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Matching Capacity to Opportunity

James Pfluecke, IRN Outreach Coordinator

  Identifying Federal Funding:

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Where do we Begin?

• Know who you are: does your organization have clearly defined mission, goals and purpose statements?

• Does the organization have a strategic plan?• Who is driving the grant-seeking process?• Who will manage the proposal development

process?

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Assess Your Organization’s Capacity• Board Governance

• Strategic Planning

• Management Systems

• Financial Management Systems

• Fund Development Plan

• Human Resources (Leadership, Management & Program & Administrative Staff

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Identify Funding

Research Federal Funding Sources

• Illinois ResourceNet www.illinoisresource.net

• Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance www.cfda.gov

• Grants.gov

• Federal Register/NOFA (Notice of Fund Availability) www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/

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Big Fun with the Internet

• Comparative Search: grants.gov vs cfda• Using the web sites together• What does it all mean?

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Advantages of Place Based Community Development• Focus on the needs of the community, not any one

agency• Plans are not dependent upon any one participant• Allows the work of many community based

organizations and government bodies to coordinate their work and create multipliers

• Provides opportunity for community accountability

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Placed Base Example: Humboldt Park • Define the Community • Develop collaborations and partnerships• Establish current capacity• Plan: as a noun and a verb• Quality of Life Plan:

http://www.newcommunities.org/cmadocs/HumboldtQofL2005.pdf

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Develop Deliverables

• “Grants Matrix”• Supporting Documents• “Cheesebook”• Work plans

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My Take on Foundation Funding

• Copy Cat Approach• Network• Ask your current funders• Avoid overreach