Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 2, 1 ʻAukake 1994 — FUNDING YOUR DREAMS OF A BETTER COMMUNITY. [ARTICLE]

FUNDING YOUR DREAMS OF A BETTER COMMUNITY.

OHA offers grant writing training and a study guide to help Hawaiians fund their community organizations. Every day on the way home from work you pass a group of teenagers. They seem to spend all their time hanging at the beach park. A little farther you eome across a vacant lot and remember how it was onee full of flowers and fruit trees. Then the idea hits you: turn the lot into a community garden for the youths to cultivate. With that idea, you have the makings of a project ānd, most likely, a need for funding it. For many organizations, grants are the solution. Grants are made by government agencies and private organizations such as foundations, corporations and civic clubs, and are available for all types of activities: social service, educational, cultural, and eeonomie development, etc. However, organizing a project and getting through the funding process ean be difficult at best. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has developed a workshop and study guide to help Hawaiian community organizations, nonprofit groups, and individuals plan their projects, learn about grant opportunities and improve their grant writing skills. KuhiAku A HikiMai, OHA;s step-by-step manual, stresses good planning as the key to any successful project. A good plan will attract the most money and make the most efficient use of grant funds. Here are some key questions that will help you begin a solid project plan.

WHAT IS THE PR0JECT IŪEA? Usually the project idea will improve the lives of some residents of the community. After addressing needs and concems, select one or two ideas that you will develop into a plan. Turn these ideas into a statement that reflects your vision of the future: this will serve as your mission statement. It should be one to two sentences long and include whom you'll serve, what you'll do and how you'll do it. Be specific. WHY IS THE PR0GRAM NEEDED? WHAT IS THE PR0BLEM T0 BE S0LVED? Gathering research will help you devise your plan. First, meet with members of the group you want to work with (target populahon) and others who serve them to identify opportunities and resources. Do they agree with your idea? Will your program be needed? Try your idea out on members of the general community and their leaders, as well as government officials and businesses. Without their support, securing funds could be difficult. Collect statistics about your target audience (age group, ethnic distribution, ineome, education, etc.). Public libraries and state agencies are good resources. Research your issue or problem nationally in magazines and professional journals. This will help link loeal need to a national situation and strengthen your plan. Check indexes of Hawai'i newspapers for relevant loeal articles. Other organizations dealing with your issue may also know of helpful studies. With the information you have gathered, decide exactly whieh need of the target population you want to meet and identify existing strengths you ean improve on. It is crucial to focus on opportunities and established organizations. WHO AND HOW MANY WILL BENEFIT FR0M THIS PR0GRAM? After deciding how to meet a need, you must specifically define your target population. How many recipients will there be? How will they be selected? Offer background information. Some funders will automatically divide your budget by the number you plan to serve to get a cost per person. So remember, the more you spend per individual, the greater the impact needs to be. WHAT WILL THE PR0JECT ACCOMPLISH 0R CHANGE? List your project goal(s) and objectives. A goal is a condition you seek to achieve. It must be clear and achievable. Objectives are the steps you take to reach your goal. Researching the history of a similar organization or program will help you predict your success rate.

WHAT ACTIVITIES WILL Y0U C0NDUCT AND WHEN? A timeline or chart will help you develop a work plan. It describes what tasks will be done, when they take plaee and how long they take. For eaeh activity, include how many staff and volunteers are required, what space and equipment are needed, and what additional resources will be used. This listing provides the basis of your budget. WHO IS ALREADY DOING THINGS? AND HOW CAN Y0U C0LLAB0RATE WITH THEM? As mentioned, it is important to strengthen and collaborate with other organizations. This shows grantmakers that: • the money given to you is an investment in a wider strategy; • you are more interested in a cause than securing money for your own organization; • you have the stability and decision-making benefits of teamwork All of this will make you more fundable. HOW WILL Y0U MEASURE Y0UR ACCOMPLISHMENTS? Grantmakers aren't giving away money: they're buying a solution and a brighter future. They want to know exactly what you expect to accomplish, how mueh change it will generate, and whether it is costeffective. You must establish how results will be defined and measured before your project takes plaee. HOW MUCH WILL IT C0ST? With the gathered information, you ean figure out how mueh money and other kinds of support your project will need. By establishing an itemized budget you ean set forth your expenses and anticipated ineome. In general, the difference between expense and ineome is the amount you will seek from the funder(s). WHO MIGKT BE INTERESTED IN PAYING F0R THIS PR0GRAM? Onee a thorough plan is completed, you are ready to look for funding. There are many grantmakers available and a little research will show whieh ones will be the most receptive to your project. Remember to look for several sources. This will help increase your odds and ensure a widespread, more secure source of funding. What is outlined here is just the beginning of putting together a plan for your project. It involves tremendous effort and time. However, only through such persistence will your project receive funding and eontinued success. You ean find out more about the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' grant writing workshop. Call (808)594-1964.

"Grantmakers aren't giving away money: they're buying a solution and a brighter future."