Ideas That Work (98)

Tutor Training: More Bang for Their Buck

We’re all looking for ways to stretch our dollars further.

A recent article from Business Week states that while the worst of the economic crisis seems to be over, 2010 isn’t going to bring a surge of corporate philanthropy. Corporations are more focused on giving strategically, finding causes that are in line with their purpose and that bring the greatest returns. You can check out the entire article here.

How does this affect our Learning Centers?

When looking for corporate donations, we need to be sure we're broadcasting the far-reaching benefits our Centers provide to their communities. Are you asking for a donation to help improve the quality of one life, or many?

I am not in any way downplaying the importance of helping a child. But in a tight economy, let's show potential funders know how far their dollars will go by highlighting a critical part of our Centers’ work – the tutor training program.

Consider what comes from providing free Orton-Gillingham training and certification for college graduates. To receive certification, scholars must tutor two students at the Center. This helps shrink the Center's wait list and reduces operating costs that come with paying tutors.

If you’re applying for a grant, consider highlighting the tutor training program in your request. When a foundation doesn't give to general operating support, a request for funds to train more tutors might be the way to go. Contact Grants Administrator Catherine Cox at ccox@scottishritecharities.org for examples of tutor training proposals.

Once scholars receive OG certification at our Centers, they can take their training back to their classrooms to help more children, tutor privately in their own communities, or come on staff at the Centers. However they choose to use their training, educators certified at our Centers are equipped with tools to help many more children than our Center walls could contain.

Sounds like a pretty good return on investment.

Nuts and Bolts

Grant Update
In recent months we have noticed some of the same grant questions and issues coming up that we’d like to address. We have included an explanation of how to handle confusing budget questions, a GrantAID update and a reminder of time constraints when preparing a grant.
Please feel free to call or email anytime. We’re here to help.

The Corporate Umbrella
Operating under the corporation’s 501 (c) 3 can pose a challenge for individual Centers applying for grants. A yearly audit is done for the entire corporation (32nd Degree Masonic Learning Centers for Children, Inc.) but not for individual Centers. Many grant applications ask for budget information, revenue, etc. from the audited financial statements, but including these numbers can be confusing and seem inflated because they pertain to the entire corporation.
Our solution for this has been to contact the foundation directly and ask if they want the corporate numbers or data from the individual Center. If you need more explanation, please contact us.

LOI Changes
We have made another change to the GrantAID Kit. The last three paragraphs of the Letter of Intent have been updated to reflect funding changes. You can download the updated Letter of Intent (LOI 2009) from the Learning Center website here (scroll down the page to view the GrantAid documents).

Deadlines
Please be aware of the time frame if you need assistance with preparing a grant.We are always willing to help, but please respect the fact that we are supporting 55 Learning Centers. As a result, we may not be able to accommodate last minute calls for help. Starting to work with us 90 days before a proposal is due assures our ability to best help you. If you are caught in a last minute rush, consider whether waiting for the next funding cycle is possible. You may stand a better chance for success by waiting until the next grant cycle than by throwing together a rushed proposal.

Ideas that work

Grant Proposal Database

One of the most challenging aspects of grant writing is the myriad of ways foundations want you to present your information. One place may ask you for a 500 word mission statement, while another may want you to give your mission in 100 words or less. Writing new text for each new proposal you submit takes time, something that few active volunteers have. And if you’re new to writing grants, an involved application process can be overwhelming.

When I work on a grant application, I pull the information from past proposals I’ve done in addition to using the GrantAid templates. This allows me to copy and paste most of my information without writing new text for each new proposal. If I come across a question I’ve never seen before, it’s still easier to pull the information than to write from a blank slate.

To help you with the grant process, I’ll be posting to the forum some of my recent successful proposals. My goal is to provide you with examples of the different ways grants can be written. Check out the proposals I’ve posted on the Idea Hub Forum. I’ll continue to post example proposals in the months to come, but if you have questions or need help, please do not hesitate to contact me. I’m here to help!

Nuts and Bolts

GrantAID Kit Changes
The Learning Centers' recent funding changes have required some updates to the GrantAid kit. The newest versions are available for download from the Learning Center website.
Remember these are general templates that should be adapted to fit your Center's needs. Changes include:

• The Cost-effective Charity portion of the Proposal Template


• The Fundraising Intiatives portion of the Proposal Template


• The closing paragraphs of the LOI Template

The Proposal Template and LOI Template will be labeled with 2009 to indicate their updates.