pool of potential donors, the more likely you are to get the funding you need. • Local businesses will often have funding available. An example is Home Depot’s Community Impact Grants. • Local, county, or state government will sometimes have funding available. Check with a staff member or visit government websites for more information. • See the training guides “Mapping out Donors I & II” for more information on how to utilize your network.

9. The Funding Landscape From “Mapping out Donors Part I”

10. Grants • Funding your project through grants is best accomplished with ample time before your project deadline. • It may be more efficient to write grants when completing a capstone as part of a larger team or organization. • It may take multiple attempts, so prepare thoroughly and cast a wide net. • For help on writing your grant proposals, watch “Grant Writing 101: It's Not Rocket Surgery" on youtube or read the “Grant Writing 101” presentation by the U.S.Department of Education • For help finding a grant resource, use a search engine like grantwatch.com or grants.gov