The energetic and imaginative changemakers who staff nonprofits are full of great ideas. They’re constantly coming up with ways to make things better and looking for grants to support their vision.
501(c)(3) nonprofits are charitable organizations that operate in the public interest and have been granted tax-exempt status from the federal government. 501(c)(3)s do not pay federal income tax and people who contribute to these organizations can often receive deductions on their federal income tax.
If you’re interested in starting a nonprofit organization, check out the National Council on Foundations how-to advice.
There are many types of grantmakers–federal, state, county, and municipal governments; corporations; private foundations; public charities; trusts; religious institutions, etc. Each grant maker has its own specific interests and requirements.
CLASSIC ARTICLES - Your agency submits a grant proposal to a longtime funder and the program officer responds with high praise. There's just one hitch-she also wants you to redefine your mission. What's a board to do? Three experts offer their own advice.
CLASSIC ARTICLE - Every group has a mission, but how do you distill that mission down to a single, concise paragraph? Communications expert Janel M. Radtke has some answers. She also gives several illustrations of mission statements that work.
CLASSIC ARTICLE - Recruiting good board members is a persistent challenge for community-based organizations. Grantsmanship Center trainer Judy Gooch suggests a dozen places to start looking for prospective members.
CLASSIC ARTICLE - The federal government may not be as generous with construction funding as it once was, but many departments still award these grants for various purposes.
CLASSIC ARTICLE - With new technology, nonprofits are able to connect with their constituents much more effectively. But when a development office relies on poorly configured equipment and inconsistent databases, more money is spent and less money comes in.
CLASSIC ARTICLE - Reducing your agency's budget is never simple. If you have little in the way of unjustified spending to eliminate, there are no easy targets. And imposing a wage or hiring freeze can diminish morale and adversely impact services.
CLASSIC ARTICLE - Faced with rising rents, more and more nonprofits are scrambling for affordable office space. Multi-tenant nonprofit centers promise greater cost efficiencies and new opportunities for collaboration.
