Expert Tips to Improve Your Grant Proposals

Plus, why billionaires don't give more; and what your group can learn from a nonprofit newsroom ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. GRANT PROPOSAL WRITING [How to Strengthen Your Grant Proposals and Avoid Common Mistakes]( By David L. Wheeler [STORY IMAGE]( Writing grant proposals has become increasingly complex. Veteran fundraisers share their advice to help you navigate the shifting landscape and win grants. ADVERTISEMENT [How to Strengthen Your Grant Proposals and Avoid Common Mistakes]( MAJOR PHILANTHROPY [What Billionaires and Their Advisers Say Keeps Them From Giving More and Faster]( By Thalia Beaty, Associated Press [STORY IMAGE]( Some are held back by finding the right vehicles and advisers, while others cite emotional reasons. INNOVATIONS [How This Mississippi Newsroom’s Fundraising Model Could Work for You]( By Stephanie Beasley [STORY IMAGE]( Mississippi Free Press has won grants from regional and national funders, and almost half its revenue has come from local donations. GRANTS ROUNDUP [Walmart Commits $34.5 Million to Protect U.S. Wildlife Habitats]( By M.J. Prest [STORY IMAGE]( Also, the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation awarded $80 million to Georgia State U., and the Hormel Foundation gave nearly $26 million to community groups that serve residents of Austin, Minn. WEBINARS [January 16 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Start the year off strong and set your fundraising efforts up for success. Join us for Donor Communications 2025: Create a Strong Plan. You’ll learn how to map out a plan to manage all your communications and campaigns so you can stay on track throughout the year, strengthen ties with key donors, and hit your goals. SPONSOR CONTENT | The California Endowment [A Village of Hope: The Robert K. Ross Center for Hope and Healing]( ONLINE FORUMS [December 10 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join us for the forum, A Perfect Storm? A New Administration, Stubborn Inflation, Fiscal Unease, to learn from Aisha Benson, Nonprofit Finance Fund, and Nonoko Sato, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, as they explain how to plan for various scenarios, reduce risk amid fiscal uncertainty, and understand how grant making may shift. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE [Chronicle of Philanthropy Subscription] Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online Even as arts organizations continue to recover from the financial pain of the pandemic, expensive galas remain a mainstay of the top-end fundraising calendar. Major institutions can charge four- and five-figure sums for tickets to their parties, which can raise millions of dollars. The math is different for smaller organizations, some of which have phased out galas. Defenders of the tradition say the gatherings help build community among donors, giving them a painless way to fundraise, by simply inviting a friend to a party. ([New York Times]( Background from the Chronicle: [How to Plan and Put On a Fundraising Gala]( A Haitian-American group is suing Red Cross affiliates and officials over their handling of hundreds of millions of dollars raised for Haitian relief after a series of natural disasters beginning with the 2010 earthquake. The Haitian Diaspora Political Action Committee argues that the defendants, which include the American, International, and Haitian Red Cross organizations, raised huge sums, which they then used “for personal gain and administrative overhead,” rather than helping Haitians. The American Red Cross said Haiti donations “went into a restricted account that could only be used for programs and services for Haiti. Designated funds are never used for operational deficits or payment of debt.” The suit seeks $1 billion in compensatory and punitive damages. ([Miami Herald]( Background from the Chronicle: [Red Cross Head Sought to Stop Federal Probe of Relief Work]( News About Gifts and Giving - Charitable Generosity Grows, But For-Profit Fundraisers Take a Slice, Report Says ([BK Reader]( - Background from the Chronicle: [Deeply Flawed ‘Pennies for Charity’ Report Can Hurt Good Nonprofits]( - How Giving Machines Drew Major American Charity Leaders Together in Times Square ([Deseret News]( - Charities See an Uptick in Giving. This Giving Tuesday, They Can Thank Retirees for That. ([Market Watch]( - Anonymous $3.5 Million Gift to Milwaukee Art Museum Provides Free Admission for Kids 12 and Under ([BizTimes]( More News - ‘Progressive Except For Palestine’: How A Tech Charity Imploded Over a Statement on Gaza ([Guardian]( - Tiger Woods Wants More Money for Ryder Cup Players to Donate to Their Charities ([New York Times/Athletic]( Arts and Culture - San Francisco Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ Season in Doubt as Contract Talks Stall ([San Francisco Chronicle]( - The Long and Winding Road to Protect San Francisco’s Coolest Museum ([SFGate]( - The Heirs of a Despised Draft Dodger Want His Wright Brothers Plane Back from Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute ([New York Times]( Note: In the links in this section, we flag articles that only subscribers can access. But because some journalism outlets offer a limited number of free articles, readers may encounter barriers with other articles we highlight in this roundup. Chronicle’s Fellows Program: Boost Local Coverage of Philanthropy The Chronicle of Philanthropy is accepting applications for its [Philanthropy & Nonprofit Accountability Fellowship](. Every year four newsrooms join the program, which is designed to enhance coverage of local giving and nonprofits. Fellows receive training sessions with experts in philanthropy, investigative reporting, and public records throughout the year. Each news organization receives $30,000 to spend on its reporting projects. Learn [more about the fellowship]( and [how to apply](. EDITOR'S PICKS OPINION [Did the Nonprofit World’s Identity Obsession Pave the Way for Trump’s Victory?]( By Eboo Patel [STORY IMAGE]( The progressive social sector needs to take a hard look at the gap between its views on identity and those of the people it claims to represent. INTERVIEW [‘Transactional Fundraising’ Is Fueling the Burnout Crisis, Author Says]( By Jie Jenny Zou [STORY IMAGE]( Mallory Erickson shares how fundraisers and organizations can better align themselves with donors and avoid chronic stress. MAJOR GIFTS [Buffett Continues Thanksgiving Tradition With $1.2 Billion to His Kids’ Foundations]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( By pouring huge sums into his family’s foundations, Warren Buffett shows trust in his three children to give away his $151 billion fortune. ADVERTISEMENT Upcoming Workshop [A special invitation]( —Do you use QuickBooks Online (QBO) for your nonprofit? Perhaps you have recently switched from QuickBooks Desktop and are new to QBO. Or you’ve been using QBO for a while now but are struggling to get good budget to actual reporting or restricted grant reporting. Join CPA and national trainer Gregg S. Bossen, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy, for this two-part series workshop on December 4 & 6 designed specifically around nonprofit QuickBooks training. The workshop focuses on: refining your Chart of Account set-up to efficiently accomplish nonprofit GAAP accounting and reporting in QuickBooks, allocation of expenses across programs and grants, tracking restricted grants, building and managing your annual budget, tailored reporting for management, board, and funders. [Register now]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES Find your next nonprofit role in The Chronicle Career Center: - [CEO, University of Rhode Island Foundation & Vice President, Advancement, University of Rhode Island]( — University of Rhode Island [Search all job openings →]( Hiring? [Post a Job.]( [Chronicle of Philanthropy Logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. 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