Funding

Public schools in the United States are faced with all kinds of funding challenges. Many are seeking creative ways to harness community support and increase funding availability, especially to fund "non-core" areas such as arts, in-service professional and paraprofessional training, athletics, and capital expenditures.

Over the last 20 years or so, about one-fourth of America's 16,000 school districts have established some form of endowment or private foundation (either district-wide or school-specific) to supplement other school revenue to meet identified needs and expand opportunities for students and teachers.

Rarely have I found a book on a specialized subject so accessible and easy to use. The book's authors take the reader through the process of conceptualizing, developing, and implementing a public school foundation, often using a plausible question and answer format to communicate concepts and steps in an almost conversational way.

The book assumes that the reader is an individual who is interested in starting a public school foundation -- a teacher, administrator, PTA or school board member. Two excellent points are made very early in the book. First, it doesn't take a lot of money to make a real impact in a school district -- $10 or $20 per student can translate into some very useful, innovative, and change-provoking projects. Second, it's not necessary to "front-load" a school foundation with lots of money in order to generate a trickle of grant awards. The enthusiasm of the anticipated reader is matched and bolstered by the authors' enthusiasm for the subject.

Creating Foundations for American Schools also addresses the issue of existing foundations that have lost momentum or otherwise failed to meet expectations. One of the real keys to success is building and maintaining interest and momentum behind the foundation and its mission. The importance of coordinating foundation activities with alumni associations and other school-based fundraising is discussed as well.

The appendices include a wealth of forms, checklists, sample letters, etc., to use in the foundation-building process. Appendix E was a real surprise -- an annual survey of state laws governing charitable solicitation, complete with contact information for each state's regulators.

This is a well-executed book on a timely subject. It deserves to be used -- not just on the shelf -- wherever public school foundations are in place or contemplated.

Public schools in the United States are faced with all kinds of funding challenges. Many are seeking creative ways to harness community support and increase funding availability, especially to fund "non-core" areas such as arts, in-service professional and paraprofessional training, athletics, and capital expenditures.

Over the last 20 years or so, about one-fourth of America's 16,000 school districts have established some form of endowment or private foundation (either district-wide or school-specific) to supplement other school revenue to meet identified needs and expand opportunities for students and teachers.

Rarely have I found a book on a specialized subject so accessible and easy to use. The book's authors take the reader through the process of conceptualizing, developing, and implementing a public school foundation, often using a plausible question and answer format to communicate concepts and steps in an almost conversational way.

The book assumes that the reader is an individual who is interested in starting a public school foundation -- a teacher, administrator, PTA or school board member. Two excellent points are made very early in the book. First, it doesn't take a lot of money to make a real impact in a school district -- $10 or $20 per student can translate into some very useful, innovative, and change-provoking projects. Second, it's not necessary to "front-load" a school foundation with lots of money in order to generate a trickle of grant awards. The enthusiasm of the anticipated reader is matched and bolstered by the authors' enthusiasm for the subject.

Creating Foundations for American Schools also addresses the issue of existing foundations that have lost momentum or otherwise failed to meet expectations. One of the real keys to success is building and maintaining interest and momentum behind the foundation and its mission. The importance of coordinating foundation activities with alumni associations and other school-based fundraising is discussed as well.

The appendices include a wealth of forms, checklists, sample letters, etc., to use in the foundation-building process. Appendix E was a real surprise -- an annual survey of state laws governing charitable solicitation, complete with contact information for each state's regulators.

This is a well-executed book on a timely subject. It deserves to be used -- not just on the shelf -- wherever public school foundations are in place or contemplated.

I found the book very apt for this economic environment where there is capital sitting in bank accounts but not readily invested. One needs to have the insight to position and pitch well and I believe the book brings it out without having to read a big manual.

It is nice to read a business book that delivers actionable information in an effective manner. The book is pithy and obviously written by someone with experience.

The testimonies of church leaders add impact to their methods, charts, and programs. Especially useful to me were suggestions for melding fund-raising activities and stewardship education throughout the year.

Even today, or perhaps because of current funding dilemmas for state and community institutions, this book is required reading for anyone in the community college field.

I heard the author interviewed on the radio which prompted me to buy this book. The part that got my attention was the fact that she was part of a fund-raising team that raised over $200,000 for her local public school each year for the past 10 years!! How could this be possible? Well, she clearly explains how they built up to this astonishing figure. The part about how to run a successful auction was very insightful. We ran a silent auction at our church this year for the first time and did quite well, but the ideas in this book will really help for next year. This is a meaty, step-by-step guide by someone who has been there and thus has a lot of credibility.

It is a wonderful directory of resources for Catholic activities, published by Foundations and Donors Intersted in Catholic Activities (FADICA). The editor Kerry Robinson and three others whose painstaking reasearch has brought out this volume lightening the burden of grantseekers in the Church, deserve our gratitude and commendation. There are 962 entries of foundations and donors and each entry is as complete as possible with necessary information like address, contact person, geographic giving pattern, special interests, assets, grant average etc. This reference book shall ever remain valuable to Church personnel interested in ministering to the people of God.

I am a parent of a high school senior. This book was extremely helpful. I never realized how much money I could save and how much control I could have of the whole college funding process.
The book was written very well and was very easy to understand. I would recommend this book to any parent who needs help with college funding and/or scholarships.

This fourth edition of The Distance Learning Funding $ourcebook is an all-in-one comprehensive guide that covers funding sources, cable industry information, includes a section on intellectual property and distance learning, contains numerous Internet and multimedia resources, and a section on grantwriting. As a grantwriter that must identify the right funding source the first time around and use the most recent technology terms to write a competitive grant application, this book is a valuable tool. Arlene's expertise in the field of telecommunications shines throughout each chapter. Her indepth review of each distance learning funding source along with up-to-date contact information is critical for the grantseeker. This book was most helpful in helping me secure over $1,000,000 in U.S. Department of Commerce TIIAP (Telecommunications Information Infrastructire Assistance Program) grant funds for the Brooklyn College Library (NY) and Union County College (NJ). Arlene's section on TIIAP funding is clear and factual. Very little changes from year-to-year in federal grant competitions, so the 1998 and 1997 list of funded projects were instrumental in enabling me to create another winning program design for the 1999 TIAAP competition. The author has an insight in her specialized field that can be replicated by none. I would recommend this book to any grantseeker, both the novice and advanced grantwriter.

The basics of grant writing from start to finish, including locating funding, internet choices, and project management, are packed into a reference which is filled with advice from grant-writing professionals. Plenty of examples of successful funding efforts are included throughout, from sample forms to analysis of the critical components of a proposal. Highly recommended.

I've read a dozen grant writing books, and this one offers the whole package. Notable strengths of this book include:

1) Get the organization behind your fund raising effort. Barber hits where others miss by consistently illustrating the importance building support for your grant internally, throughout the organization. Only experienced grant writers know how important this is.

2) The dreaded budget. The bottom line in proposal evaluation is the budget. It must be easy to comprehend, be realistic and professional-looking. This book offers important tips on calculating overhead, in direct costs, and bottom-up budgeting that I have seen in no other grant writing text.

3) "Comprehensive Guide": This book (and accompanying disk) offers template materials as well as the historical and philosophical back ground of public funding and philanthropic giving. The book as a whole is important to understanding the nature of fund raising through grants while providing practical advice on how to get that important project funded.

I keep this book nearby and use often for reference.