CONSORTIA MANAGEMENT

1
CONSORTIA MANAGEMENT
Dr. Alice Brown

• RAISING THE FUNDS TO STRENGTHEN THE ORGANIZATION

Association for Consortium Leadership
2
Overview

• There are no magic words or practices that apply
  in every situation in the world of fund raising.
  All anyone can tell you is what has worked in at
  least some cases. If you believe in the work of
  your organization, you have taken the first step
  to being good at raising money. This
  presentation provides nothing more than a few
  lessons I have learned in 20 years of asking.

3
Know why you need to raise money.

• Four of the elements critical to any consortium
  are mission, governance structure, leadership,
  funding. No matter what your assignment in the
  consortium, raising money or helping to raise
  money to achieve the goals or broaden the scope
  of the organization is probably an expectation of
  your job.

4
Know rules for raising money in your organization.

• Find out what procedures your board expects you
  to follow as you identify ways for raising funds.
  It is critical that the consortium office be
  sensitive to issues related to multiple
  applications potentially going to the same
  individuals or agencies.

5
Determine the goals of your organization.

• Most consortia have colleges of a certain type or
  from a certain geographical base. The
  characteristics of the institutions will help
  determine the goals of your consortia. For
  example, if your colleges are in a major
  metropolitan area, your organization might be
  focusing on addressing the needs of adult
  learners collectively.

6
Determine the strengths of your organization.

• You will need to know what assets your
  organization has that make you a good choice for
  the investment of a funding agencyhow you can
  help the funding agency meet its goals.

7
Identify two or three potential funders in your
area of interest.

• Consider those that have funded multiple campuses
  in your network.
• Search a database such as those listing
  foundations and their priorities those listing
  grants available from federal agencies.
• Ask colleagues in your field about ideas they
  might have.

8
Seek funding sources where program officers have
direct access to their boards when possible.

• Find potential funding agencies or sources where
  endowments are large and staff numbers are lowa
  good indication that your request will move to
  the board quickly once the staff person has
  approved it.

9
Send inquiries, not proposals, initially.

• Send a letter or make a call asking if you can
  meet with someone in the agency to talk about an
  idea. Offer a time when you expect to be in the
  area where the potential funder is located. If
  you cannot meet with someone face-to-face, at
  least try to meet with someone voice-to-voice.
  Letters and emails are easily ignored.

10
Contact agencies that have received funding for
projects similar to yours and ask for copies of
their proposals and advice.

• Try to determine if the funding agency just
  wants the facts or if the reviewers want to
  weep when they read.

11
Keep your request clearly within the mission
of the funding agency as well as the mission of
your organization but dont view either mission
too narrowly.

• Never argue with funders about their missionor
  anything.

12
Be persistent.

• Try to address all concerns expressed by program
  officers, but once the door is clearly closed,
  dont become an annoyance.

13
Promise only what you can deliver deliver more
than you promise.

• Anyone can raise money the question is can your
  organization do what that person will have to
  promise to get the money?
• A reputation for good judgment, for fair
  dealing, for truth, and for rectitude, is itself
  a fortune. Henry Ward Beecher (1887)

14
Stay in touch with funderseven after the project
has ended.

• Report both successes and problems not
  anticipated. Even after the project has ended,
  provide brief periodic updates to the funders.

15
Show appreciation to those you worked with at the
funding agency.

• Recognize everyone at the funding agency who
  helped you, not just the president or director.

16
Build a network of funding agencies.

• Once fundedor rejectedask for information about
  other possible funders.

17
Final Advice

• HOPE FOR THE BEST.
• EXPECT THE WORST.
• BE GRATEFUL FOR WHATEVER COMES.
• Old Appalachian Saying