Grant-making Roundtable - What's the Objective?

On Tuesday, December 1, 2009 representatives from two local foundations, the Missouri Foundation for Health and the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis treated nfpFMA members to a lesson on the inside workings of funding decisions.  They stressed these key factors for drafting a strong grant application:

• Emphasize measurable outcomes (behavioral change over time) over measurable outputs (number served)
• Provide financial information that reflects financial stablility
• Request funding for programs that fit into the nfp's core (rather than fringe) strategic plan goals
• Demonstrate commitment to excellence through a diverse, professional board of trustees
• Emphasize qualitative data (stories) over quantitative data
• Demonstrate an understanding of the difference between activities, objectives, and goals