Alice Burlinson, Kandy Elliott and Jan Garrett RWF Grants Workshop February 15, 2013 Presented by: Alice Burlinson, Kandy Elliott and Jan Garrett

Roanoke Women’s Foundation A Component Fund of Foundation for Roanoke Valley Who are we? Established in 2004 to allow women to become leaders in the field of philanthropy. Open to any woman of any income level who makes the commitment to support RWF for three years at a level of $2,100 per year. Funding Priorities include: Arts and Culture Education Environment Health and Human Services www.roanokewomensfoundation.org February 15, 2013

Roanoke Women’s Foundation Grant Process Phase I Phase II Site Visits February 15, 2013

Roanoke Women’s Foundation A Component Fund of Foundation for Roanoke Valley Phase I Geographical Coverage Area includes: Cities of Roanoke and Salem, Counties of Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin and Roanoke (Please note that the New River Valley and Smith Mountain Lake area were recently replaced with Floyd and Franklin.) Beginning March 1, 2013 RWF requests Phase I Applications. Minimum grant request- $30,000 You must apply using the online application found on the Foundation for Roanoke Valley’s website (Phase I Application due date – March 22, 2013 at 4:00 p.m.) Please note this deadline is earlier than in past years. February 15, 2013

Roanoke Women’s Foundation A Fund of Foundation for Roanoke Valley Who are we? Established in 2004 to allow women to become leaders in the field of philanthropy. Open to any woman of any income level who makes the commitment to support RWF for 3 years at a level of $2,100 per year. Funding Priorities include: Arts and Culture Educational Programs Environmental Programs Health and Human Services February 15, 2013

February 15, 2013

RWF Service Area City of Roanoke City of Salem Botetourt County Craig County Floyd County Franklin County Roanoke County February 15, 2013

Phase I Evaluation Criteria The Roanoke Women’s Foundation requests that you answer the following questions in a narrative to clearly and concisely describe your proposed project. These questions are based on the criteria the Roanoke Women’s Foundation uses to evaluate proposals. (There is a 6,000 character limit).   NEED What community need/issue/opportunity will your proposal address? How will your project address this community need/issue/opportunity? February 15, 2013

Phase I Evaluation Criteria IMPACT Describe your target population and the geographical area the project will serve. How many people will be positively impacted in our region by your project or proposed program? Is there any indirect impact on the larger community?   INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTH AND STABILITY What is your organization’s history of success? Describe the health and stability of your organization including staff retention, financial strength, and community support. Please state the goals and objectives for this program and how they are related to your organization’s mission. February 15, 2013

Phase I Evaluation Criteria EFFECTIVE USE OF RESOURCES How will RWF funds be allocated? Will your organization use its existing resources in addition to the requested resources? How? Please describe how your effort leverages other resources, including partnerships with other organizations, contributions from other donors, and the project revenue.   SUSTAINABILITY Describe your program’s plans for ongoing funding after RWF funds have been expended. How will the proposed project result in sustainable and positive changes that continue over time? February 15, 2013

What happens after your Phase I is submitted? FRV reviews Phase I Applications for compliance with basic requirements, such as non-profit status, geographic eligibility, etc.  Grants Committee reads and studies all Phase I Applications. February 15, 2013

What happens after your Phase I is submitted? Members score Phase I Applications based on evaluation criteria on previous three slides. Scores are tabulated and averaged. Committee members meet to discuss scores, Phase I Applications, strengths and weaknesses of the Phase I. Committee votes to decide who will be invited to submit Phase II application. February 15, 2013

Roanoke Women’s Foundation A Fund of Foundation for Roanoke Valley Phase II Organizations whose Phase I Applications have been approved will be invited by email to submit a Phase II Application (Phase II Application due date - May 31, 2013 at 4:00 p.m.) Site Visits are conducted for all Phase II applicants. RWF’s Grants Committee selects those applications to appear on ballot. Ballot is then sent to all members for voting. One woman = one vote. If awarded a grant, you must wait five years before applying again. February 15, 2013

What happens after your Phase II application is submitted? Grants Committee reads Phase II applications. Site visits are conducted in June and July. Site visit reports are written and presented to Grants Committee. In August, Grants Committee holds meeting open to RWF membership to discuss proposals, ask questions and clarify issues. February 15, 2013

What happens after your Phase II application is submitted? Also, in August, Grants Committee meets to rank applicants based on all information gathered during the process and determine organizations to be placed on ballot. Ballots mailed out to membership in September. Ballots due from membership in October. Grantees announced in November or December. February 15, 2013

Do’s Substance Form February 15, 2013

Do’s Substance Do read and follow the directions. Do make sure your application was developed with and has the approval of the Executive Director/CEO/senior administrator of the agency. February 15, 2013

Do’s Substance Do make sure the Board President/Chair verifies that the proposed project is realistic and fits with organization's strategic plan. Do make sure it's your moment! Are you ready to shine? Is this the year to apply for this grant? Occasionally, organizations have submitted applications prematurely, i.e. proposal not fully ready for funding, proposal not fleshed out, proposal still an idea.  When you apply, you should be able to present the precise details of your proposal and exactly how each and every dollar you are requesting will be spent. February 15, 2013

Do’s Substance Do your homework about RWF. Do ask questions. Please direct your questions to Michelle Eberly at FRV. She will forward them to RWF. February 15, 2013

Do’s Substance Do remember that, unlike many funders, RWF does fund operating expenses. Do remember your audience: not everyone knows your organization. You may need to provide some basic education. You are all so passionate about your causes and have so much experience in your field; you sometimes forget that some members of your audience (members of RWF) may have little to no knowledge about you.  Occasionally, after reading the LOI and Phase II applications and then asking question after question at the site visit, we still have questions. There should be no confusion remaining after we have completed our thorough process. February 15, 2013

Do’s Substance Do answer this question in your submissions: Among so much need and so many worthy organizations, why should we fund your project? That is the question we will be asking! Do make every sentence in your application play a role in convincing us that you stand out as the best investment for the future of our communities. February 15, 2013

Do’s Substance Do be clear about the number of individuals to be served. Do distinguish your program from similar ones in the area.   February 15, 2013

Do’s Form Do comply with the character limits and use full words such as “and” instead of “&”. That isn’t creative; it is just trying to trick the character count. Do write the proposal in layman's terms. Please use plain language including: Logical organization Active voice Short sentences Common, everyday words February 15, 2013

Do’s Form Do write in complete sentences. Do proofread. Ask others to proofread your document. Proofread again. This cannot be emphasized enough. Do read your document aloud to someone to be sure it makes sense. February 15, 2013

Do’s Form Do use the complete name of your organization. Do keep in mind that, as one of our Grants Committee members stated, “Care in application details reflects potential care in use of the money.” February 15, 2013

Do’s Form Do submit documents free of any typos. Do submit documents without any grammatical errors. February 15, 2013

Do’s Form Do remember that readers can get lost or frustrated by acronyms or abbreviations. If you are going to use them, please be sure you first spell out fully all words, names or terms before you use abbreviations or acronyms. Do remember we re-read the Phase I Applications when we read the Phase II applications. You are wasting valuable real estate if you repeat anything from one document to the next. February 15, 2013

Thank You! Thank you for all the good work you do everyday to make our communities better. Thank you for your time today. Thank you for taking care of others and for providing services and opportunities to your clients and customers. Thank you for taking the time to apply for RWF grants and all grants. February 15, 2013

Questions?? February 15, 2013