In my wanderings through the nonprofit sector I have found two important Truths:

1. Your mission is your greatest asset
2. Your second greatest asset is your staff

Volunteers, donors and staff want to work with your organizations for two reasons: they love your (secretary, Executive Director, CEO, board member, case worker, etc), and/or they believe in your mission. I don’t believe it is possible for a nonprofit to survive, especially now, without sticking closely to its mission and treating employees with respect and reverence. Capitalizing on these two assets will provide incredible strength and fortitude.

Almost all nonprofit leaders are mission driven. To be quite frank, no one goes into social services and nonprofits because of the great pay. They are there because they want to believe in what they are doing, and the mission of their organization defines that. It makes for incredibly motivated and loyal employees under the right circumstances.

I was discussing these points with a friend who works as a development professional for a rather large nonprofit outside my vicinity. I may be biased, because I know the work my friend is capable of, but her boss is doing a fantastic job of running off any talent she could hire by refusing to recognize the second Truth. Instead, this stubborn ED has refused to capitalize on the talents of her employees, ignores suggestions and ideas (or steals them without giving any credit) and generally acts superior to everyone around her. Subsequently, her staff turnover rate is pretty impressive. Employees will tolerate this insanity because of the first Truth- they love the mission, but only for about 6 months.

How awful to think the bad decisions of an executive can have such a tangible negative impact on the lives of those in need.

While every industry has those bad apples, in the nonprofit world it is especially devastating because it means the nonprofit will suffer in the long run. If the nonprofit suffers, you can bet the beneficiaries of their services will suffer as well. How awful to think the bad decisions of an executive can have such a tangible negative impact on the lives of those in need.

Sometimes I think executives (in general- not just nonprofits) forget that the mark of an outstanding leader is not what he himself has accomplished, but what can be accomplished without him. A good boss should be able to take a vacation and come back to an organization that is humming along as smoothly as before he left. I have seen this elusive situation with my own two eyes, and it was the direct result of positive, supportive and competent leadership coupled with a strong work environment, incredible staff and a fantastic mission. If you were to ask the executive in charge of that organization how he was able to manage such a feat, he would tell you how great his employees are and that he prides himself in finding great talent, deflecting all credit to his staff.

As you read this, I hope you remember two people- your best boss and your worst boss- and what you were able to learn from both situations. Sometimes a bad example can be just as educational as a good one- and it does leave us with interesting stories!

While assisting a client with a recent grant application, the Executive Director was excitedly telling me about a recent site visit from one of her major funders. This particular nonprofit focuses very strongly on participation from funders- site visits and volunteer opportunities are encouraged by the agency no matter the grant award. The Executive Director shared an interesting quote with me from a funding organization executive:

“I’m so glad you’re not working with one of those grant consultants. I can’t stand working with them- they’re always looking for an angle.”

Whoa.

Rarely do I find a grantmaker with this position. In my experience funders have enjoyed working with an independent consultant, if only because I am experienced with the standard ‘protocol’ of the grant cycle, review period, award timelines and reporting, particularly when I am helping smaller nonprofits and less experienced applicants. My position as a ‘go-between’ for the applicant and the grantmaker has made me even, dare I say, popular with some federal agencies! Imagine my surprise to hear such a negative take on my profession.

However, I believe I take a different stance on the role of the consultant grant professional than many of my colleagues. My role with my clients is very ingrained. While I will occasionally take on a true ‘freelance’ client, I believe I should be heavily involved in my client organizations. I participate in board meetings, fundraising committee meetings, and in addition I try to meet with clients at least once per week. If I am not actively participating in the day to day operations of these organizations, how could I possibly direct them towards the proper grant opportunities? If my client expresses interest in a new program or direction, I should be right there providing guidance and consulting with them on the funding vehicles I have seen.

In my experience funders have enjoyed working with an independent consultant, if only because I am experienced with the standard ‘protocol’ of the grant cycle, review period, award timelines and reporting, particularly when I am helping smaller nonprofits and less experienced applicants.

I have found larger and federal grantmakers are most likely to welcome a consultant. In my opinion this is because they are overwhelmed with information requests and are glad to find an experienced applicant, especially for highly technical applications such as the National Institutes of Health or the Department of Health and Human Services. In these instances I am able to serve both the applicant and the funder, to help ensure the submitted applications are germane, complete and timely.

Smaller local grantmakers such as community foundations and local corporate giving organizations are less open to someone working between the funder and the receiving organization. I hope this is due to their interest in working directly with the operating agency- getting involved with the organizations they fund and offering additional support through volunteering and mentoring, etc. This strengthens the bond between the funder and the nonprofit, providing community involvement as well as opportunities for additional grants.

