Grant Makers, and the Secret Funding Password: Collaboration

by Barbara Stratton, Professional Grant Writer

The days of the isolationist are over. To ensure that grant dollars have a positive impact on as many people as possible, more and more government, corporate, and foundation grant-makers are supporting programs developed and delivered by partnerships or coalitions. Today's secret funding password: Collaboration.

Partnerships/Coalitions Defined: A partnership is two or more schools or agencies that work together to develop a program or service that meets a need in their common community (example: reduce patterns of obesity in children). The program or service developed should reflect the mission statement (at least in part) of all partners. A school has a mission to educate youth; a Boys & Girls Club has the mission " to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as responsible citizens." Both missions are addressed when a school and a Boys & Girls Club work together to deliver a CATCH program. Each partner should be responsible for certain aspects of development and be slated to deliver particular activities. Grant funds must be distributed among the partners in a manner that is proportionate to each one's level of involvement.

A coalition is a group (four or more) of schools or community-based agencies that contribute services to a program that benefits a common population. By way of example, a coalition may include a school, the Red Cross, the Police Athletic League, and the municipal Health Department. Coalition members each address a different aspect of the program. The school may use CATCH in the classroom while the PAL delivers CATCH Kids Club activities after-school. The Red Cross, and the Health Department schedule and deliver learning in related health and safety subjects such as emergency response, and substance abuse prevention. Again, grant funds must be distributed among coalition members to facilitate their contribution to the initiative.

Each partner must bring substantial resources to the initiative . The term "substantial resources" can be broadly defined. It can include the involvement of staff that participate in meetings, provide instruction, conduct activities, or oversee personnel. It can also include the loan of facilities for conferences and other events, posting and updating program information on websites, and the recruiting (and tracking) of constituents who take part in the grant program. The value of these resources can be toted up and used as a [non-cash] match should grant criteria require it.

Rule of thumb: Whether you pursue a grant by forming a partnership or a coalition, only one agency will serve as lead. The lead agency will accept the grant award, distribute the funds among the partners/coalition members, and issue all required fiscal and program progress reports.

What's the best way to create a partnership or coalition? Reach out to agencies that have expertise in the focus area of your grant program. Use that expertise in a novel way, i.e. deploy the Red Cross to teach CPR to students with disabilities ; have the Police Athletic League articulate fitness activities to careers in law enforcement . The comfort-level is what attracts agency participation; the novelty is the "hook" that makes a winning grant proposal.

To make the "marriage" binding, have all partners sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU, pronounced Moo...). This is a document that spells out exactly what each partner is doing within the context of the grant program and how payments will be made to support those activities. Your grant application itself will provide a lot of the language of the MOU. Just cut, paste, edit as needed, sign, seal, and deliver!

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