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  • 1.  Grants to turn part time work into a full time position

    Posted 02-04-2017 02:04 PM
    Hello all,

    I will be starting a new position at the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center - a museum that chronicles the Japanese American history of the Pacific Northwest. Part of this position is to seek grants to extend the position from part time to full time, but I have very limited grant writing experience, nor do I know where to begin. I browsed the AAM's grant page, but didn't see anything that would apply.

    If you have any suggestions on where to start or what grants to look out for, I would greatly appreciate it. In this meantime, please visit Oregon Nikkei Endowment :: Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center to see our latest exhibit: Yellow Terror.
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    Oregon Nikkei Endowment :: Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center
    Shop and support Oregon Nikkei Endowment at our museum gift shop, Omiyage! Choose from Asian inspired gifts and crafts created by local artisans, designers and authors. Omiyage features jewelry, fashion and home accessories, cards, origami ornaments, arts and crafts, Anime-inspired merchandise, books, and a selection of curated vintage items.
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    James Rodgers
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  • 2.  RE: Grants to turn part time work into a full time position

    Posted 02-06-2017 09:56 AM
    Hello Donald - 

    Congratulations on the job. What a great project, and a very important topic for these times.

    Here are some ideas to consider.  
       First, operations funding, especially for staff salaries, is difficult to come by. Funders looking for ways to provide lasting support beyond their cash gift will worry that at end-of-term there will be no other way to keep you working. They feel bad and they feel that the effects of their gift may not be lasting for the institution. So please recognize that it is a tough challenge you have, but not an impossible one. By shifting the focus to funding the program or work you create as a benefit for the organization and the field, you can provide incremental support for your salary or displace funds in the operating budget for programs to you if you attract grants for the program. Your proposal emphasis must not the institutional or personal needs for a salaried position, but the importance of the work to be done and the alignment of those work goals with the interest of the funder. 
        Second, AAM is often where people look for funds, but that is not its role. Private foundations are your best bet, and perhaps an IMLS small-project grant (deadline Dec. 1 with notice next fall...too late, I'm afraid.)  Bend, Astoria, and Eugene, Oregon all have libraries that cooperate with the Foundation Center and have free access to the online directory of funders. You can get instruction on how to search there for a funder with similar interests. The data will tell you their funding interests and formats, and how to apply.  It is best to call the funder, if possible, before spending time to apply. The call will help you be sure your application is appropriate, and you may learn great ideas for how best to shape your application. There are always many more applicants than funds can support, so a direct match is critical for success.
      Third, anyone can and should acquire grant-writing skills. It is excellent for job security and is a constant need in the field at any level of employment. You can read books, learn online, and take classes. I recommend you and everyone do at least a few of those as an investment in your own professional development.  If you are interested in an affordable, immediate training program ($400) it happens to be starting this week as a self-paced month-long class. I will send you a link if you are interested - no obligation, just information.

    Best wishes,

    Sarah

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    Sarah Sutton
    Grants and Environmental Sustainability Consultant
    Waialua HI
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Grants to turn part time work into a full time position

    Posted 02-06-2017 08:37 PM
    Hello all and thank you for your answers. This is exactly the support I was hoping to find here. I will be the Project Coordinator, essentially taking over some of the director's duties and serving as a liaison between the curator, the education department, and other staff. The museum is entering an important time in its history. Its lease will expire in three years, so we are currently looking to move to a new building and start a capital campaign to fund its purchase.

    While funds last, my job will be to coordinate local events like the tribute march for The Minoru Yasui Triubute Page , pull permits, meet with vendors, and help plan how to move the museum's collection to its new home and redesign its new permanent exhibit. It's taken a lot of unpaid internships and years of volunteering to get to this point, so I want to make sure I do it right.

    And Sarah, I fully agree with you about the importance of grant writing experience. It was the one skill I lacked that kept me from a full-time curatorial position, so now I'm making up for it. I would appreciate that link if you wouldn't mind sharing it. I won't be able to start now, but it's something to save up for later. I've been volunteering at the museum for the last two years and I want to see it succeed with its mission, especially the part that pertains to the preservation of civil rights.

    Again, thank you all for your information and support. It's greatly appreciated.

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    James Rodgers
    Project Coordinator
    Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center
    Portland OR
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Grants to turn part time work into a full time position

    Posted 02-07-2017 05:00 PM
    Dear Donald,

    I'm glad you have established a starting point in your grant-writing education; I wish you luck in turning your role from part-time to full-time.
    The role I serve at my institution was once a part-time coordinator role and evolved into a full-time curatorial position at the time of my hiring.
    The evolution was a result of strategic planning, which included the growth of an endowed fund specifically to finance the position; I'd highly recommended considering fundraising in this manner once the capital campaign is over and a new facility is secured.
    Building an endowment for a staff position allows for some job security and alleviates the strain of raising money grant by grant (not to mention staff overhead).

    As you get involved with your local community in your new position, try to identify stakeholders that understand the mission of your program.
    If you can get a few key people involved with fundraising, it can make a world of difference in terms of community giving.
    I'd be happy to talk to you more off-line if you'd like to hear about how we've worked to turn the Italian American Program into an active and sustainable entity of the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.

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    Melissa E. Marinaro
    Director, Italian American Program
    Senator John Heinz History Center
    Pittsburgh PA
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Grants to turn part time work into a full time position

    Posted 02-06-2017 10:19 AM
    Donald

    Start looking through The Grantsmanship Center, Grantspace, grants.gov, and others. Many of these organizations have information about how to research and write grants, in addition to sources of funding. It's hard to get funding for operations, which is what you're describing. Funding for projects with measurable results are easier, and project funding can staff working on the project.

    Best advice for grant writing is to carefully read the grant description, application, and instructions. Make sure you address everything they ask for. Also learn as much as you can about the organization. If there is a mechanism to talk to grant program staff, do it.

    Good luck.

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    Mark Driscoll
    Designer
    Montgomery AL
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Grants to turn part time work into a full time position

    Posted 02-06-2017 03:29 PM
    Hello Donald,

    Might I ask what your position will be? People might be able to provide links to grants they know about that are directed to certain areas--collections management, education, etc. Like some others have already replied, getting funding specifically for a staff position would be challenging. Probably easier to write a grant to fund a particular project, where you would include a portion of your salary in the request.

    Best of luck!

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    Jennifer Day
    Registrar
    Indian Arts Research Center at the School for Advanced Research
    Santa Fe NM
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    Original Message


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