I am all too aware of the reputation some of the less reputable grant professional consultants have earned. The guy in the suit covered in question marks is the bane of my existence, and I always encourage my clients to research the background of anyone they work with, including me. But I encourage funders to remember that many smaller nonprofits simply cannot afford a full time staff grant writer. My services as an independent consultant allow those organizations the opportunity to have a professional guide them through the intricate process of grantmaking and increase their chances of success. Please, don’t do us the disservice of lumping us all together with grant scam artists- many of us are dedicated and ethical professionals serving our clients to the best of our ability. But if you are interested in communicating directly with the applying organization, those ethical professionals will be proud to introduce you.

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Every now and then a commercial ‘gets’ me. Around the holidays, when they show the Folger’s coffee commercial and the son sneaks home from over seas, just in time for Thanksgiving. Or the Publix commercial for Father’s Day, where the Dad somehow pulls out the coupon book his son gave him decades before.

The imagery, movement, song and message all come together so well- it is very inspiring.

I’m no advertising guru, but I think Big Brothers Big Sisters did an incredible job on this commercial. The imagery, movement, song and message all come together so well- it is very inspiring. Take a look!

I came across a very interesting tool today on www.forrester.com that I wanted to share.

I have recently been working on several websites, mostly for friends and neighbors, to gain some additional insight into web development, search engine optimization, etc. My new site, now hosted through DJK Hosting on WordPress, has proven to be another great learning experience. DJK Hosting’s owner, David Kaufman, provided me with great support and guidance (thanks, David!) while I navigated this new terrain.

Websites, online marketing, social media and e-commerce all provide tangible and intangible corporate benefits, but determining the cost and the financial gain of these projects can sometimes be tough for an IT novice.

For companies who are investigating similar marketing and IT projects, it is always a challenge to navigate the cost/benefit analysis. Websites, online marketing, social media and e-commerce all provide tangible and intangible corporate benefits, but determining the cost and the financial gain of these projects can sometimes be tough for an IT novice. For example, I have been helping a friend with a new website, and we are considering an e-commerce option for their retail store. The store owners are relative computer novices, so the initial set up and learning the system will require a lot of time and effort on their part, no matter how the system is designed. But as their business caters to local customers who may be snowbirds, an e-commerce site could transform a seasonal relationship to something more continuous. While this is a small example of how IT configurations and changes can impact a business, it does demonstrate how it is always important to try to quantify the time and effort required to take on a new technology project.

The HERO Project Effort-Value Evaluation Tool provides a quick, down and dirty points based review of a wide variety of projects. While this tool is not all encompassing, it is helpful in providing an unbiased review

of a project and it’s elements to ensure it doesn’t fall under the ‘cool but useless’ category of IT development.

When I decided to switch gears in my career and move towards nonprofits and charities, I contemplated the differences between becoming a development professional representing a single organization, or moving towards consulting and working with several. There were pros and cons of each option, and I weighed them carefully.

In the end I decided I wanted to become an independent grant writing consultant because I enjoy helping nonprofits further their missions and I didn’t want to limit myself to just one. Along the way I found a few assumptions, some of which were true and some that were not.

1) Consultants make more money, work less hours and make their own schedules

Yes and no. As a consultant I am able to charge for specific services, and there are months where I earn more income as a consultant than I would as an employee, but there are also months where things are scarce. I have to be very careful with planning my time and my billings in order to ensure cash flow. It is important to remember that as a consultant I am also running my own business, which means I am the accountant, the human resources department, the project manager- the whole staff, on top of being a grant writer. In some ways this means I work lots of non-billable hours managing my business. Don’t discount your benefits package, either- as an independent consultant I pay full price for my insurance and there is no match for my retirement funds.

…as a consultant I am also running my own business, which means I am the accountant, the human resources department, the project manager- the whole staff, on top of being a grant writer.

2) Consultants have varied areas of expertise

Some consultants focus specifically on one type of funding or one topic. I did not specialize and have enjoyed a broad range of opportunities, funding sources and topics. For example, last month I was writing grants in support of a prototype hip replacement through the National Institutes of Health, a youth gang prevention and rehabilitation mentoring program with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and a capacity building expansion project for technology funding through several private foundations.

3) Consultants are not dedicated to their causes and remain at an arms-length

While I cannot speak for all consultants, I know that personally I do not take on clients with missions that do not spark my passion. It is imperative to me that I am supportive of my nonprofits and their programs- if not I am not the right consultant for their cause. However, I do maintain a professional distance, which allows me to focus on facts and program structure in order to ensure my nonprofit clients receive the funding they need. By drawing on experience from several programs, agencies and experiences I believe I am able to construct logical, concise and clear proposals while maintaining emotional appeal. Development professionals are also able to create this perspective, but I am better able to manage this as an independent consultant.

