2024 AGO International Gleaning Symposium�Track 2: Building Your Skills�

​

Fundraising

Morgan Curry, MPA, CGW

Skagit Gleaners

Objectives

• Explore practices that support successful fundraising
• Understand effective approaches to grant writing (from prospect research to submission)
• Become equipped with grant writing tools and datasets
• Learn strategies for sustaining relationships with funders
• Introduce equity-based philanthropy

​

​

​

2

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

What is fundraising?

The seeking of financial support for a charity, cause, or other enterprise

​

​

​

​

Anyone can fundraise!

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Traditional ways of fundraising

• Direct mailers
• Grant writing
• Fashion shows
• Tournaments (golf)
• Gala events (longest-standing)
• Live auctions
• Heads and Tails/other games
• Raffles
• Silent auctions

​

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Cheap ways to fundraise

• Marathon (virtual 5k, outside = no vendor)
• Grant writing
• Board Member donations
• Sponsorships
• Electronic mailers/crowdfunding
• Events (trivia night, yard sale, spaghetti feed, bake sale, BBQ, recreational activities)
• Philanthropic giving/single-large donations
• Restaurant fundraiser (Applebees)

​

A successful fundraising plan should have a mix of ways to acquire funding

​

​

​

2

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Is your organization ready to fundraise?

• SOS registration
• Nonprofit corporation filing
• Charity registration
• Statewide Vendor # (SWV) - to receive state $
• Unified Business ID (UBI)
• Unique Entity ID (UEI) - to be a contractor of the state
• EIN - 501c3 status

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Fundraising ideas for gleaning organizations

• Grant writing
• Glean-o-thon
• Get sponsors for your gleaning event
• Restaurant fundraiser from partnering donor
• BBQ with gleaned food
• Cooking competition
• Round up dollars at partnering grocery store

​

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

What is grant writing?�

The practice of completing a writing a proposal/application for a financial ask that brings together those who want to do the work with those who have financial resources to share

​

The most effective grant proposals embody both knowledge and data balanced with optimism that positive change is possible

​

3

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Successful grants…�

• Analyze the intended audience & formulate a persuasive strategy
• Consider the purpose of the proposal and create a clear plan for accomplishing that purpose
• Research all aspects of that plan, the funding required, and the impact
• Include those being served in the solution building
• Collaborate with other organizations if possible
• Choose the right type of proposal
• Attend listening sessions, meet with the grants manager, come with questions
• Format the proposal and look at all the questions
• Revise, edit and proofread the proposal
• Ensure you can measure the impact
• Report the results

9

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Are you grant ready?

• Programs and Services (fills an unmet need, Strategic Plan, continuous Quality Improvement Plan)
• Leadership and Management
• Program Staff/Volunteers
• Governance and Board
• Administrative Systems and Operations (database of stakeholders, demographics, people served, ability to capture data)
• Finance (budget and fund development plan, diverse funding streams)
• Partnerships

​

​

10

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Prospect Research �

• Pay attention to the types of support
• Subject approach
• Types of support approach
• Geography approach
• Recipient approach
• Networking approach
• Cross reference all of these approaches = comprehensive list

​

​

​

​

​

​

• Most Foundations do not have websites
• Use 990’s from other NGO’s
• Look at who serves on Foundation boards (most serve on other Foundations)
• Use Foundation Directory Online (~200,000 grantmakers, $35-130/mo)
• Candid.org has sample grant proposals, letter of interest, cover letters
• Use grants.gov (free)
• Use GrantStation.com ($179/yr)
• Include government entities, Foundations, corporations, service clubs, tribes

​

APPROACHES

HELPFUL TIPS

11

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Grants calendar tips…

1. Enter the grantmakers that have a hard deadline – one deadline per year. These aren’t flexible so they go in first.�
2. For the remaining grantmakers that either have multiple deadlines per year or no deadline at all, think about how to strategically place them throughout the year so that you manage your workflow.

​

• Foundations that have multiple deadlines in the year, such as quarterly, oftentimes get the fewest proposals at their first deadline because most nonprofits will procrastinate and then submit for the second deadline date instead.

