Philanthropy Front and Center-San Francisco

Red Oak Opportunity Foundation

Recently I received one of those phone calls that just make my day that are from foundation administrators who are looking for ways to promote their grantmaking activities to the wider community.  As you can imagine, in our line of work we more often hear from grantseekers looking for grant opportunities, so it is exciting when we hear of foundation opportunities to share with our community.

Jimmy Reina reached out to tell us about the Red Oak Opportunity Foundation (ROOF), established by Red Oak Realty in the East Bay in 1985.  ROOF is a grantmaking public charity, and its grant funds are derived from contributions from the company, staff, its clients, and other community members.  Its funding priorities include supporting local homeless services, educational organizations, and other community-based organizations in the communities Red Oak serves.  According to Reina, because they are a small foundation they "give preference to supporting small and all-volunteer organizations in which a small grant can make a big difference." 

This year Reina anticipates the ROOF grant budget to be in the $60,000-$70,000 range and the grant size averages $500 to $5,000.  Grant decisions are announced annually in December and the application deadline is November 15.  More information on how to apply and an application are available at the ROOF web site. 

California Cultural Data Project

If you're with an arts group you should know about the California Cultural Data Project (CACDP).  The CACDP is a web-based data collection, management, and reporting tool created to strengthen arts and cultural organizations and streamline applying for grants.  As a statewide collaboration of public and private funders, CACDP is designed to provide an easier application process through a standardized data form that will accompany grant requests to partnering funders.  Applicants will only need to complete this form once each year.  Aside from easier application submissions (and who doesn't want that?) other benefits for arts groups include being able to track their individual data in addition to accessing aggregate data that allows for comparison with similar organizations and charting of progress.

The Cultural Data Project originated in Pennsylvania in 2004 and was adopted by Maryland funders in 2007.  For an interesting discussion of how the project came to California, its impact on grantseeking and reporting and other advantages listen to our "Philanthropy Chat" interview with John McGuirk, arts program director at the James Irvine Foundation, and Bobbie Lippmann, senior officer for culture and director of the Cultural Data Project for the Pew Charitable Trusts. 

Speaking of the James Irvine Foundation and arts organizations, I want to be sure I give a plug to the statewide training the Foundation Center and the Irvine Foundation are currently offering. Throughout May, June, and into July, at various locations around California, we're offering a free two-part program--"Proposal Writing Basics for Arts Organizations and How to Apply to the James Irvine Foundation's Creative Connections Fund."  As a I bet you can guess, the program teaches proposal writing skills and allows arts groups to hear insider tips on applying to Irvine's new Creative Connections Fund. Upcoming sites for the training include Sacramento, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Salinas, Fresno, and Santa Ana.  And in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Salinas it is actually a full-day, three-part session with an added program explaining what arts organizations need to know about the California Cultural Data Project.  The California Cultural Data Project is on its own statewide tour, so if our tour does not overlap with the CACDP training in your community, be sure to check the training schedule for the California Cultural Data Project to see when it will be offered at a location near you. 

This Week at the Foundation Center (May 26-30)

• Tuesday, May 27, 1:00-2:30 pm Introduction to Corporate Giving
• Wednesday, May 28, 5:00-6:30 pm Grantseeking Basics and 6:30-7:30 pm Introduction to Foundation Directory Online
• Thursday, May 29, 10:00 am-12:00 pm Meet the Author--Thomas D. Wilson, Winning Gifts and 1:00-2:30 pm Introduction to Fundraising Planning and 3:00-4:30 pm Your Board and Fundraising

Due to Monday's holiday, this week our library is open Tuesday through Friday free of charge and no appointment is necessary.

Standard Library Hours:

Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday 10:00am-5:00pm

Wednesday 10:00am-8:00pm

Local Grantmaker Named as New NAACP President

This week the NAACP National Board of Directors announced the selection of Benjamin T. Jealous as National President & CEO. He is the 17th person chosen to lead the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization in its 99-year history.  Currently Ben Jealous serves as President of the Rosenberg Foundation- a private independent institution that supports advocacy efforts to make significant improvements in the lives of California's working families and recent immigrants.  In September, he will leave his post at Rosenberg to join the NAACP. 

Read the press release or read the SF Chronicle article.

Bradford K. Smith Named Foundation Center President

The board of trustees of the Foundation Center has chosen Bradford K. Smith as its next president.  Smith, who will join the Center on October 1, succeeds Sara L. Engelhardt, who is retiring after 17 years as president.  He is currently president of the Oak Foundation in Geneva, Switzerland.

Read the press release.

Library Resources for Individual Artists

Are you an individual artist in the Bay Area? If so, keep reading! We've hand-picked a few books for you to borrow from our lending library for two weeks.

• Guide to Getting Arts Grants. Ellen Liberatori. New York, NY: Allworth Press, 2006. Provides practical advice to help artists obtain grants from foundations and government agencies. Topics covered include developing a plan, creating a portfolio, identifying funders, and completing a grant application. One chapter focuses on proposals submitted by arts organizations, noting that artists may collaborate with arts groups through fiscal sponsorship arrangements. Liberatori draws upon her experience as a program officer to elaborate on how grantmaking decisions are made.
• Shaking the Money Tree: How to Get Grants and Donations for Film & Video Projects. Morrie Warshawski. 2nd ed. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2003. A step-by-step guide that covers planning a project, doing research, writing a proposal, soliciting donations, from individuals, and more. Includes sample proposals, sample direct mail letters, and how to host a special event.
• Writing the Artist Statement: Revealing the True Spirit of Your Work. Ariane Goodwin. Haverford, PA: Infinity Publishing, 2002. Describes what artist statements are, discusses why they are important, and explains how to develop them by using creative writing exercises.