4) Consultants are too expensive

Consultant fees are varied. According to the American Association of Grant Professionals, grant consultants are not able to ethically charge based on grant awards or percentages. Professional services should be based on the work required. However there are consultants that charge fees this way. As a professional I have decided to charge my fees based on an estimate of the time needed to complete a proposal and the supporting research, and I charge these fees proportionately based on delivery of work product. I also offer supportive services once a grant is awarded, including assistance with reporting data collection and scheduling. This additional service provides two benefits- first, my clients and I are a team as we apply for funding and I have a financial incentive in providing quality applications; and second my awarded proposals will have the necessary ongoing support to ensure my funding agencies are comfortable with my experience. Both of these outcomes strengthen my relationship with my clients and my funding agencies while maintaining professionalism and ensuring proper handling of grant funds.

5) Consultants have a bad reputation

This I have found to be true in the nonprofit world. Horror stories of unscrupulous consultants are frightening and sad. I have heard of consultants who have taken deposit checks and never delivered proposals, promised the moon or guaranteed grant awards because of special preferences that don’t exist, used plagiarized proposals and more. Unfortunately, these people have given the rest of us a bad reputation. Organizations such as the American Association of Grant Professionals have taken steps to help stop these unethical consultants and promote the honest and hard working writers out there. For example, the Grant Professional Certification Institute offers the Grant Professional Certified program, which includes a background screening and verification of professional experience. Several states have developed licensing programs for fundraising consultants and grant writers- please check with your state government to determine the process for your area. As a professional in Florida I hold a license through the Department of Consumer Affairs. I always advise to be cautious and vigilant when they hire a grant consultant, or any other service provider. Do your research, and only work with someone you trust. I do not advertise other than my general website and a yellow pages listing. Instead I accept limited referrals from my active clients on a case by case basis, and I rely on my reputation for honest and straightforward services rather than advertising.

In the end, I am glad to have taken the route of independent consultant vs. a dedicated development professional. I am blessed to have the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects and assist my clients in providing the needed services in my community.

According to the Google Docs Blog, there are some new and interesting features to check out in Google Sheets! Are you looking to create a report on the annual rainfall in several cities, but don’t know what the numbers are? Google Sheets has a new function using the Google Search Engine to pull data from the web and use it in your calculations!

GoogleLookup is the new function that will pull relative data from the web for use in your spreadsheet. Here are a few interesting examples of how to use the new formula.

Google Apps has been receiving more and more recognition as a viable, cost efficient cloud computing solution for corporations, governmental agencies and nonprofits. Recent Google Apps converters include the City of Los Angeles and the City of Orlando.

Among others, a major concern for utilizing a cloud based platform is security. Google Apps was recently certified through the Federal Information Security Management Act, or FISMA. This certification will provide additional opportunities for Google Apps. This is the first step rather than the last, but it begins the process for additional certification and and approval.

For more information on Google Apps and FISMA certification, please visit: http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/government/trust.html

For another article on Google Apps and the certification process, please visit: http://mashable.com/2010/07/26/google-apps-government/

I am proud to announce that Coastal Consulting and Research Associates, LLC has received certification from the State of Florida’s Office of Supplier Diversity as a Woman Owned Business! Click here for our certificate.

Coastal Consulting and Research Associates, LLC has received certification from the State of Florida’s Office of Supplier Diversity as a Woman Owned Business!

Certification as a woman, minority or veteran owned business is something any eligible owner should consider. Many companies and municipal agencies will offer benefits to companies meeting this requirement. Federal designation is offered only for minority and veteran owned businesses, but the State of Florida offers a certification for woman owned as well.

Each state will have separate guidelines and procedures for establishing certification, and while most municipalities will reciprocate state and/or federal designation, there may be additional steps to take to register. For more information on Florida’s process, please visit the Office of Supplier Diversity at http://dms.myflorida.com/other_programs/office_of_supplier_diversity_osd. For more information on the Federal process, please visit the Minority Business Development Agency at http://www.mbda.gov/.

Congratulations to Big Brothers Big Sisters on the County Commissioner’s approval of the FAA recommendation to fund the full request of $40,062 in support of a case manager for the Career Skills Mentoring program!

Congratulations to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Palm Beach and Martin Counties on their $40,062 grant award!

Congratulations to Thornberry Technologies, LLC and Dr. Thornberry for his National Institutes of Health SBIR grant application determination last week. Thornberry Technologies, LLC and Dr. Thornberry will lead the way in creating a new hip replacement prototype using cutting edge navigation techniques. This $256,000 grant will provide the capital to create the prototype and required algorithms and data processing units.

Congratulations to Thornberry Technologies on their $256,000 grant approval!