​

• Corporations tend to make decisions about allocating their donations early in the year, so send your requests at the end or beginning months of the year. Better yet, contact them and ask when they typically make community-giving decisions.

​

• Government grants are oftentimes due in September and October, so you may want to hold space in those months for government grant opportunities that come up.

​

12

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Framing your proposal�

Refers to the process of keeping the reader in mind as you write and ensuring that the information you include is the information that the reader needs

​

Below is a list of questions and considerations to help you to assess how to "frame" your proposal:

• What is the purpose of your grant proposal? The immediate purpose may be to acquire more money for your organization, but to what end? What are you going to do with the funding? 
• Who is your audience? By researching your grantmaker, you may be able to find what motivates their giving. Use the same keywords that are used in their guidelines.
• Will it be understood?

​

​

13

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Grant components�

1. Organizational Information

• Mission statement
• General purpose
• Governance and staff
• Organizational changes
• Collaborations/partnerships

2. Community Need

3. Request Information and Financial Information

• Project name
• Brief summary (of project)
• Funding type
• Project budget
• Other secured funding/fundraising plan

4. Project Description (how will your proposal address the identified needs?)

5. Evaluation

• How will you measure success?
• Challenges

​

​

​

​

14

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

General purpose/history

Three basic parts:

• Why did your organization begin (history)
• What has happened up until this point in time (experience)
• The scope of your organization today (purpose)
• Think about answering these questions in three distinct paragraphs.

​

Highlight major changes:

• When was your organization founded?
• Why did it emerge?
• What was happening in the community that led to its start?

​

Present the big picture of your organization (currently):

• List and describe the programs and projects
• Has your organization received any awards?
• *see list for key terms that grantmakers look for

15

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

General purpose/history

Key terms that grantmakers look for – can any of these describe your organization?

• long-term credibility
• effective
• well-documented programs
• innovative
• grassroots
• culturally competent
• linguistically accessible
• best practices
• evidence-based services

​

Consider discussing your resources and infrastructure:

• Strategic planning
• Quality improvement or quality assurance system
• Evaluations systems
• Communication systems
• Facilities and equipment

16

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Summary of request…

If the granter requests a brief summary of your request…

1. Keep your answer succinct and on point
2. Focus your response on:

How the project fulfills the community need

Why the project is urgent and important

How you will specifically spend the funding.

​

Assume that this brief summary is what will be published on the grantmaker's website or placed in their tax return information.

​

Make sure that it is able to stand alone as a summary of your project and request.

​

Typically define three goals/objectives of the request (use SMARTIE):

• Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-limited, Inclusive, and Equitable

​

​

17

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

EXAMPLE GOAL & OBJECTIVE STATEMENTS

Program Support

The goal of our program is to continue to provide quality social-emotional education in the school setting to help students of all ages thrive in school, at home, and in life. To that end, our objectives are to:

• Provide second step curriculum to 90% of elementary /middle school-aged youth in the school district by the end of the year.
• Complete a formative assessment of 80% of students who completed the curriculum and identify students that may need more individualized support within six weeks of the assessment.
• Within six months of completing the assessment, begin providing support through the counseling program to at least 75% of students identified as needing more individualized support.

​

​

18

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

EXAMPLE GOAL & OBJECTIVE STATEMENTS

Program Development 

The goal of our project is to increase the geographic scope of our program to reach more individuals in rural Washington. To that end, our objectives are to:

• Identify at least 5 partners in the geographic area that can refer potential clients to the program by April of this year.
• Identify at least 3 potential satellite locations to provide services and negotiate space usage fees by May of this year.
• Begin providing services to at least 50 new individuals in the geographic area identified by the end of the year.

​

​

19

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

EXAMPLE GOAL & OBJECTIVE STATEMENTS

General Operating

The goal of our organization is that of our mission statement, to help the poorest and most vulnerable in our community. To that end, our objectives are to:

• Provide shelter for at least 600 individuals and families experiencing homelessness each night through our shelter programs by the end of the year.
• Provide meals for at least 1400 individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness through our meal programs by the end of the year.
• Provide strengths-based case management services to at least 200 individuals and families experiencing homelessness with the primary objective of increasing long-term stability and permanent housing placement by the end of the year.

