Brown, Larissa Golden : Brown and Brown Consultants
Larissa Golden Brown is a partner in Brown and Brown Consultants which helps nonprofit organizations streamline
their grant-seeking process and fund their plans and dreams. Brown also specializes in grants coaching and instruction
inspiring people to take on their own fundraising. Her clients have included the Oregon Children's Foundation,
The Salvation Army, Community Outreach, Inc., Portland Opera, and Sisters Of The Road Cafe.
Martin John Brown is a partner in Brown and Brown Consultants. He is a scientist turned writer whose work has appeared
in High Country News, Venue magazine, The Bear Deluxe, and other publications.
Review
"What do you really need to do to get grants? Get thee a system! Not just any system; this one.
Proposal writing is a science and art. The art part is writing; the science part is research, strategy, observation,
and painstaking work. Demystifying Grant Seeking is about the painstaking part, but the authors skillfully
render the components in manageable, sustainable portions, palatable for the busiest of non-profit professionals.
Larissa Golden Brown and John Martin Brown walk you through a grant-seeking system that works. The Browns' plan
is for: the newcomer who must be led into the process; the experienced proposal writer who needs to keep track
of all the office's activities; and anyone who wishes to streamline operations while improving quality and consistency.
Don't think this is just about how to get to funders. This is about how to collect information, manage it and other
materials, and promote communication habits to create a winning grants office.
The authors describe the grant-seeking cycle in five parts: 1) learn - about your organization, your community
and your potential funders; 2) match - your needs with the funder's interests and performance; 3) invite - the
funder, through the proposal, to invest in the organization and the community; 4) follow up - on the program and
the partnership; and 5) evaluate - the grant-seeking process to fine tune it before renewing the cycle.
They take the time to dispel many grant world myths, including "All you need is one well-written grant proposal"
and "You need to 'know someone' to get a grant." They even point out the basic necessities for operating
a grant-seeking office -- mercifully low-tech and manageable.
Quickly, though, they get to pre-writing part of the process. Proposal writers know that much time is spent learning
about the organization, its programs and plans, sometimes developing programs or shaping them to enhance their
appeal to funders, and collecting information and support materials to satisfy the donor and dramatize the project.
The Browns' emphasis on what they could call the "discovery phase" is very well placed. Their checklist
of questions for interviewing the CEO, the program director, and staff assures solid internal research. The answers
to those questions become the backbone of the finished proposal.
Chapters on collecting, developing and refreshing support materials, and program, donor, and grants management
files have excellent ideas for simplifying work and improving the delivery of quality of information. The authors'
recommendations on managing information in the office are surprisingly simple. Cultivate their habits of keeping
only what is important, and completing related tasks together (filling a "to read" file or saving leads
for a morning of electronic research) to maximize efficiency. These systems definitely work. My office has already
adopted their deadline cards, organizational resume, and the filing and record keeping ideas. Check the back of
the book for sample forms and an application.
The section on maintaining relationships with funders may be a bit too subtle for some newcomers, so let me emphasize
the importance of disciplined relationship management. This is the beginning of a long-term partnership with the
donor: attend to it if you hope it will flourish. So use their "follow-up form" and funder communication
ideas to guide you. It is far easier to keep a funder than to get a funder.
How about sustaining momentum in a busy office? The authors wisely recommend annual reviews of grant-seeking efforts
and staff summits that prioritize projects and define staff responsibilities in proposal preparation. Never underestimate
the importance of non-development staff in an organization. Their ideas, information, and support are critical
for success. A little internal public relations through periodic review meetings and regular, but brief, reports
to staff will foster a team atmosphere that helps get good work done for everyone.
Demystifying Grant Seeking is a very fine combination of Larissa Golden Brown's fundraising successes and
Martin John Brown's writing abilities (they probably share those, too). It is a generous gift to those who work
so hard on behalf of good causes. Read it and keep it."
--Review by Sarah S. Brophy
Submitted by the Publisher, April, 2002
Summary
In Demystifying Grant Seeking, authors Larissa Golden Brown and Martin John Brown offer down-to-earth advice
on implementing an effective grant- seeking process based on the art of fearless grant seeking. Written for nonprofit
professionals and fundraisers— no matter what their level of expertise— this hands-on resource
outlines a five-step program that will help to dispel myths, overcome fears, and lead to grant-seeking success.
Using the suggestions outlined in Demystifying Grant Seeking fundraisers will:
* Learn about their organizations, communities, and funders
* Match requests to funders
* Invite funders to invest in their organizations
* Follow Up both internally and with funders
* Evaluate results, methods, and opportunities
Table of Contents
Foreword by Judith E. Nichols, Ph.D., CFRE. PROLOGUE: GET INSPIRED AND READY TO GO.
1. Clear Away Myths and Fears.
2. Understand the Grantseeking Cycle.
3. Set Up a Simple Office.
STEP ONE: LEARN ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION, COMMUNITY, AND FUNDERS.
4. Learn About Your Organization and Programs.
5. Synthesize What You've Learned So Far.
6. Learn About Your Community.
7. Learn About Funders.
STEP TWO: MATCH YOUR REQUEST TO A FUNDER.
8. Move From Lead to Prospect to Match.
STEP THREE: INVITE A FUNDER TO INVEST IN YOUR ORGANIZATION.
9. Invite a Funder to Give .
10. Guide Relationships, Meetings, and Tours.
STEP FOUR: FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION AND YOUR FUNDER.
11. Communicate After Mailing a Proposal.
12. Follow Up After a Funding Decision.
STEP FIVE: EVALUATE YOUR RESULTS, METHODS, AND OPPORTUNITIES.
13. Evaluate the Past, Strategize the Future.
14. Personalize Your Grantseeking Cycle.
15. Set Your Grantseeking Ground Rules.
