The offering plate is no longer a viable source of revenue to scale a church. The church must research and apply for multiple streams of income.
The church may consider establishing a 501c3 nonprofit corporation. Government, foundations, and wealthy donor may give to a church, but a separate 501c3 nonprofit corporation is preferable.
Please consider the following steps when seeking funds from government, foundations, and wealthy donors:
- Research by using Google, Yahoo, and non-profit fundraising blogs and websites for government agencies, private foundations, and wealthy donors willing to fund social service programs. Use keywords to improve the search.
For example: When searching for youth sports programs: Key Words- private foundations funding girls and boys youth track and field sports programs. Key word searches open multiple websites sights leading to funding sources.
- Most government and foundation websites offer grant guidelines. Grant guidelines offer information of about the funding source, application process, funding priorities, grant terms, funding range, reporting requirements, and the program and financial evaluation process. Spend time learning the grant guidelines before applying. Remember to follow the guideline instructions carefully and accurately.
- Private Foundations often require an LOI, which stands for “Letter of Inquiry” or “Letter of Interest.” It’s like a mini-proposal, usually no more than one or two pages. The LOI should offer a brief history of the organization, organizational leadership, the social problem and proposed solution, and budget. A foundation may invite you to submit a full proposal or application should the LOI meet with acceptance.
- Build a relationship with the program manager within the foundation or government agency. It’s important to write well, but it’s equally significant to develop relationships with all parties on the funding team. Elected officials, civic employees, the president of the foundation, the foundation board members and foundation program officers are the people to know. Take time to know their names, families, likes and dislikes, and their interest in serving the community. Remember, people don’t fund institutions, but fund people leading the institutions.
- Submit a full proposal. A full proposal is very much like a research paper. It requires detailed information, referencing sources, detailed budget, and the evaluation to the program outcomes and the social impact of the program. All funding sources are interested in the leadership, education, and experience of the team. Don’t play shy when competing for funds.
It has been a pleasure sharing some ideas for raising funds. If you would like a formal presentation, please call me at 949-955-0014 or email [email protected].
The Rev. Mark E. Whitlock, Jr., MSSE, is the senior pastor of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church in Irvine, CA, and the executive director of the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement.
