How We Can Help
Heart for the Community will provide these services for a one-time, flat fee.
Being "grant ready" means a nonprofit has the internal systems, documents, leadership alignment, and strategic clarity needed to successfully apply for—and manage—grant funding. It’s about more than writing a great proposal; it’s about demonstrating that your organization is a credible, capable, and strategic investment. We'll help you get there.
Through its grant research, at the end of 60 days, Heart for the Community promises to build your proposal pipeline by identifying at least 12 strong, highly vetted, prospective private and/or corporate foundation funders, aligned with your mission, and creating a strategy and timeline for cultivating a relationship with; and submitting proposals to; these foundations. This research includes: contact information, eligibility guidelines, submission deadlines, application procedures, most common grant amount, recommended request amount, recommended area of funding, and a suggested cultivation strategy.
As a result of our grant prospect research, your organization will have a pipeline of private and corporate foundation funders, and a road map to cultivate and pursue for the next 12 months; a strong base from which to grow your grants program and increase your overall funding portfolio.
Through its proposal writing, by the end of 60 days, Heart for the Community promises to build your organization’s capacity to submit multiple proposals throughout the year by crafting a high-quality Master Content Document that answers the top questions asked in private and corporate foundation grant applications, from an Asset-Framed perspective, which highlights the aspirations your work fulfills without denigrating your community.
As a result of having a Master Content Document, your organization will be well-positioned to respond to grant funding opportunities from private and corporate foundations in a timely manner, as you will have the answers to their most frequently asked questions at your fingertips.
Through its retainer services, Heart for the Community will work with your organization over 12 months and act as your outsourced grants professional. Depending on your retainer level, we will:
- Ensure the organization is "grant ready"
- Craft a Master Content Document (MCD), a multi-purpose proposal template that can be used to apply to various private and corporate foundation funders.
- Identify 12-24 highly vetted, prospective funders to which the MCD can be submitted.
- Create a Grant Submission Calendar which serves as a roadmap for timely submission of these applications.
- Work with the organization to submit proposals and/or Letters of Intent to these foundations.
- Provide a cultivation strategy designed to help the organization build a relationship with these funders.
- Ensure the organization has appropriate grant tracking and management systems in place for effective stewardship.
As a result of utilizing our retainer services, your organization will have the increased bandwidth to submit applications in a timely manner, and a thought partner to assist with funder cultivation.
Working with an organization that is "grant ready," Heart for the Community will:
- Conduct research and provide the organization with a list of up to 12 prospective private and/or corporate foundations to which it can submit competitive proposals.
- Use content provided by the organization to submit applications to the foundations identified in Step #1 above at the rate of one proposal per month.
- Ensure the organization is "grant ready"
- Craft a Master Content Document (MCD), a multi-purpose proposal template that can be used to apply to various private and corporate foundation funders.
- Identify 12-15 highly vetted, prospective funders to which the MCD can be submitted.
- Create a Grant Submission Calendar which serves as a roadmap for timely submission of these applications.
- Work with the organization to submit proposals and/or Letters of Intent to these foundations.
- Provide a cultivation strategy designed to help the organization build a relationship with these funders.
- Ensure the organization has appropriate grant tracking and management systems in place for effective stewardship.
- Ensure the organization is "grant ready"
- Craft a Master Content Document (MCD), a multi-purpose proposal template that can be used to apply to various private and corporate foundation funders.
- Identify 16-24 highly vetted, prospective funders to which the MCD can be submitted.
- Create a Grant Submission Calendar which serves as a roadmap for timely submission of these applications.
- Work with the organization to submit proposals and/or Letters of Intent to these foundations.
- Provide a cultivation strategy designed to help the organization build a relationship with these funders.
- Ensure the organization has appropriate grant tracking and management systems in place for effective stewardship.
Is Your Organization Grant Ready?
Below are a few issues to consider before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard)...
Products & Services
01
Grant Research
Heart for the Community will:
- Review an organization’s previous publications (brochures, curriculum, evaluations, reports, etc.), grant proposals and all other relevant information.
- Discuss organization’s current programs, goals, objectives and data with leadership and appropriate staff.
- Use this information to research private and corporate foundations which may fund the organization’s work.
- Provide the organization with a list of at least 12 prospective private and/or corporate foundations to which it can submit competitive proposals. Information will include the foundation's contact information, recommended focus area, recommended request amount, and proposal deadline(s).
03
Monthly Retainer Package #1
Heart for the Community will:
- Create a Master Content Document for the organization.
- Conduct research and provide the organization with a list of 12-15 prospective foundations to which it can submit competitive proposals.
- Provide ongoing management and submission of proposals identified through Step #2.
- Provide strategic grant consultation with organizational leadership as needed.
* Retainer services require a 12 - month minimum contract
02
Master Content Document
Heart for the Community will:
- Craft a “Master Content Document," which is a proposal template that provides the answers to the most commonly asked questions on a general operating support proposal application; designed to provide content/language that can be used for multiple submissions to private and/or corporate foundations. Some examples of questions answered include:
- Describe your organization’s history, vision, and goals.
- Describe your current programs, services, and activities.
- What is the issue/need your organization addresses?
- Does your organization have goals/objectives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)? If so, what are they and how are you measuring them?
04
Monthly Retainer Package #2
Heart for the Community will:
- Create a Master Content Document for the organization.
- Conduct research and provide the organization with a list of up to 24 prospective foundations to which it can submit competitive proposals.
- Provide ongoing management and submission of proposals identified through Step #2.
- Provide strategic grant consultation with organizational leadership as needed.
* Retainer services require a 12 - month minimum contract.
What People Say About Us
"Kia served on the Providence Health Foundation team for two years as our grant writer. As such, she helped secure both government and private grants, which helped to make Providence a leader in grant revenue among all the Ascension hospital foundations...I recommend her highly and without reservation to any chief development officer in need of her skills."
Philip G. Mazzara, President & CEO
Providence Health Foundation
"I highly recommend Kia Chatmon for grant-seeking work, both the research for appropriate grants and grant writing. She has done this work for me as a consultant since 2000. Ms. Chatmon is thorough, creative, well-organized, and efficient in her work. She is an excellent addition to any organizational team."
Jenice L. View, Ph.D., Associate Professor
George Mason University