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| Re: The drama of fundraising
Posted by Ginny  on 7/20/2006, 1:59 pm, in reply to "The drama of fundraising"
I primarily work with small and mid-sized nonprofits - and most of them are arts organizations. Believe me, drama is not in short supply when a bunch of artists and arts administrators are "discussing" anything, particularly funding, with a board made up of business people. They might as well be speaking different languages - and they require an interpreter.
Aside from that, there's the everyday grant writing cycle. I think "suspenseful" applies to the constant work of sorting out how to approach and impress a foundation or review panel that receives hundreds of proposals for each meeting. Sometimes it's straight forward enough, but often it's not. Many of us can write really good proposals, but then: Who are the influential individuals - who really rules this board of trustees or panel process? What are their agendas? What are the family ties, historical and corporate relationships that come into play in their decision making? How much contact will they allow and how much will they tell you?
If they give you panel comments or meeting notes after the fact, you have to sort through the differences between individual taste and interpretations of policy. Then you have to address their comments for the next approach, again within the perameters of the guidelines, without compromising the intent of the project or the mission of the organization.
It's enough suspense for me.
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