Sponsored by: A Service Of: Data Gets Grants Mark Goldstein March 27, 2013
Sponsored by: A Service
Of:
Advising nonprofits in:
• Strategy
• Planning
• Organizational Development
www.synthesispartnership.com
(617) 969-1881
INTEGRATED PLANNING
Sponsored by: A Service
Of:
Today’s Speaker
Mark Goldstein CEO
Communication Mark
Assisting with chat questions: Jamie Maloney, Nonprofit Webinars
Founding Director of Nonprofit Webinars and Host:
Sam Frank, Synthesis Partnership
Lead with the Need: How Data Gets Grants
Mark Goldstein, CFRE Nonprofit Webinars
March 27, 2013
www.communicationmark.com/datagetsgrantsonline.php
Needs Compel People to Give.
• Someone out there relies on what you do. You could be spending your valuable time and skills elsewhere. But you’re doing this. It’s critical—more important than anything else that you could describe. Thank you.
• Every successful grant proposal—and every other type of request—hinges on a compelling need. You know how HUGE the need is. The person reviewing the request has to know, too.
“Need” Defined
A need is a condition or situation in
which something is required.
The Needs Statement is the part of the
proposal in which you articulate the need that
your will address. If organization leaders do not agree
on a need that the organization’s mission compels it to
address, the leadership will never be able to completely
agree on an effective solution.
How Can I Measure What My Organization Does?
The need is often a good place to start. Consider the evidence that the problem exists, and how the problem is quantified. If the challenge you address is less obvious, such as with arts organizations, this may be difficult. However, it is always possible to illustrate that a need exists.
Which Measurements Am I Taking?
With grant proposals, you are usually gathering demographic information (statistical characteristics of a population) or other baseline data (to show past results, measure a current situation or calculate future results). The data is usually either required by the funder or desired to objectively demonstrate the need for funding.
Where To Get the Data
The source of your data should be well-documented. A potential source is your organization’s internal files or databases. Your data should be gathered from established, objective authorities, such as a government agency, credentialed expert or established nonprofit entity.
I need data.
With grant proposals, the desired data usually is baseline data (to show past results or to measure future improvements),
demographics or data that proves a need exists. The data
needed is usually either required by the funder or is
desirable to help make the case for funding. Do I know
exactly what I need?
Decide which data I want.
YES
NO
YES
NO
MAYBEInvestigate NO
NO
Fine, I'll collect it myself.
Does anyone
collect it?
Do I know where to get
it?
Hooray, I got the data!
YES
Data 101: How to Find Data
Example I need data.
With grant proposals, the desired data usually is baseline data (to show past results or to measure future improvements),
demographics or data that proves a need exists. The data
needed is usually either required by the funder or is
desirable to help make the case for funding. Do I know
exactly what I need?
Decide which data I want.
YES
NO
YES
NO
MAYBEInvestigate NO
NO
Fine, I'll collect it myself.
Does anyone
collect it?
Do I know where to get
it?
Hooray, I got the data!
YES
Data 101: How to Find Data
Rats. The data says the wrong
thing.
Do I know why that
happened?
YES
YES
Can I get other data?
Hooray, I got the data!
NOInvestigate
Aha, the data was flawed!
Data 201: I Found the Data, But It Doesn't Prove the Need!
There really isn't a need.
This indicator just doesn't show the
need.
YES
YES
Address flawBack to"I need data."
Especially if numbers terrify you, have a system. Take it one step at a time, think it through, and do not abandon common sense.
Can I make it fit what I
need?
YES
Use Excel, document
work
Hooray, I got the data!
NO
Data 202: I Found the Data, But Now I Have to Do Math
Hooray, I got the
data! But it doesn't exactly
match what I need.
Back to"I need data."
InvestigateMAYBE
NO
YES
Can I make it fit what I
need?
YES
Use Excel, document
work
Hooray, I got the data!
NO
Data 202: I Found the Data, But Now I Have to Do Math
Hooray, I got the
data! But it doesn't exactly
match what I need.
Back to"I need data."
InvestigateMAYBE
NO
YES
Can I make it fit what I
need?
YES
Use Excel, document
work
Hooray, I got the data!
NO
Data 202: I Found the Data, But Now I Have to Do Math
Hooray, I got the
data! But it doesn't exactly
match what I need.
Back to"I need data."
InvestigateMAYBE
NO
YES
If a Need Is Hard to Document
• Get out there and document it! • Two words: Survey. Monkey. • Share an anecdote. • Be creative. • Are you sure that there is a real need, and that
this is the one to address?
Thank You for Listening!
Mark Goldstein, CFRE (828) 650-0902
www.communicationmark.com/datagetsgrantsonline.php