New Jersey State Library

Links to private foundations and corporate grantmakers are provided in the State Library's grant page, Internet Resources on Grants and Fund Raising. A section entitled Foundation Grants contains links or descriptions of 18 foundations that have given grants to New Jersey libraries. Of special note is that four of these foundations support building and renovation programs (F.M. Kirby, Kresge, Arnold A. Schwartz and Victoria Foundations). A section on Internet Resources on Grant Preparation provides six excellent links on grant writing, one of which contains samples of private and public grant applications.

Successful grant writers understand the grantmaker's view of the world and express that view in their grant proposals. Successful grant writers are able to reflect the "priorities" of the funder. Too often, applicants focus on their own need for funds instead of matching their projects with the grantmaker's priorities. Proposals are funded when they express the grantmaker's priorities. Projects are rejected when they don't.

Funders want you to identify a problem involving a need to help people and to tell them how your program can solve that problem. They are looking for very creative solutions to problems that you can not solve without their funding.

A foundation is a non-governmental, non-profit organization which has a fund or endowment that it uses to aid charitable, educational, religious or other agencies serving the public good. It makes grants primarily to other non-profit organizations. Each foundation has its own specific priorities and interests which determines the types of programs it supports. These preferences, any program restrictions and requirements for applying will be included in the Foundation's guidelines.

Typically, corporations give to non-profits whose programs benefit the communities where their employees live and work. Corporate support can be cash grants or in-kind gifts.

Most corporations follow a concept of "profitable philanthropy". Your challenge is to describe your project in terms that will benefit them. Your presentation to corporate funding officials must emphasize what they are buying with their grant e.g., prestige, employee satisfaction, publicity that gives them a good corporate image as a generous philanthropist in the community, etc. Corporations are very cost conscious. Challenge grants, dollars awarded to match other grants, have special appeal because corporations feel they are getting the most for their money.

Most corporations have a very unstructured application process. Personal contact is especially important here. In your letter proposal show in concrete terms how their grant to you will benefit them. Try your answers out on your own corporate board members before you present them to the corporate funding officials you are soliciting.