1. Raising Funds for Digital Projects

2. Set funding priorities
Four areas of financial need:
Operating
Special Projects ***
Capital/equipment
Endowment

3. Getting Started Formulate ideas Develop project Prepare proposal
“master” proposal
Identify potential funders
matchmaking
Target the proposal
Administer the grant

4. What’s the Big Idea? Planning session Identify priorities
Build consensus
Include all stakeholders
Staff, board members, volunteers, outside groups, users
Which ideas are candidates for grant funding?
Prioritize these candidates
Who will: Identify potential funders
Who will: Research and write proposal

5. What’s the Big Idea? Exercise One What’s Your Big Idea?
Write a brief, 1 –3 line description of a digitization or preservation idea you have
Include potential funders, funding strategy
Discuss with group

6. Funders Goal To develop a network of funders that Match your ideas
Provide regular small grants
Periodic larger grants

7. Foundations Incorporated non-profit organizations
Policies establish nature and limitation of support
Type of program
Geographic region
Min/max funding
Type of organization that can receive funding

8. Matchmaking Do your research
There are thousands of foundations, but you will find the number of possible funders for YOU will narrow rapidly

9. Matchmaking There are many ways foundations can help you:
printing costs
loaned executive programs
product contributions
free legal assistance
used office furniture
ad space
transportation
paper, supplies, etc

10. Your Foundation File
Basic info (Name/phone/contact)
List of grants made to your institution by the foundation
List of grants to other similar institutions
Newspaper and magazine articles
Annual reports and brochures
Correspondence and telephone records
Copies of proposals submitted
Record of relations — institution and foundation staff

11. The Proposal
What is it?
A written presentation to another party in order to gain its acceptance

12. The Functions of a Proposal
Represents a program, project, activity, or function that an organization wants to undertake in response to a need
request for the allocation of resources
instrument of persuasion
promise to the funder to do certain things in certain ways
a plan that serves as guidelines for the organization to implement the activity

13. The Proposal Specifies the need the proposed solution
the result of the solution
the activities to be carried out
the way they will be accomplished
the number and type of staff needed
the management of the program
the required equipment and facilities
the cost
the starting and completion dates

14. The Proposal: Statement of Problem/Need/Purpose
Describes the conditions in a certain place at a certain time for a particular group of people
This is often the motivator
If the funder agrees with the need, you have them “hooked”

15. The Proposal: Need
Clear relationship to your organization’s mission and purpose
Focus on a need in the community, not in your organization
Assertions should be supported with evidence
Consistent with your organization’s ability to respond
Easy to read; no jargon

16. The Proposal: Need Use facts and statistics, not assumptions
Focus the need on your community --don’t make it too broad
Models
if your solution can act as a model, mention this
“addressing the need on a larger level through the development of a model program”

17. The Proposal: Need Focus on what you can accomplish
What need YOU have a solution for
Collaborative projects are important

18. The Proposal: Objectives
Objectives/Goals/Strategies/Outcomes
What will your program accomplish?
Derived directly from the need statement
Indicate action and a measurable result
“To” statements
Measurable
How would the situation look if the need were satisfied?

19. The Proposal: Objectives
Goal
a broad based statement of the ultimate result of the change
Objective
a measurable, time specific outcome that the organization expects to accomplish as a result of the grant.
Narrowly defined

20. The Proposal: Objectives
Stated in quantifiable terms
if you can’t measure it, you may need to rethink it
State outcomes, not methods
the result of an activity, not the activity itself
Identify the population being served
REALISTIC

21. The Proposal: Methodology
A detailed description of the activities and services to be implemented to achieve the objectives
How are you going to achieve your goals and objectives?
Why did you choose these methods?
Research findings, experts, past experience, etc.

22. The Proposal: Methodology
Activities
Select and prepare materials
Scanning (on site or off site and reasons for)
Preservation techniques (why were they chosen)
Coordinate staff
Promote program

23. The Proposal: Methodology
Build the project phases one on the other
State what facilities and equipment will be used/available
Often helpful to include a timeline for the process
use generic time increments if specific dates are unknown
first quarter, second quarter, etc.
Define tasks, subtasks

24. The Proposal: Methodology
Include time and personnel for metadata creation (digitization)
Include specifics for technical aspects, if you know them
Dpi, types of scanners, software to be used, file formats and derivative, etc.
Include preservation methodologies to be used and why

25. The Proposal: Organizational Plan
Organizational/Administrative Plan
Essentially defines how the project will be administered
Could make this part of the methodology section

26. The Proposal: Organizational Plan
Staff qualifications
Consultant qualifications and reason for choosing
qualified vs. over-qualified
Refine job descriptions for the project
Realistic timetable for hiring
Be specific

27. The Proposal: Budget Budget
Translates the methodology section into dollars
Government sources require more detail than foundation (usually)
Follow funder forms and guidelines
Estimate
it will be revised -- guaranteed!

28. The Proposal: Budget
Determine the budget period (may not be in line with your fiscal year)
Estimate expenses
Include overhead? How?
Government agencies often assign a maximum allowable percentage of the total for this
Determine matching funds and in-kind contributions
allows the funder to see the actual amount the project costs

29. The Proposal: Evaluation
Outputs are facts
Online History
# items digitized
# teachers who use curriculum
# history units published
# of students who make reports based on web based materials
# of teachers who use online resources

30. The Proposal: Evaluation
Outputs may not tell us if our goals and objectives were met
Evaluation - how did we do?
Measure Outcomes
Has our target audience changed or improved skills, attitudes, knowledge, behavior, status, or life condition by experiencing our program

31. The Proposal: Sustainability
How are you going to sustain and maintain the project/program at the end of the grant period?
Will it continue to grow? How?
How many organizational resources will this take?
How will responsibilities be assigned?
Funds?

32. The Proposal: Helpful Hints
One writer, many contributors
outline before writing
Follow the funder guidelines carefully and thoroughly
Do your research; get the facts right
Appropriate personnel/consultants
One central need -- all ideas flow from that
Avoid jargon

33. The Proposal: Helpful Hints
Be compelling, but don’t overstate
Outside person to edit
Outside person to review budget
Be thorough
Clear, concise
Easy to read
Confident tone

34. The Proposal: Helpful Hints
Do your research into the latest digitization trends, activities
Be aware of related digitization projects
Show how increased access or better preservation can effect the audience(s)

35. The Proposal: Helpful Hints
And remember that a good proposal doesn’t automatically result in obtaining a grant

36. Clarity
logical, easy to follow
Completeness
including all items specified
Internal consistency
parts consistent with each other
External consistency
recognize accepted ideas of field

37. Criteria for Evaluating a Proposal
Understanding of the problem/viable need
Capability to carry out promised activities
Efficiency and accountability - timetable
Realism
Your funder may have specific criteria for the grant you are applying for

38. Wrap Up Administering a grant project is a lot of work
Reporting, reporting, reporting
Managing a project and seeing it through to completion