​

​

For general operation, the goal might be your organization’s mission statement. Your objectives may highlight three of your main three programs’ objectives.

20

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Needs Statement �

Where do I find data?

• AGO’s Gleaning Census (handout)
• Anecdotal and Internal data

​

These are some resources that I have used to find gleaning data:

Agriculture:�US Dept. of Agriculture�American Farm Bureau�National FFA Organization�National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service

General Information:�American Fact Finder�US Census Bureau�Population Reference Bureau

Note: use diverse and credible sources (scholarly, peer-reviewed). Use in-text APA

​

21

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Budget

Endowment – money that is invested into the stock market and revenues that come from the interest on the profits are reinvested/given to a non-profit

Budgets for proposal requests:

• Income should always equal the expenses when you prepare a project budget. Don’t show a profit, don’t show a deficit. That shows that we aren’t using the money they are giving us
• The grant request is “projected income”
• Line items are descriptive
• Add cost per client, cost per client served that achieved the outcome, and/or cost per unit produced
• Make sure to add a budget narrative even if the grant doesn’t ask for one
• For general operating support, you generally use your organizational budget

​

22

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

EVALUATION

23

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

EVALUATION MEASUREMENT TOOLS

24

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Requested documents

Requested documents may include: 

• IRS Determination Letter
• Board Roster
• Key Staff Roster
• Financial Statements (W-9, Year Ending P&L, 990, audited 990 for requests larger than $20,000)
• Balance Sheet
• Sources of Income (acquired and planned to acquire from other grants)

​

Tips:

• Submit documents in PDF
• Include a header on each document stating what the document is
• Title/save the document exactly how the grantmaker uses the language  

25

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Reporting�

• Submit a report even if the grantmaker does not ask for one
• Use your grants calendar to track when reporting is due
• In some cases, future funding is contingent on if a timely report was submitted
• Be honest in your reporting, share challenges and how you overcame them
• Federal grants require more reporting than foundations or tribes: allocate your time wisely (usually 1yr after funding)
• Use evaluation tools in your reporting:
• Pre/post tests
• Surveys
• Interviews and testimonials
• Focus groups
• Journals or portfolios
• Direct observations/anecdotal evidence

​

26

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Other tips for reporting…

• Organize the report using headers and bullet points (highlight key points = makes it easier for grantmakers to read)
• Use charts and graphs to visualize findings and results (only if your project produced results that can be numerically quantified)
• Include stories about the people you have helped, use photos if possible
• Strive for brevity
• Meet your deadline
• Say thank you (again)
• “Through the generosity of this grant we…”
• Foundations = first person, federal = third person

​

​

27

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Sustaining relationships with grant makers…

Before submitting an application, attend a grant listening sessions and meet with the grant manager

I encourage asking some of these questions:

• The average size grant for first-time applicant
• Specific questions about any confusing questions on the app
• Which of your programs would be the best fit for the grantmaker?
• Whether they require audited financials if you don’t have them audited
• What sources for the needs statement do they find most relevant or compelling?
• What kind of evaluation they would like to see from a program like yours?

​

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Sustaining relationships with grant makers…

After submitting an application, you may want to make contact w/ the grantmaker

Examples of contact in this process include:

• Delivery receipt – verify the grant was received (especially if it was via paper and mail)
• Project updates – grantmakers are interested in learning any updates, including receiving other grant funds towards the project or meeting project milestones if it’s already underway
• Press coverage – any awards or media coverage about the project
• Follow-up – check the status of the decision-making if a published notification date has passed and you haven’t heard any news

​

29

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Sustaining relationships with grant makers…

If you receive a grant award…

• Provide handwritten thank-you cards
• Spread the word of their generosity on your social media outlets
• Provide periodic updates as the project progresses
• I always mail a Thanksgiving card and/or Christmas card to the funder
• If it’s a local foundation, drop off cookies. Cookie currency is real!
• Some funders would like to meet one-on-one. Take any opportunity you can to build this relationship
• Make sure you are collecting data for reporting

​

30

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

These next few slides include some important data that I use for a compelling grant application

​

• Use the AGO Gleaning Census for gleaning specific data
• Include location-specific demographics
• Make the connection between gleaning as a solution to hunger and food waste
• There are many angles you can take
• Demonstrate that you are an expert in understanding the needs of your own community

31

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

42 million Americans are struggling with hunger. Who are they?

