Spanish-Language Grantseeker Training Brings Home the Importance of Diversified Funding Streams

The Foundation Center conducted two days of Spanish-language grantseeker training at the Miami-Dade Central Library, one of our Cooperating Collections, with the support of the Knight Foundation. This included "La recaudación de fondos filantrópicos: Un curso introductorio", "Principios de la escritura de propuestas", and "Elementos básicos del presupuesto de un proyecto". The day-long sessions gave participants a detailed overview of the foundation grantseeking process and the technical skills involved in preparing a proposal and proposal budget.

The second training day concluded with a grantmaker panel of special guests from the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs and the Dade Community Foundation, who shared their guidance and advice with an audience of 42 representatives of nonprofit organizations and soon-to-be founders of emerging organizations from the Miami-Dade and Broward counties of Florida.

As the presenter, I was asked at the end of the panel presentation whether I had coached the guests speakers, as it seemed to the audience members that their comments and advice were so similar to what they had just learned at the training:

• Study and follow funder guidelines carefully
• Make sure your program and organization are eligible and fit the funder's program and geographic parameters
• Call first and speak to a program officer to gain insight and guidance in the application process
• Prepare a proposal that is clear, concise, and articulates your organization's anticipated outcomes specifically, with explanations of how outcomes will be measured, monitored, and evaluated.

What was most poignant was when the grantmakers were asked how they had been affected by the recent economic downturn. The representative of the government agency explained how her office may potentially be downsized by 50% due to the cuts in their sole revenue source, property taxes. The representative of the Dade Communty Foundation said that they had had to make spending adjustments, like all other organizations, but that they were thankfully in "pretty good shape" in comparison to other foundations.

The participants had learned in Foundation Fundraising ("La recaudación de fondos filantrópicos") on day 1 how the key to financial viability and stability is to have a comprehensive array of funding streams, including foundation, corporate and government funding, but most importantly, earned income and individual donors. And that those organizations that have a single stream of revenue are more vulnerable, especially in challenging economic times. We observed a true-to-form representative example with the two grantmaking institutions sharing their financial situations, illustrating how the one with a variety of revenue sources was indeed in better shape and still welcoming applications for funding...if indeed you are a "match"!

Luz Rodríguez, Training Coordinator, Foundation Center-New York

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