Nonprofit Myths: #4 - Overhead
MYTH: If we’re running our nonprofit efficiently, our overhead and administrative costs should be small.
Get Funding.
Create Change.
You are here
RstephensonJR's blog
Nonprofit Myths: #3 - Public Charities
MYTH: I am starting a foundation to give out school supplies to kids who cannot afford them. I can’t wait to see their little faces when I give them new backpacks and markers!
Nonprofit Myths: #2 - Salaries
MYTH: I am going to be president of my nonprofit and make $100,000 a year!
Leading With Strength
Much has been said about a shift in how we describe the communities we serve. Instead of writing a classic “problem statement” detailing what is wrong, or missing, we’re urged to write instead about what’s right--what strengths a community already has that it can build on. This “asset-based” approach doesn’t deny that work needs to be done, it simply affirms the resources and resilience that already exist.
Nonprofit Myths: #1 - Tax Exempt Status; Ownership
MYTH: Nonprofit and tax-exempt mean the same thing.
MYTH: I own my nonprofit.
Budgeting for Something Priceless
Don’t forget to calculate the value of volunteers who make the program work—drivers to take people to and from their destinations, corporate employees who show up to work with students. It’s important to present a budget that accurately demonstrates what a program actually costs, even if some of those costs are covered by volunteer work or in-kind contributions.
Standing on Some Pretty Good Shoulders
It is easy to get swallowed up by the day-to-day challenges of funding, managing, evaluating, directing and refreshing a contemporary nonprofit organization. Those whose work is dedicated to helping others might take a moment to help themselves with reminders of the tradition they serve.
Stakeholders, Defined
There is widespread agreement that a proposal for a grant carries with it the aspirations and expectations of a lot of different people—our current shorthand is “stakeholders”—but sometimes we refer to them without thinking about who they really are.
Writing the Proposal: The Hourglass Method
Good news! You’ve submitted a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) and been invited to follow up with a full proposal. Now it’s time to actually write the thing. Here’s a system for making sure that your proposal is inclusive, accurate and compelling. It takes a little time but it’s worth it.
Logic Models, in Plain English
There comes a time when a proposal needs to include a logic model. Many foundations don’t require one but an increasing number are asking applicants to go beyond objectives and show, in a descriptive chart, the route you plan to take to get to the destination.
Pages
You're welcome to link to these pages and to direct people to our website.
If you'd like to use this copyrighted material in some other way,
please contact us for permission: info@tgci.com. We love to hear from you!
A follow-up study of 385 of our graduates found documented that they won grants totaling over $21 million within just six months of completing the 5-day Grantsmanship Training Program®. Our training produces results!