Jodi---Working with a Board which is “... enthusiastic but inexperienced ...” should allow a better chance for you to be heard and heeded to address their (unrealistic, as you said) expectations relative to grant money they expect will be received as a percentage to the organization’s expense budget.What percent? It does not matter. There is no such number of any value at any time which will be of use.
Naturally, we all go into any fund-raising campaign or into the quest for special project and service funds with an early assessment of the funding sources available to us---factoring what we guess our chances will be to receive money, in which possible amounts to meet the stated need. Target goals must be set at the beginning of any fund-raising effort. Later, when we have far more confidence in the veracity of viable prospects, regarding numbers of them, what suggested asking amounts we have determined to use in our solicitations, the solicitation strategies agreed upon, etc., then we are in position to establish, publish and pursue more meaningful numbers as campaign goals.
Of course, any target amount, or the actual goal, can be rendered into representing a percentage of anything---including as a ratio to the overall operating expense. Our goals always work to narrow the gap as much as possible between what it costs to run the organization, and the revenues we can generate---earned income from fees, charges, etc., when applicable, and mainly from contributed income from charitable donations.
But, I believe it is a risky route to take when the organization pegs those percentages upfront, and only looks at those campaign “ends,” and not the “means.” Once a single, focused, percentage number is established, it becomes the accepted practice to only work from that number and set standards. Invariably, that percentage number is more often than not raised arbitrarily each year---never mind the attrition we find in the year just completed, gravely affecting the fund-raising potential of the next.
In my opinion, setting such goals of that sort is working to establish an acceptable percentage rate in a vacuum. It also has great risks to come up even with a broad and general figure. What you might set as a loose and flexible percentage, might have your leadership in time attach far more credibility to the number, then to set it as a required goal, and have you live up to it, and to better it---year after year.
There is no known reliable way to set such a percentage because there are far too many ways faulty and questionable data can be produced and interpreted, and far too many variables inherent in the grant writing process---those being but two issues among the many surrounding such an impossible search for an absolute or benchmark percentage of grant money to operation expense number.
Yes, we all agree that all fund-raising campaigns must begin with a realization that the organization needs money, usually voiced to the person charged with fund-raising as, "We need to raise $______." And that does include the grant writer, of course. The amount varies, depending on many factors. The first step in setting the goal is to look at the resources you plan to tap and see if they can meet the stated need. A percentage of grant funds received this year, factored to the budget number, will mean absolutely nothing if it is arbitrarily and solely applied to expectations for next year. There are many reasons why that is so, and you can read about some of them in my article:
--- Positioning Grant Writers For Success
http://www.raise-funds.com/040202forum.html
(See the third section’s eleven bullet points, several of which would apply directly to prove how unrealistic it is to try to set a meaningful percentage of grant income measured against the operating budget bottom line.)
Jodi---Then on to having you “explain what the board itself needs to be doing to raise funds:”
--- The Beginning To All Fund-Raising: The Board Of Trustees
http://www.raise-funds.com/exhibits/exhibit47.html
or use ...
http://www.raise-funds.com/exhibits/exhibit47.pdf
--- How Board Members Can Become Effective Fund-Raisers
http://www.raise-funds.com/111203forum.html
--- Annual Fund Giving & "Getting" Guidelines For Your Organization's Board Of Trustees
http://www.raise-funds.com/798forum.html
--- How To Recruit Your Volunteer Fund-Raising Team
http://www.raise-funds.com/999forum.html
--- Who Should Raise The Money From Within Your Organization?
http://www.raise-funds.com/092004forum.html
Jodi---More than you wanted to know, perhaps---but it is the way I feel confident that you can see to it that the true potential of the board is reached. But, in your staff position as the grant writer, I would urge that you be only in the position of the “explainer,” and have a board leader or other peer get the board’s attention and commitment to take on the direction and plans. It is a must that the board be accountable to its leader. Your role should only be that of the facilitator. You cannot expect the board to follow your direction and be accountable to you, no matter how much regard they have for you, or like you.
Let us know how you are doing.
Tony Poderis