Photo source: https://www.unitedway.org/blog/5-surprising-facts-about-hunger-in-america

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Disaggregated by Race

Practices in the food security industrial complex embody elements of both de facto and de jure racism

• Racially restrictive policy initiatives
• Anti-immigration rhetoric in agri-farm policy

​

Households of black (non-Hispanic) and Hispanic families suffer from food insecurity at rates more than doubling their white counterparts

• 22% of food insecure homes are those of black
• 17% are those of Hispanic households and only
• 7% are those of white households.

​

​

​

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC; www.morgancurryconsulting.com

A Deeper Look

33% of migrant farmworkers are citizens of the US, the majority are undocumented

• 99% of newcomers lack work authorizations

56% - 64% of migrant farmworkers are food insecure

• Statistically higher for undocumented farmworkers (~20%)
• Compared to 7.9% white

Studies on food insecurity for Mexican-indigenous farmworkers found:

• 93% reported food insecurity in the last year
• Significantly higher percentage of food insecurity than overall farmworkers
• This is due to…
• Linguistic and cultural barriers
• Fewer options for coping with food insecurity (e.g., socially isolated, struggle to access food services and programs)

​

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC; www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Food Waste and Environmental Implications

Our nation wastes 20 - 40 percent of the food that is produced

• Estimated that 10 billion pounds of food are left in fields and never harvested

In 2018 it was estimated…

• Tomato farmers in Florida left 41% of crops in the field
• Lettuce farmers in Arizona left 56% of crops in the field
• Peach farmers in New Jersey left 40% of crops in the field

​

Growing food (eaten or not) contributes significantly to climate change (loss of topsoil layer, release of CO2 emissions from equipment and rotting food, uses water supply, etc.)

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC; www.morgancurryconsulting.com

Equity based philanthropy�

Definition: An approach to giving that addresses the inherent power imbalances between funders, nonprofits, and the communities they serve

​

• Trust based philanthropy – redistributing power in service of a healthier and more equitable nonprofit ecosystem
• Listening to beneficiaries and grantees
• Reducing the burdens of the due diligence process
• Providing multi-year unrestricted/general operating support
• Imposing reasonable monitoring and evaluation
• Being transparent and responsive
• Providing assistance beyond the grant
• “Trust” refers to trust between the donors and grantees alike

​

• Participatory philanthropy – a set of practices which encompass engaging beneficiaries and other stakeholders in the entire range of decisions that a funder makes
• Pre-grant phase (articulating a focus area, conducting issue scans, developing funding strategies)
• Grant phase (evaluating grant applications, making site visits, communicating w/ prospective grantees, making funding decisions, identifying metrics for monitoring and evaluation)
• Post-grant phase (engaging in monitoring and evaluation, distributing information about program progress, deciding on grant renewal)

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC; www.morgancurryconsulting.com

​

36

Equity based philanthropy�

• Community Centric Fundraising – where donors are not at the center of the fundraising model. It centers community and those they are serving instead
• Co-grounded in racial and economic justice
• Not focused on a few large, single donations but rather on very many smaller donations, funded by the community
• Holds space for equal participation
• Encourages mutual support of nonprofits
• Presents work not as an individual transaction, but as holistically
• Comprised of 10 main principles: https://communitycentricfundraising.org/ccf-principles/

​

Resources:

Community Centric Fundraising:

https://communitycentricfundraising.org/

Trust Based Philanthropy:

https://pacscenter.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Guide_FINAL_chpt.13_8.5x11.pdf#:~:text=An%20approach%20to%20giving%20that%20addresses%20the%20inherent,of%20a%20healthier%20and%20more%20equitable%20nonprofit%20ecosystem.

