A group of Grant Writing Professionals from the City of Toledo, and the community, have held several energizing meetings over the last month to discuss how we can come together to synergize our assets and collaboratively leverage our granting opportunities. Three key expected outcomes are:
- PLAN – Phase I (short-term): Synergize existing people and assets being utilized for grant writing.
- PLAN – Phase II (intermediate-term): Create an action plan to move 1-5 FoT Strategic Initiatives forward.
- PLAN – Phase III (long-term): Develop a scalable structure and process for supporting all programs and projects.
Final Grant Readiness Report
The grant writing professionals also met via conference call with Diane Leonard of DH Leonard Grant Writing and Consulting Services, LLC (http://www.dhleonardconsulting.com), to discuss the final Grant Readiness report and potentials for the teams to move forward.
To view the final Grant Readiness report: click here
These professionals determined that, in addition to the strategic project teams or combinations deemed ready to apply for funding, there are other project teams or combinations who have great potential. They decided on four strategic initiatives they are willing to support, based on readiness or potential. At least one grant writing professional has agreed to champion each of these specific project initiatives to advise the teams as they collaborate and begin to apply for funding.
Grant Writing Professionals Collaborating
Additionally, when these grant writing professionals began discussing the potential for funding they determined the following:
- Data is abundant, however, one barrier is not always knowing where to go to find the right data.
- Grant Sources are abundant.
- We are already very successful at getting grants.
- Showing Collaboration in a grant application is a huge plus with funding organizations.
These meetings have sparked a desire to get to know each other, and improve resource sharing.
Of note, in their first meeting, this group discussed what they feel the purpose is for the FoT Initiative Overall, the Strategic Projects (Initiatives), and the Funding Initiative. Following are some of their answers:
FoT Initiative Overall
- To give people a way to contribute to the Future of the City.
- To show the great and wonderful things going on in Toledo.
- To spread positive messaging about the City of Toledo.
Strategic Projects (Initiative)
- To evolve into a standing ongoing program with new projects and opportunities.
- To provide a structure to get something done by involving private culture.
- Bringing in new dollars tends to generate new dollars.
Funding Initiative
- To make a good evidence based case to get funders to want to give to us.
- To connect, get our egos aside, and get together to do something greater.
- To organize city grant professionals to better enable communicating available funding opportunities.
- To make strategic asks. The right asks to the right funders. Strategic, Systematic, and Coordinated. Who does what, when, where and how.
- To collaborate. Without knowing what others are doing we may not go after grants that we could get when we know what others are doing and can contribute.
- To create a story. Some bigger grant applications need a story, to tell them what it is we are doing and why we need funding.
