The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – Courtesy of Canadian Pacific via Flickr
Think About Foundation Funding
It is possible that one or more local, state, or national foundations may be appropriate potential sources of funding for your projects. Most non-profit foundations have very specific missions and will only fund programs having to do with their particular interest areas. However, if you search, foundation funding can be obtained for a variety of projects. These might include projects related to human services, community development, the environment, educational activities, and the promotion of arts and culture. Foundation funding can be restricted to particular places and as well as types of activities. Many foundations consider their grant funding to be investments in their regions of geographical interest.
For example the WK Kellogg Foundation prioritizes its funding in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, and New Orleans, nationally, and Haiti and Mexico, internationally. While the locations listed above are their priorities, other locations (eg, Child Care Resource Center, Inc., Opelika, Alabama) where programs meet the mission of the foundation can benefit from WK Kellogg Foundation funding. The WK Kellogg Foundation’s programs focus on Educated Kids, Healthy Kids, Secure Families, Community & Civic Engagement, and Racial Equity. They offer various types of support, including fellowships, operating funds, program development and evaluation, and seed funds, among others.
Another example is The Coca-Cola Foundation, which focuses their grant funding on economic empowerment of women, access to clean water and water conservation, active healthy living, education, and youth development. Their regions of interest include California, District of Columbia, Georgia, New York, Texas, and Virginia. It offers continuing support, fellowships, operating support, program development, and scholarships.
Some foundations operate nationally, for example, The Abbvie Patient Assistance Foundation (previously known as the Abbot Patient Assistance Foundation). Their primary focus is on diabetes and healthcare and they provide Abbott medications and care products to disadvantaged individuals. Biology and medical research are the primary interests of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, another foundation with a national focus. It promotes early career development of scientists planning careers in academic research, physician-scientists, science and math teachers, and others. This foundation supports program development and research activities.
While some foundations prefer not to receive an introductory phone call, many others do not have restrictions. Therefore, it is important to do the necessary “homework” to determine if your project is a good match that will interest your targeted list of foundations, and a direct phone call is often appropriate. A well-scripted phone call serves to introduce you and your project, and allows the foundation’s program officer to assess the potential level of interest in your project. According to the Foundation Center, this sometimes leads to an invitation to submit a letter of inquiry or even a full proposal. At the very least, it serves to introduce your name and your institution to the foundation’s program officer, and establishes a relationship that may grow in the future.
An internet search will yield access to a number of websites that provide information about foundation funding. Your institution may have subscriptions to some of them. An example is the Foundation Center’s Foundation Directory Online. Your institution’s research development office is an often underutilized resource for assistance with locating more information about foundation and other funding opportunities.
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