WA Women’s Foundation: https://wawomensfdn.org/ Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

​

​

​

37

What can you do?�

1. Make sure you are doing the work

• Design intentional programs that alleviate food injustices for marginalized communities
• Ensure your staff and board are informed about race and racism in the food system
• Adopt targeted universalism approaches in program development
• Don’t treat everyone the same, treat everyone fairly
• Moves everyone towards a universal goal
• Supports the needs of the most marginalized
• Include participants of your organization in solution building
• Embrace cultural humility vs. cultural competency
• Bake equity work into your strategic plan

2. Examine the diversity on your board, make it representative of those your serve

3. Disaggregate organizational data and strategies by race

• Speak to intersectionality
• Demonstrate a nexus between gleaning and food justice in your grant proposal

4. Have open feedback loops in your organization

​

​

​

​

​

38

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC www.morgancurryconsulting.com

​

EXAMPLE GRANT QUESTIONS

How does your organization serve communities affected by inequality due to race and/or gender identity?

In response to historical and racialized food access barriers felt by undocumented farmworkers and other migrants of color, over the last couple years, Skagit Gleaners has launched several targeted programs to address overt disparities within our local food system. These programs not only provide culturally relevant food to migrant farmworkers, but they also shift power around food production and reinforce that Mexican-indigenous migrants are holders of power and knowledge when it comes to cultivating natural and local foods, instead of only being seen as seasonal laborers. These programs include 1) the Family Referral Program, 2) Culturally appropriate food projects, and 3) the BIPOC Farmer Collaboration.

​

39

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC www.morgancurryconsulting.com

EXAMPLE GRANT QUESTIONS

How is your organization accountable to the community being served?

Skagit Gleaners remains accountable to the community being served by using process evaluations to ensure that our migrant programs are operating as planned. Process evaluations are conducted through surveys, discovery tours, interviews with participants, and observations. Modifications to the programs reflect what is identified in the process evaluations. Earlier this year, Skagit Gleaners hired a multilingual liaison, who is indigenous from Mexico and has spent her entire working life as a farmworker and seasonal laborer. Through lived experiences and shared language, she successfully builds trust, connection, and can efficiently offer support to our farmworker participants. The Executive Director has conducted graduate research in food security and sovereignty for migrant farmworkers in Skagit County, and has applied key learnings to organizational programs as well as to strategic developments and goals.

​

40

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC www.morgancurryconsulting.com

EXAMPLE GRANT QUESTIONS

Describe how your organization addresses systemic gender and/or racial inequities in one of the following priorities (food sovereignty):

Skagit Gleaners addresses systemic racial inequities through intentional programs that amplify food sovereignty and security for migrant farmworkers, aside from our traditional gleaning programs. The Family Referral Program provides free reclaimed food and clothing to migrant farmworker families through a direct referral from Skagit County school districts. Vouchers for this program are provided directly to migrant families during school registration and intake. Recipients of this program receive up to 120lbs of free groceries each week, in addition to an unlimited amount of gently used clothing and household items. Next, we complete several culturally appropriate food projects for Mexican-indigenous families in Skagit County in collaboration with Catholic Community Farmworker Center and the Northwest Agriculture Business Center through a "pop-up" food distribution model. Lastly, we purchase culturally relevant foods from local Mexican-indigenous farm owners and other BIPOC farmer owners through a program called the BIPOC Farmer Collaboration. These weekly strategic purchases are designed to advance economic stability and mobility among BIPOC farmers, as well as shift power around food production. Culturally relevant vegetables, herbs, and fruits then augment our existing food distribution efforts and are made available to migrant participants. These programs address an evident contradiction of contemporary US agriculture, namely, that those who produce our nation's food are among the most likely to be hungry or food insecure.

​

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC www.morgancurryconsulting.com

QUESTIONS?�

42

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC www.morgancurryconsulting.com

CONTACT�

Morgan Curry, MPA, CGW

morgancurry.consulting@gmail.com

www.morgancurryconsulting.com

(360) 391-3487

​

43

Morgan Curry Consulting, LLC www.morgancurryconsulting.com