GRANTS.GOV: Your Intimidation-Free Guide

by Cheryl Middaugh, Organizational Development Specialist, do good Consulting

The federal government is often seen as the holy grail of grant money, dishing out billions every year to all kinds of organizations. For the most part, that’s a fairly skewed perspective—mainly because, while thousands of grant opportunities do exist, getting your hands on one of them can be so time-intensive that it’s often not worth the investment.

Fortunately though, right now is actually a great time to start looking at what’s out there. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (or ARRA, also known as the “stimulus bill”) has opened up thousands of new funding opportunities for organizations of all sizes. Granted (pun intended), most of these are for job creation or preservation, but if your organization is considering making layoffs to stay afloat this year, you can and should make a case for support. Also, the proposal requirements for ARRA grants have been vastly reduced to expedite the fiscal “jumpstart” politicians are talking about, so it’s easier than ever to apply.

For first timers, it’s a good idea to start by taking a gander at the database available at grants.gov, the government’s online portal for searching and applying for federal funding opportunities. It might seem a bit overwhelming at first, but you can get a good sense of what’s out there and whether it’s going to be a valuable time investment for your staff or volunteers. do good Consulting recommends putting together a matrix of grant opportunities, including all relevant proposal-related information (grant amount, deadline, information needed, target project, etc.). Then, assign each opportunity two ratings: first, how likely you think it is that your organization will qualify; second, how time-intensive the proposal appears to be.

Be warned: time estimations can be tricky, particularly because grants.gov requires several technical steps before you can begin any application process. You have to register , which involves four distinct steps including three separate agencies. You’ll need plenty of time to assemble the information needed for the proposal, write the narrative language required, and precisely format it all according to the instructions. This brings us to the submission process. Traffic on the grants.gov website has been exceptionally high, thanks to all the new ARRA opportunities. Steps are being taken to alleviate some of the bandwidth congestion, but don’t risk it—apply as far in advance as you can. I once waited almost eight hours—late into the night on the day of the deadline—for confirmation that a $50,000 grant was posted on time. Trust me, you don’t want to put yourself through the same torture.

The grants.gov website recommends you allow at least two weeks just to complete the registration process, and up to four weeks to complete the entire application. I know what you’re thinking, and okay, it’s partially true: you’re efficient and can make that happen much faster. But for the sake of your organization, don’t push it. The process really does take a long time—it is open to all varieties of technical glitches and there are many, many levels of instructions to wade through. And your granting agency doesn’t care that your version of Firefox doesn’t support the Central Contact Registry’s registration software when your application is late. The good news is that, for the most part, our friends in the federal government spell it out for us fairly clearly, so doing a little homework ahead of time will get you a long way. And once you’re registered, it’s just a matter of keeping your registration renewed every year.

So get out there and take advantage of the billions in taxpayer dollars that go to organizations like yours. Good luck, and happy grantseeking!

WIN A FREE LOGO: The Great Logo Makeover

If your logo needs a new look, do good Consulting and Midnight Graphics has just the thing for you: The 1st Annual GREAT LOGO MAKEOVER!

One qualifying non-profit organization will win a FREE logo makeover through the 1st Annual GREAT LOGO MAKEOVER. We’ll turn your values, mission, programs, and current aesthetic into a whole new look that will excite and inspire your audience. The estimated value of this opportunity is over $2,500.

Get the official contest application and qualification requirements at www.dogoodconsulting.org/logocontest. This is opportunity knocking: open the door! Hurry: the deadline is May 8!

Please forward this email to non-profit organizations you think would be interested in the GREAT LOGO MAKEOVER!

Volunteer Corps in US Expands

by Elizabeth Simpson, Group Dynamics & Teambuilding Specialist, do good Consulting

In April, President Barack Obama signed a broad, multibillion-dollar national service bill designed to boost volunteerism among Americans of all ages. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act allocates $5.7 billion over five years to encourage volunteerism in the U.S. by, among other things, tripling the size of the AmeriCorps program from its current level of 75,000 volunteers to roughly 250,000 volunteers. According to supporters of the legislation, the Serve America Act reflects a historic shift, especially among young people, toward volunteerism.

Here at do good Consulting, where two of our consultants are AmeriCorps alumni, we know firsthand the difference that supporting volunteers can make in catalyzing the ability of (especially young) people to engage in active citizenship. To some it may seem perplexing that money would be spent to support volunteers—isn't the point of volunteerism that it is done freely? Of course this is true on a very simple level, but volunteerism is far more complex than the matter of a person being willing to donate their time.

Frustratingly, many organizations lack the infrastructure to properly utilize their volunteers, or even make the community aware of their need. One of the key functions of programs like AmeriCorps is doing the vital organizational work of matching people with tasks while providing the necessary oversight and resources to complete them, on behalf of organizations that couldn't support a volunteer program alone. In the case of AmeriCorps, the program often coordinates needs with people who can meet them whether or not there is a host organization to work through! Additionally, such programs connect fellow volunteers with each other to provide the social and moral support that social service organizations are often too under-staffed to offer. A final key is that AmeriCorps often provides training and professional development opportunities that not only benefit the volunteers with regard to skills and abilites, but in turn enhances the services they are able to provide—doubling the return to the community. Such investments far outlive their initial costs, creating healthy, connected communities marked by the accomplishments of their youth, who are active participants in building the future they will inherit. A brief look into what volunteerism in your community has done will yield inspiration and appreciation.

