Access Philanthropy

Mary Anne Welch

How to have a successful introductory meeting with a funder

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Caroline Altman Smith, Deputy Director of Education for The Kresge Foundation in Detroit, writes: “I think the best introductory meetings are just that—the PO and the nonprofit getting to know each other and having a productive exploration of the fundraising Venn diagram: what the foundation is interested in funding, what the nonprofit needs funding for, and ideally, coming to a common understanding of that middle circle where you have mutual priorities.”

A few tips:

  • Have an Agenda
  • If there is something you want the PO to read in advance, attach it to this email – no longer than two pages.
  • Don’t assume they know much about you
  • Be ready to share key details. What is your North Star goal? How long has the organization existed? How many staff do you have? What’s your annual budget? What are your primary sources of funding? What is your program model and who are you trying to help?
  • Watch the clock.

Read her article

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How to Craft Your Organization’s Financial Story

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From Nonprofit Finance Fund

Crafting a financial story requires a shared understanding and interpretation of your organization’s numbers and how this connects to your current and continued mission success. This guide will help you develop your financial story, which can be used to align stakeholder and organizational priorities, navigate leadership transitions, and convey how your programmatic work and finances fit together to create a comprehensive picture of your nonprofit’s impact.

Link to NNF.org

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Jobs in Philanthropy

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This is a free job board that AP puts together. Our interest is getting good Minnesota nonprofit folks into good local and national foundation jobs. With few exceptions, we only include foundations, corporate giving programs, and related grantmakers. Visit theses Philanthropic sector Job Boards:

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ChatGPT in Philanthropy: Useful?

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A number of recent articles have covered artificial intelligence gone awry: Microsoft’s AI’s strange declarations of love. ChatGPT’s inaccuracies. Midjourney’s odd human portraits with too many fingers and too many teeth. And worse, accusations of plagiarism from both human and AI.


But could ChatGPT in Philanthropy be a Useful Tool for Philanthropic Writing?

Here’s One Way it could: Breaking Writer’s Block

There are certainly a whole host of questions to consider and issues to address when it comes to this newest technological advance. However, there is a useful and ethical way to use the technology for writing purposes, specifically in the philanthropic sector: brainstorming.

You may be familiar with the feeling of blank-page-anxiety. That feeling you get when you have a prompt and a flood of information in your head but no way to funnel that information onto paper. ChatGPT is a powerful tool to bridge that gap.

Create ChatGPT account > Get acquainted > Give a command for a response > Ask bot to revise> Make it your own

Step 1: To use the chatbot you’ll need to first make an account on OpenAI. Using ChatGPT is currently free, although there is an option to purchase a Pro account subscription where you get priority access to the chatbot when it’s overloaded with use and unavailable to free use.

Step 2: Get acquainted with the chatbot. It can be a bit daunting at first and you might not know what to ask. The best way to start is with a question or a command. You could ask, for example, what the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation does. Then perhaps command the chatbot to write a paragraph about the efficacy of mosquito nets. Really get into the brainstorming mindset here.

Step 3: Once you have an idea of the functionality, you can start asking the real questions.

Say for instance you’re writing a grant proposal for a program that would increase pollinator habitats in cities and you’re stuck on that first large daunting question: What is the goal of the project/program?

I asked this very question and received a moderately acceptable response.

Not the worst response, but it could use a bit of pathos and a bit more specificity. The situation might also occur where you forgot a key piece of information or the chatbot didn’t give you exactly what you’re looking for.

Step 4: Ask the chatbot to revise. A useful function of ChatGPT is its ability to learn within the current conversation. If the chatbot didn’t answer the question quite the way you wanted, you can tweak the language or ask it for something specific.

In this example, I asked the chatbot to add an example of a city that is designated as a “Bee City” in the paragraph it had generated.

