As the second day of the annual Philanthropy Northwest conference concludes, a few thoughts come to mind to share with grant writers.

 

First, our speaker at the first dinner was Jessica Jackley, a co-founder of Kiva. She wowed the house. But before you conclude that her success relied upon the people Kiva serves through its work in micro-finance, the real lesson is that grant makers, like anyone, enjoy a good story. And they really respond to a good story that intertwines facts, mission, and passion.  

 

Second, while there was much press attention to the impact of last fall’s stock market decline and its impact on foundation giving in 2009, the real impact will be seen in 2010. Both the reduction in assets as well as honoring multi-year commitments made before the decline will result in reduced amounts of money available for new grants in 2010. 

 

Third, we’ve been challenged to think out of the box; to think about using other tools in addition to out monetary resources. One impact is that we, as grant makers, have to work harder and smarter. For some there will be a steep learning curve, but this conference has helped them understand that there are grant makers with experience who can help them learn. 

 

That bigger toolbox leads to my final point—that these new tools put a burden on nonprofits to better understand their operations and to look at options differently. While those are tasks for the entire organization, they are a special concern for grant writers. 

 

As I have said many times, good writing requires you to write what you know. Grant writers have a special obligation to understand their organizations in a holistic way. 

 

For now, I’ll end. I’ll have more in a few days after the conference ends and I have a chance to sort through all the information.