Also, if your work is central to film and media, consider downloading and listening to an archived audio program held here at the Foundation Center last October and moderated by Morrie Warshawski on Fundraising for Film & Media Projects. Learn how to attract grants and donations for your media endeavors. Panelists discuss strategies and resources for financing film, video, and media projects.

Be sure to sign up for our free training class, Grantseeking Basics for Individuals in the Arts on Friday, June 6 from 1:00 pm-2:30 pm. This course is geared towards individual artists looking to fund any type of arts-related project.

Keeping the Beach Barefoot Friendly

If the recent heat wave has you dreaming of ocean vistas and sand between your toes then you might be interested in this RFP that was just posted to our RFP Bulletin on Friday:

Barefoot Wine, a California winemaker, and the Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots not-for-profit environmental organization dedicated to preserving the world's oceans, waves, and beaches, are offering support for a talented beach enthusiast to spend a week working with the Surfrider Foundation in San Clemente, California during the summer of 2008.

Barefoot Wine's Summer Dream Job program will provide hands-on experience in ocean water quality and organized beach cleanups as well as instruction in grassroots awareness campaigns. Entries will be judged by the staff at the Surfrider Foundation based on past environmental experience, relevant skills, and proven dedication to the cause. Along with being compensated financially, the recipient will receive a trip to California, including airfare, beachside housing, and ground transportation. Applicants must be 21 years of age or older and residents of one of the fifty United States or the District of Columbia.

See the Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project Web page for complete program information.

For other current RFPs of interest, vist our RFP page.

This Week at the Foundation Center (May 19-23)

• Tuesday, May 20, 1:00-2:15 pm Finding Foundation Support for Your Education and 2:15-3:00 pm Getting Started with Foundation Grants to Individuals Online
• Wednesday, May 21, 1:00-2:30 pm Grantseeking Basics and 2:30-3:30 pm Introduction to Foundation Directory Online
• Thursday, May 22, 10:00 am-12:00 pm Meet the Grantmakers: Featuring Young Foundations and 2:00-3:30 pm How to Approach a Foundation

Our library is open Monday through Friday free of charge and no appointment is necessary.

Library Hours:

Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday 10:00am-5:00pm

Wednesday 10:00am-8:00pm

Check it Out!

We have recently added Fired Up Fundraising: Turning Board Passion into Action to our lending library. Gail Perry explains how nonprofit leaders can appeal to board members' dedication to mission and vision in order to create excitement around raising funds. Providing a step-by-step process, Perry outlines her four steps to build a board that is passionate about fundraising:

1. Focus on mission
2. Inspire your board members with a new philosophy of fundraising
3. Ready your board with the right tools and skills
4. Engage your board members in your fundraising plan

Perry's writing is inspirational and practical. She concludes the preface of her book with the following:

If you create a passion-driven fundraising experience for your board members, you can tackle the myths about fundraising and instill new, more positive approaches that will have them excited about the difference they can make. Your board members will embrace your mission so throughly that they can become agents for change.

You will have them not just willing--but also wanting--to participate in finding expanded resources for your organization. You will rekindle individual passion for your nonprofit's mission and harness that passion into shared fundraising success. You will be able to create a board that is passion-driven--not fearful--about fundraising. A board that will be on fire for the cause, working to make the world a better place, and actually being, as Gandhi said, the change they want to see in the world. (pg. xix)

Here's how to check out this book from the Foundation Center--San Francisco library and a list of other circulating titles.

Reality Grantmaking—Get a $1,000 Grant

Come to our program, get a $1,000 grant!  Okay it's not quite that easy but it's not too difficult either.  Here are the details.  As part of Funding for the Environment month in June we're presenting (with DER and AFP-Golden Gate chapter) a Reality Grantmaking session where you can actually see funders in action deciding who gets a grant.  If you want a chance at winning $1,000 and you're with a nonprofit or fiscally-sponsored project with an environmental program, go to the DER web site for the application guidelines.  It's not a big application--in two pages describe your mission, who you serve, how you'll use the grant, and provide a simple project budget.  No attachments are necessary or wanted. Submit your application by 5:00 pm, Monday, June 9 to:

Reality Grantmaking

c/o Cheryl Clarke

478 Green Glen Way

Mill Valley, CA 94941

If your proposal is selected as a finalist it will be reviewed and scored by our expert panel at the program on June 19.  The proposal with the highest score will receive a $1,000 check at the end of the event.  Although only environmental projects can submit requests, grantseekers from all program areas are invited to attend and watch grantmakers review and comment on proposals.  See you there.

To view our exciting Reality Grantmaking event from last year featuring proposals from Health and Human Services organizations, view the video in our events archive. Whether or not you compete for the funds, these sessions provide great insight into the grantmaking process and the details grantmakers notice when reviewing your requests.