3 California foundations offer guidance to grant seekers
THE WORDS, “if you know one foundation, you know one foundation,” rang true for three panelists who spoke at the Foundation Center in San Francisco last week during Funding for Health and Human Services Month. Local foundation representatives advised grant seekers on what they like and what they don’t like when it comes to grant funding requests. And guess what?
If you know one foundation, you know one foundation
The Panelists:
- Mary L. Gregory, Executive Director, Bella Vista Foundation
- Fatima Angeles, Director of Evaluation and Organizational Learning, The California Wellness Foundation
- Carrie Varoquiers, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and President, McKesson Foundation
| Key insights | Bella Vista Foundation | The California Wellness Foundation | McKesson Foundation |
| Type of Foundation | Family | Healthcare conversion | Corporate |
| Geographic focus | Varies by focus area | Statewide | Nationwide with HQ in San Francisco |
| What are your funding priorities? | 8 Health Areas and a Special Projects fund |
Community Health Centers (by invitation only through National Association of CHCs) |
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| How can a grantseeker cultivate a relationship? | Review the website carefully; call with questions regarding a possible "fit." | Go to the website: "Everything is there." Mail in a 1-2 page letter of inquiry (10% chance of receiving invitation to write full proposal). | Go to the website for next chance to submit a letter of intent for mobile health research projects. |
| What are you looking for in a proposal? | Show evidence of your expertise. | Describe your organization’s target population, not the merits of your executive director. What does your organization do and why are you the one to do it? What is your voice in the policy arena? | Promising research to find out what works in mobile health. Evidence does not exist today. |
| What are red flags? | Don’t "parrot back" our words from the guidelines. | Will disqualify your letter of inquiry if it exceeds 2 pages. | Letters addressed to the wrong name |
| Tips for funded programs | Write thoughtful progress reports. | Write thoughtful progress reports. | Write thoughtful progress reports. |
Related post:
12 tips for nonprofits seeking grant money