blueprints

Tools for Framing | 231
2. Find out whether you are eligible for grants and under what
programs (for example, some agencies have special programs to
help new organizations get going, which could benefit you).
3. Find and make a note of all deadlines, including any pre-
proposal deadlines.
4. If your organization lives within an institution that requires
approval for grants, find out which offices must sign off and in
what order and what lead time each office requires for its
signature.
5. Count back to find your “real” deadline.
6. Reread the grant guidelines and the mission statement of the
organization in question, and check the organization’s website
for information about what it has previously funded so you can
tailor your narrative accordingly.
7. Make sure your budget is as accurate as you can make it and
that it balances.
8. Make note of any requests for acknowledgment and follow
through on them.
9. Beyond these requirements, make a plan for public acknowledgment
on publicity materials and in introductions.
10. Make a plan for accounting for the money, and stick to it.
11. File all required reports accurately and on time.
B. Individuals
1. Sit down with your board and staff, and set goals for your individual
fund-raising.
2. Solicit ideas for different kinds of fund-raising activities you
might engage in, ranging from appeals to individuals to membership
programs to benefit readings or events.
3. Check in with your partners and advisors in the community to
get their ideas and find out about pitfalls.
4. Do a realistic cost analysis.
5. Identify where needs, interests, and values intersect in your
program.
6. Target individuals who might be interested specifically in any
or all elements of what you’re doing, and make sure they
receive invitations and reminders to help you.
7. Follow up with potential major donors personally.