Some sponsors explain the kind of proposals they intend to fund and provide specific proposal guidelines for you to use. Other sponsors evaluate suggestions for proposals that are presented to them and then request formal proposals based on the suggestions that are most appealing. This page provides pointers according to the sponsor type that should assist you in finding the most appropriate sponsor for your project.
There are several thousand foundations in the United States, but identifying the right foundation for your project can be difficult. There may be foundations with an interest in your field, but their emphasis may not be on library materials, service, access or functions. Conversely, a foundation which may have no particular interest in the project field may be interested in the project methodology or other related issues. Clearly, proposals should be articulated in terms likely to match the orientation, preferences and guidelines of a particular foundation.
Cornell's Foundation Relations web site has grant seeking tips including resources to help identify realistic prospects.
The Office of Sponsored Programs maintains a Funding Opportunities web page with links to a variety of information sources.
The Library External Relations (LER) office also has expertise and can assist matching potential foundation support with a project. Foundations with whom the University and/or the Library has developed a continuing relationship, cannot be contacted without prior approval. As this list changes periodically, you should consult with LER to determine whether or not your target foundation is on this list before you make contact. While other foundations not on this list may be contacted, you are strongly encouraged to discuss approach strategy with LER to strengthen your likelihood of success. In many cases, contact with a private foundation is made through a personal contact (Cornell alumni, personal friend, professional associate, etc) known to LER staff or others in the Library or the University.
Direct your primary foundation inquiries to: Marisue Taube, Director, Library External Relations. Phone # 5-9568. E-mail Marisue Taube
The The Foundation Center has a home page which is full of pertinent information on foundation giving.
Another worthwhile site can be found at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) home page. CASE is an international association of education advancement officers, who include alumni administrators, fund raisers, public relations managers, publications editors, and government relations officers. The ultimate goal of advancement professionals is to enhance their institutions by bringing in moneys through external support.
Some corporations have offices dedicated to philanthropic giving. As with foundations, corporate donors have specific areas of interest where they invest their foundation dollars or donations of special equipment. But unlike other foundations, corporate giving often has a public relations emphasis, so a key issue may be how a project benefits the image or enhances the public perception of the corporation. If this is the case, the proposal should be couched in terms that speak to the corporation's self-image and objectives.
Your initial contact for corporate giving is again, Library External Relations. The LER office can help to make a proposal successful with corporate sponsors, and investigators are strongly encouraged to contact these offices when considering a proposal submission. As with the restricted foundation list, the Development Office maintains a list of "restricted" corporate donors, and the corporations may be contacted only after approval is given.
The Office of Sponsored Programs maintains a Funding Opportunities web page with links to a variety of information sources.
The Foundation Center has a listing Web Sites of Corporate Grantmakers.
Generally, all government funding opportunities are solicited via widely publicized Broad Agency Announcements or Requests for Proposals. The Office of Sponsored Programs at Cornell has a web page with extensive links to important federal granting agencies. The grant writing and submission process for major federal funding can be rigorous and time consuming, so it is best to contact Edward Weissman and the OSP early in the proposal process, especially if this is one's initial effort. The Library has been quite successful in securing funding from federal and state agencies. Previous proposals are available through the Library Administration Office, 201 Olin Library, and may be reviewed as possible models.
The Office of Sponsored Programs has extensive information regarding federal and state grants, as well as many useful tips and recommendations on grant submissions. Visit their website OSP.
Contact Linda Brainard at OSP, who is the CUL contact. Phone# 5-7123. E-mail.: lms16@cornell.edu
Also, the IRIS searchable databases is useful to peruse.
The process by which donations from individuals are secured is generally not as formal, but clearly must take into account the interests of the individual, the appropriate timing of a request, and the best amount to request. All require considerable expertise and often a personal relationship with the prospective donor. Channel your approach to private donors through the Library External Relations. Contact: Marisue Taube, Director, Library External Relations. Phone # 5-9568. E-mail Marisue Taube
Library External Relations encourages staff to think about prospective donors and selectively work to build the relationship which may lead to support for special projects and programs. LER can provide access to the University alumni clearance system (which requires clearance for approaches to approximately 12,000 alumni and friends), and significant help with donor cultivation and solicitation strategies, acknowledgment letters to donors (insures that they receive the appropriate University acknowledgments from the President on down), arrange for appropriate gift credit, as well as help in the processing of receipts and/or provide billing arrangements, etc.
- Top of Page
- Home
- Overview
- Getting Started
- Impact
- Preparing and Submitting a Proposal (A step by step guide)
- Forms and Organizational Profile