Kathryn Masterson
December 11, 2016
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Before You Approach a Foundation
Do your homework. Research foundations. Read their guidelines, and stay current, as they change over time, with new board members or shifts in mission. The guidelines will often detail what the foundation does and does not support. The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, for example, will not invite a college to apply for a grant if that college’s president has been in office less than a year.
Focus one person on foundations. If you can, structure your development office so that one person concentrates on this work. That person can keep up on guidelines, look for opportunities to meet foundation officers, and lead the stewardship of grants. Nancy J. Cable, who worked in senior administration posts at several colleges and is now president of the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, says, "It’s worth paying staff to do that. It increases your chances of getting grant funding."
Do your homework. Research foundations. Read their guidelines, and stay current, as they change over time, with new board members or shifts in mission. The guidelines will often detail what the foundation does and does not support. The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, for example, will not invite a college to apply for a grant if that college’s president has been in office less than a year.
Focus one person on foundations. If you can, structure your development office so that one person concentrates on this work. That person can keep up on guidelines, look for opportunities to meet foundation officers, and lead the stewardship of grants. Nancy J. Cable, who worked in senior administration posts at several colleges and is now president of the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, says, "It’s worth paying staff to do that. It increases your chances of getting grant funding."
