Class Format: On-demand.  This class was recorded from the live teleclass.  You will receive the same PowerPoint and class handouts as with the live class, and be able to play the recorded class over the Internet.  You can replay the class or go over sections that you want to concentrate on. You may also exit the class and log back in later if you want to break up the 90-minute session.

Class Topic: For many years, grantmakers have chosen to support projects and programs with measurable outcomes, leaving nonprofits with the challenge of finding other sources of funds for business operations and growth. Many grantmakers are now realizing that this concentration on programs has prevented nonprofits from being health, growing businesses. The grantmakers response is the "capacity building" grant.

This presentation explores the nature of this new funding category. What is meant by "capacity building?" How does a capacity building grant application differ from a program grant application? How is capacity building different from general operating costs? And, how do you find those grantmakers who are funding nonprofits to become health businesses as well as strong service providers?

Measurable Learning:

This session will provide nonprofit leaders with a new concept for seeking funding to improve or grow the way their nonprofit organization operates as a business. It will provide knowledge about how to craft a capacity building grant application to increase chances of funding success.

About the Instructor: Barbara Polston

A desire to leave at least her corner of the world a better place inspired Barbara Polston to make a mid-life transition from the business world into the nonprofit sector in 1990, and she has never looked back. Since then, she has held positions of increasing responsibility with major nonprofit organizations with budgets ranging from $250,000 to $13 million, with either direct or supervisory responsibility for fundraising in each organization. She has been an independent fundraising consultant since 2002, guiding clients in a variety of fundraising and capacity-building activities, with a concentration on grantsmanship fundraising.

As director of development with Aid to Adoption of Special Kids, Barbara was responsible for fundraising through corporations and foundations as well as developing an individual giving program for this 13-year-old agency with a $4.3 million annual budget. While there, she:

Reinvigorated a lapsed grant-writing program, issuing over one million dollars in funding requests within five months.

Instituted a quarterly appeal program to replace one annual appeal, equalizing cash flow over the year and increasing overall private donations.

Created, launched and managed an individual giving circle club, a program never utilized at this agency before, resulting in eleven members and $30,000 in one month.

Previously, as executive director with the New Song Center for Grieving Children and Those Who Love Them, where she was responsible for administration, program, fund development, marketing and public relations activities of a small nonprofit with 11-year history and $236,000 budget. She also served as fund development coordinator for the Volunteer Center of Maricopa County, with responsibility for grant writing, special events, annual fundraising campaign and media relations with a $1.1 million budget.

In 2000, Barbara completed her certificate in Nonprofit Management through Arizona State University.

She was selected as part of the consulting team for St. Luke’s Health Initiatives Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP), providing marketing and fund development coaching.

Barbara brings her marketing and public relations perspective to her work as an independent fundraising consultant and trainer. Although she specializes her practice in grantsmanship fundraising, Barbara also provides consultation in feasibility studies, capital campaigns, individual giving programs, strategic planning and board development often in partnership with colleagues. During the course of her practice, Barbara has served clients with budgets ranging from $150,000 to over $40 million, helping raise friends and funds for each. “It’s great that, at this point in my practice, I have the good fortune to be working with several clients whose mission is close to my heart,” says Barbara. She has just added an apprentice to her practice, allowing smaller organizations to take advantage of her mission-driven fundraising services at a reasonable cost.

In 2001, Barbara completed GrantsUSA’s six-week “Principles and Practice” grantsmanship course and applied for certification to teach GrantsUSA’s curriculum and became part of the first GrantsUSA training team.

A skilled presenter, Barbara has taught most of the topics in the GrantsUSA curriculum, in community-based workshops as well as numerous conference programs locally and nationwide. Ratings for her workshops average 4.7 or higher out of a possible 5.

Barbara created the curriculum and materials for “The Essential Evaluation Toolkit: Defining and Measuring Success” for GrantsUSA and has presented the workshop numerous times. This curriculum was one of the first in Arizona, if not nationwide, to incorporate training in the then-new Logic Model process. In doing so she has become recognized as an expert not only on effective evaluation practice, but more specifically, on the use of a Logic Model framework to craft strong outcome measures and solid program plans.

Barbara also conceived and created the curriculum for another GrantsUSA workshop, “Capacity-Building Grants: Funding Your Mission from the Inside Out.”

Barbara created a tailored evaluation training curriculum for Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records and, over the course of six months, presented the material to prospective grantees in 10 communities across the state. Followup analysis by the State Library determined that attendees did successfully transfer what Barbara taught into their real-life work, resulting in significantly stronger, clearer proposals and more effective outcome measures and evaluation strategies.

Following the success of her training for the Arizona State Library, Barbara was invited in mid-2004 to present to a national audience of library representatives in a train-the-trainer format to teach them the essentials of evaluation, outcome measures and Logic Model concepts, so they could take the information back to their own community grantees.

Barbara believes strongly in professional development practices. While seeking knowledge from others, she, in turn, shares her expertise regularly through pro bono consultation and an extensive training schedule. Barbara has enjoyed the opportunity to train on a national basis, traveling from coast to coast.

Barbara holds a B.S. in Marketing from Northeastern Illinois University and an M.A. in Theological Studies from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Barbara is a member of the American Association of Grants Professionals and serves as chapter treasurer for AAGP Arizona (Founding Chapter.) She has also served on the board Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Arizona Chapter, and has been a contributor to the Journal of the GPA., where her article on “Capacity-Building Grantsmanship” was published in late 2004.