When you’re working at a nonprofit, funding sources can come to you from all directions. On one end of the spectrum you have individual donors, but on the other end, there are the foundations that can make a big difference in your fundraising goals. But how do you get to the foundations and how do you get them to consider funding your nonprofit? To answer these and many more questions, we’ve asked Sam Bennett to give us some insight. Sam holds a Master’s degree in Library Science and Public Administration. He made a career switch from libraries to philanthropy in 1999, when he became a program officer for a dozen charitable foundations administered by Commerce Bank of Kansas City. In this position, he worked with nonprofits of all types and sizes throughout Kansas and Missouri. Since his retirement, he has served on nonprofit boards for environmental and arts organizations. Soon he will begin a temporary position as Interim Executive Director of the Heartland Conservation Alliance. Sam and his wife live in a 112-year-old house in a historic Kansas City neighborhood, which is where we find him today.

In this episode you'll discover:

What's the difference between fundraising and foundation fundraising? 02:00

How do grants factor in? 02:48

How do nonprofits find foundations to approach? 3:10

How much time should you dedicate to approaching foundations? 03:43

What aspects of your grant proposal are necessary for foundations? 06:30

How do you know what grants to apply for? 06:56

What is shotgun fundraising? Should you avoid it? 07:57

Interesting grantee example story 10:18

How much homework does a foundation do on grantees? 13:08

Are there magic words to listen for as a grantee? 14:30

How often should you keep in touch with a foundation? 15:11

Should you move on to another foundation, or keep in touch with one? 16:00

Are unrequested grant updates welcome? 16:47

Do's and Don'ts of foundation fundraising 17:33

Golden rule! 18:12

Coaches Corner Question - My Board needs training, how do I get them to do it? 19:30

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Soukup Strategic Solutions, Inc. was founded in 2012 by the company’s president, Sheryl Soukup, to provide nonprofit organizations with expertise in fundraising and nonprofit management. The company offers consulting, coaching, and full-service grant writing, marketing, donor database management, strategic planning, and much more.

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