Advanced Proposal Preparation:
Developing Budgets for Research Projects
Friday, February 26th 9:30-10:30am
Erickson Hall 116-H

The seminar is designed for doctoral students who plan to seek funding for their own research projects during the next two years. The seminar is open to all Ph.D. students in the college.

If you are interested and know that you plan to attend please register by sending an e-mail to Amy Jamison at jamisona@msu.edu. Please include your full name, department, and number of years you have been enrolled in your study program.

Dear Colleagues:

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies invites applications to the 2009-2010 Competitive Discretionary Funding Program (CDFP). Important details concerning eligibility criteria and submission requirements can be found online at the Grant Proposal System (GPS) website. If you have any questions after reviewing the CDFP website, contact us at gps-help@msu.edu or 432-3773.

CDFP provides internal funds to support research opportunities that have significant potential for external funding and that support the research/scholarly thrusts of departments, colleges and the University. Requests for grant bridging funds and funding for additional studies needed for resubmission of a grant application are the primary types of applications that will be considered. Applicants will be required to provide a copy of their previous external reviews or rejection letter, and describe the work that will be completed to address the comments provided in these documents.

CDFP competitions will be held 3 times a year, with deadlines in the first weeks of October, December, and March. The maximum funding will be $60,000, except under unusual circumstances, and will be available over 2 years.

I encourage you to consider the CDFP as a way of supporting significant research opportunities. The deadlines for submission of applications can be found at the CDFP Important Dates link online.

Best wishes for a successful application!

Sincerely,

Estelle McGroarty

Assistant Vice President, Research and Graduate Studies

The Corporation for National and Community Service is making $2.7 million available for 70 awards for its Senior Corps RSVP Grants Competition.

DEADLINE: April 6.

SUMMARY: This program engages people age 55 and older in a diverse range of volunteer activities that deliver valuable services to meet community needs while providing an enriching experience to those who serve. The volunteers choose how, where and how often they want to serve, with commitments ranging from a few hours to 40 hours per week.

The purpose of this grant funding is two-fold: (1) to establish new projects in geographic areas that are currently underserved by such projects; and (2) to expand the number of volunteers serving in existing projects. Applicants proposing to establish a new project must budget and raise 10% of the total project budget in Year 1, 20% in Year 2, and 30% in Year 3 and subsequent years, if the grant is renewed beyond three years.

To submit your application, access eGrants , the Corporation’s integrated, secure, web-based system for applications. For more information, visit the 2010 Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity. Check here for application instructions. Required Concept Paper is due on February 22, 2010.

CFDA Number : 94.002

Fundraising for a non-profit is hard enough… stating your case, writing a plan, and coming up with creative fundraising ideas takes time and hard work. Raising funding for a new non-profit, though, is doubly hard, because donors like to see a track record of success before investing their hard earned dollars into your cause.

Raising funding for a start-up charity is successfully done every day, however, despite the reluctance of traditional and institutional donors to get involved. Here are four tips for successfully funding your new non-profit venture:

1. Seek Start-Up Capital from Those Closest to You

The single best place for a non-profit founder to raise money is among your friends, relatives, and colleagues. Just as the founders of a new business who are looking for capital must often go to their own networks to raise seed money, so too the founder of a charitable organization normally must seek early-stage funding from their own rolodex.

These calls work because people have a hard time saying “no” to their friends. If your group has more than one founder, all the better: each person involved with starting the school, church, or charity should work the phones to seek donations for the non-profit. (For more information read What is a Fundraising Ask?)

2. Find a Board that is Passionate and Connected

Raising funding for a new non-profit is made easier when you build your board of directors with development in mind. Seek out business and community leaders who are passionate about the issue your organization addresses. Sit down with those leaders one-on-one and explain your mission and what you are hoping to accomplish with your new non-profit. Ask each leader to get involved by sitting on your board.

Once you build your board, ask your founding board members to help you raise $1,000, $10,000, $25,000, or whatever your group needs to get started.

3. Connect with Complimentary Organizations

Many non-profits have had great success raising early gifts by connecting with complimentary organizations in their area who might have a vested interest in seeing your new group succeed. For example, if you are raising funding for a new soup kitchen, would local churches, homeless advocacy groups, or anti-poverty groups want to help fund your launch? If you are working on starting a new school, the local civic association, the town’s municipal government, and large local employers might want to help get you started.

4. Kick Off Your Effort with a Launch Event

A fantastic way or raising funding for your new organization is by holding a big launch event as your first fundraising activity. Recruit a well-connected host committee that cares about your mission, but that also loves to hold events. Get them to work their networks to find event sponsors and sell tickets.

The reason events work particularly well for start-up funding is because often, people who wouldn’t give $100 to your new non-profit are more than willing to pay $100 to go to your cocktail party, and many socialites who may not be interested in raising money for your initial fund drive might be willing to throw a fabulous fundraising event for you.

Source : Fundraising Authority

Take a look at the February 5th issue of GrantsNet Funding News to find:

13 New Research Funding Opportunities
5 for Students or Institutions

The Deadline Watch, now part of the Funding News, provides upcoming due dates for science research funding, scholarships, fellowships, and internships in GrantsNet.

Info on how to register for the GrantsNet Express.

Links to past Funding News issues.