Hi, again.
I have been remiss in writing my blogs, but have been pumping out grant proposals like popcorn. As you know, while we serve as the official health and safety arm of the NEA, HIN is a separate non-profit organization, dependent for our very existence on external funding from corporate, foundation, and government partners. We have also begun to explore ways to engage individual members in supporting our work, with contributions that can be made through this website (by hitting Donate Now at the top of the homepage), through making reservations at hotels in the Marriott chain by hitting Marriott Program at the top of the homepage (which takes you right onto the HIN/Marriott partnership site), through contributing to the Combined Federal Campaign (held each fall in government agencies) and through planned gifts. If you have an interest in or questions about supporting NEA HIN’s work, I would be delighted to chat with you. Feel free to contact me by email at [email protected]. and I will get back to you promptly.
Anyway, I have been sending in proposals that we hope will result in some new and/or continuing programs for NEA members. While most of the work that we take on is at the national level, some is regional or in selected states. For example, we are currently in the process of rolling out Year 2 of our Breakfast in the Classroom Program, which served five states in Year 1 and which will bring 10 more states onboard in Years 2 and 3. There is more information about the program on this site, so check it out if you have a minute. Thousands more kids in the five participating districts received breakfast during the program’s first year than had received it before the program began—and kids perform better and behave better when they start the day with breakfast. By the way, so do we—so think of that when you are running out of the house hungry!
Back to grant proposals for a minute. In an earlier column, I told you that I would be happy to share some tips about how to interest prospective funders in a project you might like to pursue in your district. There are lots of community foundations that support small, local projects and could be great sources of dollars for a program that is of interest to them. So here’s a tip for you. If you are looking for support for a project, do your homework. Check out the kinds of things that a foundation, group or company has funded in the past or indicates an interest in, and don’t try to make a forced fit with your idea if it doesn’t mesh with their interests. When I first came into the development business, I attended a great workshop that taught me to beware of coming down with the we-we disease—we need this or we need that. Frankly, funders care more about what they need than what an applicant needs. They want to be able to make a direct connection between their own purpose and mission and what a proposal seeks to do. So choose carefully the places you ask for money, and be very sure that, if you get a grant, you can deliver on what you promise.
That’s it for now. Leave a comment if you like, and let me know if you can use more tips. Meanwhile, enjoy this gorgeous spring, and have a great weekend. I’ll be back soon, I promise.
Bette