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Funding 101

Library, Museums and Press | Development Ambassadors

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Objectives:

Identify a variety of funding types
Identify common funders of libraries and museums
Understand by the end of the session if grant funding is appropriate for you

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Check In

What do you already know about grant funding?
What do you hope to get out of today’s training session?

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Grants and Proposal Writing Series

Funding 101
Navigate the Funding Process at LMP

3. Generate Your Idea

4. Find Your Funding

5. Develop Your Proposal - Part 1

6. Develop Your Proposal - Part 2

7. Manage Your Award

General Audience

Cohort

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LibGuide

https://guides.lib.udel.edu/granttraining

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What’s In It For Me?

Professional Development
Bolster Your Resume/CV
Networking/Collaboration
Waterfall Effect
Exploration of Professional Passion

Professional Development - If you are looking at ways to expand the experience and value you add to your role/organization, learning how to and building your confidence with applying for and managing grants as a PI is a great way to do it. You’ll learn how to project manage, work collaboratively, conduct research, report impact, develop/adhere to a budget and lead.
Bolster Your Resume - Learning the skill set of grant writing is an exceptional way to bolster your resume/CV and make you more qualified for a new role/attractive to job recruiters. Grant writing is a highly sought after skill.
Networking/Collaboration - Often times, grant finders have interest in applications where multiple entities (departments, divisions, organizations, institutions) come together to apply for a grant that will achieve something collectively. This presents an opportunity for you to meet new people from across your division, organization and even more broadly (like another ACRL). It’s a great way to build professional connections and relationships with folks you may have otherwise never met.
Waterfall Effect - Funders like to know the recipient of their grant is qualified and capable of managing/stewarding the grant properly. A great indicator is if you/your organization has received similar grants in the past. We call this the waterfall effect. Essentially, the more grants you apply for an awarded … the more you’re seen as a viable, competent grant recipient … increasing your chances to be awarded funding.
Exploration of Professional Passion - Grants also provide an opportunity for you to do a deeper dive into an area of your job function/research that you want to explore greater but may be limited to do so due to time, lack of financial resources, limited staff, inadequate technology, etc. Obtaining a grant to address any of those areas (and more) means you’re able to take your role to new heights.

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What’s In It For Us?

Offset Budget
Finish Stalled Projects
Start Innovative, New Projects
Achieve Short/Long-Term Goals towards Strategic Priorities
Cross-Collaboration with External Partners
Build Visibility/Credibility

Offset Budget - Each year LMP receives a budget from the University by which we operate within. Now, more than ever, we understand the limitations of working within it (due to COVID). When we apply and are awarded grants for as many things as possible (conference registration fees, new technology, digitization of materials, graduate assistants, acquiring new art, endowing a position) it means we can move money in our current budget that already allocated for those things to do more. Or it means we can do things we didn’t have the funding in our budget to do in the first place.
Finished Stalled Projects - This is a great Segway from the benefit of budget offsetting. There have been ties we may have started a project and due to unforeseen circumstances to budget/funding has dried up and now we have to put the project on the back burner unfinished. With grant writing, we can actively look in our grant funding database for funders who want to provide the capital for the very same project we had to postpone.
Start Innovative, New Projects - Another example is for a new, innovative project. Perhaps you went to a webinar and learned of a great instruction tool that would change the way we provide support to our students. Or want to work with a new faculty member on research their conducting by providing digital mapping training for their entire cohort of graduate students but are currently understaffed. The benefits or grant writing is it allows us to dream. It allows the sky to be the limit. There are funders interested in any and everything … waiting to provide LMP with the financial support to work innovatively.
Achieve Short-Term/Long-Term Goals Towards Strategic Priorities
Cross-collaborate with External Partners
Build Visibility/Credibility

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Types of Funding Requests

Specific project, defined time frame (research, educational, service, exhibition, public event)
Longer term, wider scope project
Start-up, planning grants, seed awards
Capital award (building costs)
Individual awards (scholarships, fellowships, travel)

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Funders

Government

Corporate

Foundations

Federated

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Federal/State Agencies

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Private Foundations

Incorporated as nonprofit corporations with 501c3 designation from the IRS.
Mission-driven entities that seek to make a difference in society and address specific unmet needs.
Required to distribute five percent of the value of their net investment assets annually in the form of grants or eligible administrative expenses, with certain exceptions.
Overseen by a Board of Trustees.

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Unsolicited vs. Solicited Projects

Request for proposal
Letter of inquiry
Funding cycles and deadlines

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Fundable Components

Capacity-building
Capital and infrastructure
Individual development
Leadership and professional development
Network-building and collaboration

Outreach
Policy, advocacy, and systems reform
Presentations and productions
Product and service development
Program Support
Research and evaluation

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Requirements for Funding

Institution
Nonprofit
Individuals

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Visualizing the Funding Landscape for Libraries, Museums and Press

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https://libraries.foundationcenter.org/

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https://libraries.foundationcenter.org/

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https://libraries.foundationcenter.org/

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https://libraries.foundationcenter.org/

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https://libraries.foundationcenter.org/

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https://libraries.foundationcenter.org/

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https://www.imls.gov/

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Past and Current Grants and Awards at LMP

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Current and Past Funders

Council on Library and Information Resources

Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Center

Delaware Humanities Forum

Postdoc Fellowship Program

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Demystifying Unidel Grants

Unidel Foundation - founded in 1939 by Amy Elizabeth du Pont in memory of her father, Eugene du Pont, former head of the DuPont Company.

Grants are made to selected purposes/programs for the academic enrichment of the University in areas as scholarships, fellowships and professorships and capital projects.

Examples: Memorial Hall, Amy E. du Pont Music Building, Harker Laboratory; the creation of the University Honors Program; and countless other critical projects and initiatives.

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Examples

Graduate Student Study Space (Unidel)
Collections - African American primary docs and streaming video (Unidel)
Lift Every Voice (Library of America & Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture)
Museums - Elizabeth Catlett Symposium (Delaware Humanities Forum)
Press- John Dickinson Writings Project (NEH)
National Digital Newspaper Program (NEH)
Community Engagement Grant (DLA)
Mechanical Hall Gallery Programs (Paul R. Jones Initiative)
Professional Development Funding

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Activity - Visualizing Funding for Libraries

https://libraries.foundationcenter.org/

Explore the data tool
View recipients/area served in Delaware
Browse subject areas and support strategies

Information and Communications > Libraries

Explore the charts
Locate peers and see who funds them
Make note of grants that spark your interest

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Share Out

Was there anything that surprised you?
What subject areas did you explore?
Are there any grants or potential funders that you want to learn more about?

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Next Steps

Navigate the Funding Process - January 26th, 1-2:30 pm
Summer cohort series

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Q&A