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The Fountain of Funding: Strategies for Securing Financial
Support for your ProjectNovember 9, 2006Lynn Fisher, Associate
Professor, Sociology/AnthropologyDeb Koua, Coordinator, Grants and
ContractsPamela Salela, Coordinator, Central Illinois Nonprofit
Resource Center, Brookens LibraryStacey Willenborg, Director of
Development, Corporate/Foundation GiftsUniversity of Illinois at
Springfield
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Stacey Willenborg,Corporate and Foundation RelationsFind
matchesConduct research on fundersSet-up and attend initial
meetings Serve as a general resource to help you find funding
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Proposal PreparationFaculty and staff know their projects
bestTailor to your audienceUse your contactsTalking points are
helpfulAsk for assistance
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Deb Koua, Grants and ContractsServices provided by G&C
OfficeIdentification of external funding sourcesInterpretation of
sponsor guidelines and requirementsAssistance with all stages of
proposal developmentOfficial submission of proposals to outside
sponsors, including electronic submissions through grants.gov,
Fastlane, Etc.Assistance with protocols for research involving
human and/or animal subjectsAssistance with intellectual property
issuesA webpage with links to relevant information, and
downloadable forms
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Where to look for fundingIRIS www.library.uiuc.edu/iris SPIN
(coming in FY08)GoogleAssociation listserves, funder newsletters,
etc.Grants.govColleagues
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UIS Provost FundingSummer Competitive Scholarly Research Grant
Program (SCRGP)Strategic Academic Initiatives Grant (SAIG) Program
Collaborative Project Seed Funding (CPSF)Scholarly Presentation
Support Program
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UIS requirements for proposals & awardsAll proposals
submitted to external sponsors by UIS faculty, staff and students
require internal approval using the UIS Internal Clearance Form.
All awards must be officially accepted by the campus, and must be
signed by the proper authority.
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Proposal Writing TipsDO:Follow directionsLearn as much about
your funder as you canUse language that is simple and directRepeat
the funders language back to themInclude tables, flowcharts and
diagrams when they are useful
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Tips continued ProofreadHave someone not familiar with your work
read your proposalPrepare a detailed and justifiable budgetTalk to
staff at the funding agency if possibleAsk for reviewer
comments
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Tips continuedDO NOT:Go over the number of pages allottedPad
your budget with items that cant be justifiedAssume that reviewers
are experts in your fieldWait until the last minute to write or to
submitSend the same proposal off to multiple funders Get
discouraged!!
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Central Illinois Nonprofit Resource
Centerhttp://library.uis.edu/findinfo/grants/index.html
Pamela M. Salela, CoordinatorBrookens
[email protected]
University of Illinois at Springfield
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AffiliationsFoundation Center http://foundationcenter.org
PublicationsTrainingReference Guide for Researchers
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/guides/research.html
Donors Forum of Chicago Partner http://donorsforum.org
PublicationsWorkshops (Chicago)20% discount UIS
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ResourcesDatabasesFoundation Directory Online campus only!
http://fconline.fdncenter.org/ipl.plFoundation Grants to
Individuals Online campus only!
http://gtionline.fdncenter.org/ipl.phpIllinois Funding Source
campus only! http://ifs.donorsforum.org/Campus Only! but VPN
client
Reference MaterialsDirectoriesManualsBudget tools
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Select Bibliography of DirectoriesDirectory of Research Grants
AS911.A2 D5Annual Register of Grant Support: A Directory of Funding
Sources AS911.A2 A67The Grants Register: The Complete Guide to
Postgraduate Funding Worldwide AS911.A2 G734The Europa
International Foundation Directory HV7 .I56
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WorkshopsCommunityCourse specificFaculty/Staff
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How to get your project funded (1 faculty perspective)Lynn
Fisher (SOA)University of Illinois at Springfield
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3 first steps in seeking external fundingDevelop a clear
statement of project goalsFind a grant program with a mission
closely matching your goalsDemonstrate that the project is
important and present a workable plan
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Finding the right funding sourceDevelop a clear set of goals and
an ideal timetable for your projectConduct a wide search for
potential funding sourcesBookmark IRIS and search often
[auto-alert] http://www.library.uiuc.edu/iris/Take time to browse
the web pages of many potential funding agenciesAsk colleagues in
your fieldContact organizations who have already funded your
work
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Match potential sources to your goalsRead mission statements so
youre aware of the types of projects typically fundedLook at titles
& abstracts of previously funded projectsMake sure the cycle of
application and award suits your plansContact the program
administrator with a few sentences about your project, and ask if
it is appropriate for the particular grant program
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Writing successful proposalsCollect & read successful
proposalsFollow program guidelines carefully Communicate the
intellectual significance and broader impact of your
projectDemonstrate that your plan is workable:Present preliminary
results or highlight a previous projectClearly explain roles &
expertise of project personnelGet feedback
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What to do if your project is not fundedRead reviews carefully /
ask for feedbackCommon problems:Project does not match grant
program (topic, scope, type of award)More information needed to
evaluate workability of plan (methods, budget, timetable,
personnel)Be prepared to revise Add personnel? Clarify goals or
methods? Explain significance more fully? Seek internal funding to
develop preliminary resultsKeep trying
Foundation Center
Online tutorials: FREE, fee-based, interactive
Live Workshops at their regional offices