Funds Available Only to Current Grantees

Organizational Effectiveness Fund Grants
Grant range: $300 to $5000

Available for a wide range of organization improvement needs including program and organization evaluation, board training and development, staff training, fundraising, etc.  Emphasis is on building organization capacity, not exclusively for contracted support to complete a project.  Priority will be given to proposals for organization reflection and planning and further organizational work that emerges from such planning.

To Apply: Write a letter, up to two pages, describing need, proposed activity, time frame, and simple budget.  A decision will be made within 30 days of receipt of the letter.  Please indicate a date we can expect a brief narrative and financial report on the grant, if funded.

Special Requirements: Qualifications of consultants involved in technical assistance work funded by Fund for Nonviolence must be provided in the application, in the form of a bio or resume, along with a brief scope of work prepared by the proposed consultant.  If requested, we will work with you to find a suitable consultant. This grant is not to pay for salaries of regular employees.

Examples of previous Organizational Effectiveness Fund grants:

• The hire of a consultant to conduct an organizational assessment and follow-up to increase staff capacity.
• Travel and meeting expenses for organization members to participate in a strategic planning meeting.
• Support for strategic plan development, especially when it’s the first time an organization has done this and there is significant follow-up as part of an initial meeting.
• The hire of a consultant to help organize and plan leadership transitions including significant  turnover of organization’s Board of Directors.
• The hire of a consultant to train staff in communications and fundraising. (Note: we do not accept proposals to pay a consultant to do fundraising.)
• The hire of a consultant to assist in the development of a media campaign for an organization’s advocacy work and to train staff to carry out the campaign.
• Expenses for widely dispersed key staff and board members to meet at a time of difficult transitions for an organization.

 

Unique Opportunity Fund Grants

Grant range: $300 to $5000

Available for unique opportunities, unknown at the time of the organization’s original grant proposal, for which a small, supplemental grant will enable the grantee to significantly enhance their work.  A priority is collaboration, such as to convene people working on similar issues to move the overall work forward.

To apply:  Contact your program officer.  If appropriate, and funds are available, a letter up to two pages describing need, proposed activity, time frame, and simple budget will be requested.

A decision will be made within 30 days of receipt of letter.

Special requirements:  This fund is not for activities that are recurring budget items or to pay for salaries of regular employees.

Examples of previous Unique Opportunity Fund grants:

• Funds to publish reports and teleconferences that are timely for advocacy purposes.
• Funds to publish reports to distribute to lawmakers and practitioners in the field.
• Funds to organize advocacy efforts in the aftermath of unexpected events.
• Travel expenses to present at a conference of colleagues and potential funders.
• Travel and printing expenses to participate in events related to the organization’s advocacy work at a time of heightened media attention.
• Funds to jump-start an advocacy campaign following consultation of several FNV grantees and others in their field.
• Funds to attend a court hearing and related media work in a case for which an organization had filed an amicus brief.
• Funds to develop advocacy campaigns in response to proposed legislation.