Step 5: Revise. You may notice the AI also uses certain phrases much more commonly than others, making it sound a bit stiff and a bit one-voiced. These traits are generally unappealing in grant applications or website descriptions; both of which are common time-consuming writing tasks in philanthropy. At the end of the day, you can likely write a more specific and targeted response than the chatbot can, with better pathos. The response is just your starting point.

Say I decide that actually, the first response was a better fit for the direction I want to go in. I might revise it to:

Urban development and other human activities have led to a decline in pollinator populations (bees, butterflies, and the like), exacerbating issues of health and wellness. However, by increasing pollinator habitats in cities through our program, “Save the Pollinators,” we can support the health of the entirety of urban and rural ecosystems, human and nature, through the process of acquiring land and developing land into pollinator-friendly green spaces. Pollinators play a crucial role in maintaining the health and productivity of these ecosystems specifically by aiding plant reproduction. In urban ecosystems this means an abundance of flowers and lush green plants which increase the urban beauty, aid in the mental health of residents, and increase overall the temperature regulation of the area. In rural ecosystems, this means stabilized food production of croplands and an aid in the strengthening of the entire ecosystem, from insects to apex predators. In addition to these benefits, increased pollinator habitats can improve air and water quality and reduce soil erosion.

In this new paragraph, I saved those green highlighted lines but shifted everything else to include some more pathos-centric words and specificity as well as more firmly solidifying a problem-solution narrative. For example, using “urban beauty” and “acquiring land and developing that land.” Had I needed to write this paragraph wholly unaided, it may have taken me a good 30 minutes to complete, needing to go through the task of brainstorming and listing and condensing. With the ChatGPT generated response, I finished in 15 minutes flat, cutting my time in half.

Limitations to remember here: the chatbot won’t have any knowledge of something that doesn’t exist yet, or likely personal details of your organization. In fact, at present, it has limited knowledge of events that occurred after 2021 due to its training data ending in that year.

It also has the ability to make incorrect information sound factually plausible. For example, I asked the AI how many countries start with the letter “v.” The first answer, “There is only one country that starts with the letter “V,” and that is Vietnam,” obviously did not cover every country. I tried again: “There are only two countries that start with the letter “V”: 1. Vanuatu 2. Vatican City (officially known as the Holy See).” Venezuela is nowhere to be found. So that information on Bee Cities? Worth a fact-check.

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National Funders Webinar Q & A

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Questions asked by participants of the National Funders Workshop

Q. I recently tried to connect with a Ford program officer who said that our program wasn’t a fit; should I be persistent and find another program officer at Ford?

Yes, persistence is key with the Ford Foundation. Like other foundations, program officers oversee different priority areas and often focus on their own goals/objectives. You can ask your program officer to suggest another team member who might be a better fit. Alternatively, you could reach out to other program officers on your own.

If more than one program officer tells you that your organization isn’t a good fit, be prepared to move on and focus on other funders who more closely align with your mission.

Q: What key questions do you bring into an initial conversation with a foundation program officer?

A: It’s helpful to have a good understanding of the foundation’s focus areas, eligibility requirements, previous grantees, and grant range prior to your meeting. Be prepared to pitch your organization and/or specific project(s) you’d like funded within the context of those focus areas, specifically sharing how your work aligns with the foundation’s mission and goals.

Once you’ve shared info about your organization and/or program, we suggest asking:

  • What’s your initial reaction? Are we a good fit?
  • If not, please elaborate.
  • If so, what areas of our organization/project would make for a competitive grant request?
  • Do you have suggestions to strengthen our application?
  • Can you recommend a request amount?

For corporate foundations, it’s helpful to know how important employee engagement is with a potential grantee (e.g., do they prefer board involvement?). Based on the program officer’s response, you may want to follow up with a community relations person to begin a volunteer relationship with the company.

Q. Can you give examples of more active, colorful words?

A: We suggest avoiding jargony, passive, overused, superlative, or suggestive language and instead, stating your work/impact simply and and with confidence. For example, instead of saying “Our staff is committed to improving Minnesota’s land and water.” you could say: “Our staff improves Minnesota’s land and water.”