To find out more of what is going on in your area, visit www.volunteerillinois.org.

For more information on AmeriCorps and related programs, see www.nationalservice.gov.

Q&A: Getting Organized

Dear do good:

I just started a new job at a great organization but I’m having a hard time getting on my feet. I’m spending more time trying to find information, catch up with what was left on my desk, and decipher my predecessor’s file system than actually getting any work done. How can I get organized and up to speed quickly so I can start making progress on the real work at hand?
- Feeling buried in Mattoon, Illinois

Dear Buried:
First of all, congratulations on your new post! It’s important to remember that it can take a while to get settled in a new job, especially when you take over a disorganized office.

For many of us, organizing our workspace often falls to the bottom of our list of priorities. We have too many other projects demanding our time and attention. As we focus on these other projects, the piles continue to grow and our filing system gets neglected. When we take a new opportunity, we leave the mess behind for the next person to deal with.

All of us can likely benefit from getting organized, even if we’ve been in our jobs for some time. Taking just a few minutes to organize your workspace can eliminate stress and make you a lot more productive. Not only will the information you need be more accessible, but studies show you’ll get more done and be more creative during the time when you’re focused on other tasks. In fact, a University of California Davis study found that organization tasks like cleaning, sorting, and collating reinvigorated workers and increased efficiency and creativity on the job. So it definitely pays off in the short term and in the long term and that’s where we recommend that you begin.

Here are some simple steps to help you get your new office under control:

1. De-clutter your desk. Remove everything from your desk. Toss or file old paperwork. Organize current and ongoing project information in new folders. Store office supplies in one location so they are at hand when you need them.
2. Organize active files. Gather all of your active files and organize them in one desk drawer or a standing file on your desk. When the project is finished, archive the items. Learn and be judicious about what you need to keep and what can be tossed to cut down on paperwork clutter. Getting buried in unnecessary paperwork early on can doom your work style and productivity throughout your term.
3. Archive old materials. Use your desk to store only those files you use regularly or need for current project. Store older files in a filing cabinet or ask if your office has storage for old projects.
4. Clean up computer files. Use the same rules for computer files as paper files. Clearly label master folders for easy, quick navigation. Include dates in file names so it’s easy to find current versions of needed files. Keep email organized by quickly dealing with and sorting messages you need and immediately deleting those you don’t.
5. Stick with it. Once you’ve developed a system, stay on top of it. One of the most important actions you can take each day is to take a few minutes daily to keep everything organized. You may need help sorting at first while you learn more about your responsibilities, but your new system will become second nature and benefit you for a lifetime.

- by Jessica Paulsen, do good Consulting

For more professional development tips and advice, contact do good Consulting at 217-778-1687 or dogood@dogoodconsulting.org. If you have a question for do good, contact our experts at 217-778-1687 or dogood@dogoodconsulting.org.

Group Profile: YWCA of the University of Illinois

by Cheryl Middaugh, Organizational Development Specialist, do good Consulting

What does "the Y" mean to you?

If you’re like most people, it probably means the YMCA, which probably means a pool. It’s unlikely that you’d think of the YWCA (that’s with a 'W'), and even if you did, you still probably thought of a pool, or swimming lessons with mom. But if you poke around the website of a YWCA, or check out any of their promotional materials, you might be surprised by the organization’s tagline: “eliminating racism and empowering women.” Racism? Women? What does that have to do with swimming?

As it turns out, everything. The diverse programs that operate out of nearly 300 YWCA associations (the organization’s word for chapters) have certainly evolved significantly since the late nineteenth century. But there has been one constant: from early on, the associations were modeling the ideals of racial inclusion and women’s empowerment by providing equal access to facilities—including campus housing, community centers, and, you guessed it, health clubs. On top of that, the YWCA associations offer a vast array of outreach and educational programs that raise awareness of racism and sexism, show how they often intersect, and identify resources to combat them.

The YWCA of the University of Illinois in Champaign turns 125 (yes, that’s a century and a quarter) this year. The institution is the oldest continually operating student YWCA in the entire country. When women couldn’t live in University residence halls, the YWCA opened the first female dormitory-style housing. When the country remained segregated, the YWCA was one of the first to offer interracial housing on campus. And today, when the voices of campus and community fail to resonate around mutually critical issues, the YWCA steps in to champion dialogue and collaboration.

So take a minute today to rediscover the YWCA—or, better yet, join in the fight to eliminate racism and empower women. Read more about YWCA’s across the US at www.ywca.org. To learn more about the oldest continually operating student YWCA, based in Champaign, click here.