Grassroots Grants: An Activist's Guide to Grantseeking (Kim Klein's Fundraising Series) [Paperback]

Andy Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0787965782 | ISBN-13: 978-0787965785 | Edition: 2

In the revised second edition of the bestselling guide to grantseeking, author and activist Andy Robinson walks you through the challenges of incorporating grants into a complete fundraising program, using grant proposals as organizing plans, designing fundable projects, building proposals piece by piece, and fostering effective communication with funders who support the activist community. This updated edition keeps pace with the changing times and contains all new budgets and model proposals, interviews with funders from the grassroots community and timely information about grantseeking on the Internet. 

Editorial Reviews

Review

“With the new edition of Grassroots Grants, Andy Robinson has done all of us a great service. He's compiled and organized dozens of commonsense tips for building effective partnerships with funders, many presented in the words of the grantmakers themselves. From the art of the schmooze to effective letters of inquiry to simple, fun exercises that will help get your organization off the dime and into the money, Grassroots Grants is a must-read for those in charge of sustaining and strengthening community voices. Thank you, Andy!”
--Jay Harris, publisher, Mother Jones

“Your indispensable guide for navigating the world of foundation fundraising.”
--Frank I. Sanchez, senior program officer, The Needmor Fund

"Combines a tough and thorough approach to fundraising with a deeply ethical world view. A must-read for caring community organizations operating in a competitive world."
--Maude Barlow, national chairperson, Council of Canadians

“The experience, tactics, tools, and case studies needed to launch an effective fundraising strategy for social change.”
--Robert Bray, communications consultant and founder, SPIN Project

“Well worth your time before, during, and after your grant submissions!”
--Tricia Rubacky, senior development adviser, Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations

"Can save you years of learning the hard way."
--June Rostan, director, Southern Empowerment Project

“Artfully demystifies the world of grants by drawing on the experience of a wide range of activist groups.”
--Guadalupe Guajardo, senior consultant, Technical Assistance for Community Services

From the Back Cover

Learn the Skills You Need to Raise Money from Grants

In the revised second edition of the bestselling guide to grantseeking, author and activist Andy Robinson walks you through the challenges of incorporating grants into a complete fundraising program, using grant proposals as organizing plans, designing fundable projects, building proposals piece by piece, and fostering effective communication with funders who support the activist community. This updated edition keeps pace with the changing times and contains all new budgets and model proposals, interviews with funders from the grassroots community, and timely information about grantseeking on the Internet.

Praise for the Revised Second Edition of Grassroots Grants

"With the new edition of Grassroots Grants, Andy Robinson has done all of us a great service. He’s compiled and organized dozens of commonsense tips for building effective partnerships with funders, many presented in the words of the grantmakers themselves. From the art of the schmooze to effective letters of inquiry to simple, fun exercises that will help get your organization off the dime and into the money, Grassroots Grants is a must-read for those in charge of sustaining and strengthening community voices. Thank you, Andy!"
–Jay Harris, publisher, Mother Jones

"Your indispensable guide for navigating the world of foundation fundraising."
–Frank I. Sanchez, senior program officer, The Needmor Fund

"Combines a tough and thorough approach to fundraising with a deeply ethical world view. A must-read for caring community organizations operating in a competitive world."
–Maude Barlow, national chairperson, Council of Canadians

"The experience, tactics, tools, and case studies needed to launch an effective fundraising strategy for social change."
–Robert Bray, communications consultant and founder, SPIN Project

"Well worth your time before, during, and after your grant submissions!"
–Tricia Rubacky, senior development adviser, Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations

"Can save you years of learning the hard way."
–June Rostan, director, Southern Empowerment Project

"Artfully demystifies the world of grants by drawing on the experience of a wide range of activist groups."
–Guadalupe Guajardo, senior consultant, Technical Assistance for Community Services

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 2 edition (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787965782
• ISBN-13: 978-0787965785
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #330,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, idealistic, and loaded with examples, August 5, 2004

By 

Chowderhead (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grassroots Grants: An Activist's Guide to Grantseeking (Kim Klein's Fundraising Series) (Paperback)

I'm the author of another book about "grant writing" for nonprofits, but still I heartily recommend this book. In fact, Grassroots Grants is the only other book about grant seeking I recommend. Here's why.

Grassroots Grants demonstrates on nearly every page how grant seeking can be compatible with the idealistic nature of small nonprofits. Though it is unquestionably and unapologetically written for what might be called the "progressive" movement in the US, its principles apply to activist organizations of any stripe. In the sometimes cynical world of fundraising, it's refreshing to see values so consistently applied. The author leaves no doubt: fundraising isn't just a game played with money and ego, it's about changing the world. The author's strong sense of purpose resonates warmly with the reader's.

Second, the book has an abundance of examples -- proposal narratives, budgets, etc. -- that very effectively demonstrate some basic principles of good writing and good grant seeking. For beginners these examples do a lot to demystify the job of grant seeking; they help the beginner get off to a quick start. For experienced fundraisers, they provide new ideas about style and presentation. I admire the numerous examples in this book enough to wish there were more in mine!

In contrast, I do think that one kind of advice is treated a bit lightly in this book: the task of managing the creation, submission, etc. of many proposals simultaneously. That topic has implications for the bottom line and for organizational values, and is a big topic in my book. But I have to admit, it is not terribly relevant for someone who is trying to write their first grant or two or three.

True to its title, Grassroots Grants keeps its focus on grassroots topics, and very much succeeds on that basis. It is authentic and helpful.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have resource, June 17, 2004

By 

J. Ford (MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Grassroots Grants: An Activist's Guide to Grantseeking (Kim Klein's Fundraising Series) (Paperback)

I have long been a fan of Andy Robinson's writing and this is his best book to date. Useful for both new and experienced grant seekers. This book will now be number one on my list of recommendations for participants in my grant seeking workshops and I will make sure that each of the new fundraisers that I coach have a copy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must For Any Grantseeker, April 30, 2004

By 

Mike Graham-Squire, Co-Director, Seattle Youn... (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grassroots Grants: An Activist's Guide to Grantseeking (Kim Klein's Fundraising Series) (Paperback)

Andy Robinson is one the best grassroots grant writers in the country. His book and a class I took from him helped us triple our budget from grants. The new edition is even better with excellent examples of winning grants from across the country.