Overused words and alternatives:

  • Innovative or Unique (or state-of-the-art, groundbreaking, pioneering)
    • Alternatives: Distinctive, Sole, Disruptive, Progressive
  • Robust
    • Alternatives: Resilient, Tenacious, Persistent, Enduring
  • Try (or attempt, aim, strive to, look for)
    • Remove the word and state your goal/purpose as if you’re currently doing it
      Example: Instead of “We are striving to end childhood poverty in Minneapolis” you could say “We are ending childhood poverty in Minneapolis.”
  • Very, really
    • Remove

Writing Resources:

  • Microsoft Word provides the option to check for sentences with passive voices
  • ChatGPT is an excellent resource for rewriting sentences in a more colorful, active voice

Q: Is it appropriate to mention an unexpected loss in funding (from another grant) and their support is needed to fill the gap?
A: Try to avoid mentioning an unexpected loss in funding unless you’re asked the question directly. It may beg additional questions you don’t want to answer. Instead, focus on your organization’s growth and sustainability, and how new/increased funding will fuel that growth. For example, you may want to share that demand for your services extends beyond your current capacity, and a new/increased grant will help your organization scale up to meet that need. Try and keep your responses focused on solutions and next steps rather than your current challenges.

Q: What is the time frame for following up if you haven’t heard back
A: We suggest following up weekly or bi-weekly following an initial email/call. If your organization has news to share (e.g., press releases, annual reports, new programs, upcoming events, videos, etc.) you may want to include links to those items. If you aren’t getting a response after several weeks, a bit of clever googling can often get you to a new contact. Try them all!

Q: Suggestions for turning a small donation from a board member/family member of one of these foundations into significant funding from their foundation? (if a person gives $100-$1k per year, but their foundation could give much more)
A: Meet individually with the board member/family member to better understand their foundation, priorities, capacity, and decision-making. Invite the board member/family member into the stewardship process by asking for their feedback and suggestions. There may be barriers at play you aren’t aware of and can’t change. Ask your board member/family member to be your organization’s advocate and help you navigate those barriers.

Q: Do you know if Boston Scientific considers dental as part of public health?
A: The foundation is not specific in this area. Other funders in the presentation that have given Dental Care grants: Enterprise Mobile, Schulze, Edwards Memorial, and Heilmaier

Q: Do any of these funders fund capital campaigns?
A: This question is better answered in a conversation. Please send us request for a 30-minute Chat [email protected]

Q. Do you happen to have a list of funders in MN?
A: MCN has a great resource for that. They just published the 100 MN foundations, you can purchase it on their website. We tried not to duplicate any they present, though you will see one or two here.

Q: Can you speak a bit about Letters of Introduction? How long? How often? Do you recommend reaching out before you send it or after?
A: This question is better answered in a conversation. Please send us request for a 30-minute Chat [email protected]

Q: Are you aware of any funders that fund for-profit businesses that support seniors?
A: Yes. Many do, especially the groups Laura is describing. Also, if the for profit is aimed at entrepreneurship for marginalized groups.

Q: . What’s the name of the newsletter Steve mentioned?
A: It’s the Fluff Free Fundraiser! You can sign up on the “contact us” page

Q: Isn’t NEFA a RAO?
A: The New England Foundation for the Arts is a Regions Arts Organization, but they give grants throughout the US, particularly for touring.

Q: Wells Fargo philanthropic services link
A: https://www.wellsfargo.com/private-foundations/

Q: I’d like to know more about Venture Philanthropists as well
A; The approach process is typically quite similar to “traditional” funders, but the language they use is different (and therefore how they view the relationship). “Investments” instead of “gifts” etc. Omidyar, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and Arnold Ventures use elements of this type of philanthropy and have robust websites so I’d encourage poking around them!

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National Funders Workshop Survey

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Thank you for attending the National Funders Workshop 2024. Please help us improve our work in helping nonprofits reach their funding goals by providing feedback on the event.

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