Funding for Religious Causes

Over the years, I've assisted a number of religious non-profits with fundraising activities. As the existence of the entire Faith-based and community initiative offices at the federal and state levels attest, religious groups face greater scrutiny and criticism than others. While I will probably add more thoughts to this over time, here are my initial suggestions:

• Mission & Strategic Plan - You need to know what exactly you want to fund, how it fits in with your organization's mission, how much it will cost, and the timeframe for implementation. Getting these elements together should happen BEFORE you seek funding.
• Everyone loves a Winner - If your organization is not in the black, your chances for funding success from corporate, gov't, and private foundations are pretty slim. If this is where you are or just coming from, use this time to refine your proposal development skills on individuals, as well identifying and building relationships with key leaders in your prospect pool.
• Reality Check - Year after year, the Giving Institute (formerly the AAFRC) produces a report on the state of philanthopy in America. And, year after year, individual donations produce, by far, the majority of donations. See the charts:

Source: Giving USA. For more information, please visit http://www.aafrc.org/

Corporate, foundation, & gov't grants are not necessarily the key to your fundraising success.

• Strings Attached - Consider the intentions and purposes of all potential donors. It should be no surprise that a corporate funder (sometimes called Corporate Relations, sometimes a named foundation, sometimes the Marketing Dept) has certain goals in mind. For example, Federated Department Stores (owns Macy's) prefers to sponsor women's issues -- this is based, in part, that most of their staff and customers are women. Often, the mission of a corporation's funding is articulated in writing on their website. (Google it!) J.C.Penney loves to support afterschool programs -- perhaps due to the flood of school clothes they sell! Foundations are often restricted by the direction provided by their boards. Government programs are very specific in terms of what can and cannot be funded. This is not the time to get outside of the box -- stay within the lines if your funds are have a restricted purpose. If you aren't ready to comply with the restrictions, document everything, retain files, and submit reports on time, you need to give careful consideration to whether you want to pursue some of the more involved opportunities.
• Relationships Matter - Whether you are working on corporate, foundation, government, or individual grants, it's your connection to the people involved that make a difference. Having top volunteers for your organization able to advocate for your cause is critical -- get them to open the door (or perhaps, get some new volunteers!). Having staff who know key decisionmakers & their hot buttons makes a difference, too. Check out Raising More Money, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, and the Association for Fundraising Professionals for more information on these topics.