August 22, 2008
How Charities Can Win Government Support
How can charities win government support for their group or cause?
Courtney Powers, a former Capitol Hill aide who now works for the consulting group Changing Our World, offers some advice on the Future Leaders in Philanthropy blog.
She says that charity leaders should first appeal to the House or Senate member who represents their district. Contact the “scheduler,” whose job it is to coordinate meetings. Be patient, she says, because it can take some time to hear back. Ms. Powers advises charities to follow up only if more than two business weeks have passed without a response.
When you do get a meeting, “keep it brief,” she says. Most meetings take half an hour or less. Whether you’re asking for money, support for a piece of legislation, or a public endorsement of your group, be concise. Ms. Powers recommends following up with a thank-you note.
If you’re seeking a government grant, approach the agency that handles the causes on which your group works. Most grant opportunities are listed at http://www.grants.gov. If you run into problems, says Ms. Powers, contact your Senator or Representative’s office.
What do you think? Do you have other advice?
Comments
Commenting is closed for this article.
Previous: How Can You Do the Most for Charitable Causes?
Next: Donors List Their Charity Pet Peeves
Has anyone had success applying for a Grant on Grants.gov, if so would you like to have an article written about your success story? Please contact me at: mya.wallace@tmp.com
— Mya Wallace Aug 22, 02:30 PM #
It might be a good idea to target a representative and/or senator that is a strong supporter of your cause rather than or in addition to the delegate from your district. They often like to have pet projects to show to voters. I would think this would especially be true if your organization does not have an explicit local focus.
— Vanessa Aug 22, 11:51 PM #