After a competitive grant cycle concludes and the award or rejection letters have gone out, the phone calls, e-mails, and letters begin. Nonprofits contact MaineCF to thank us, to ask for advice, and, most frequently, to discuss what the deciding committee thought of their application.
Foundation staff members are always happy to talk with an organization about why their proposal was funded, or why it wasn’t. That said, we thought it might be helpful to explain what goes on around that decision-making table.
With 28 competitive grant committees, including 11 county committees, meeting throughout the year, it is difficult to define across the board what sways committee decisions. There are, however, a few factors that are consistent from committee to committee.
In making decisions, committees rely heavily on the guidelines and priorities for the fund they represent. It is not uncommon for a committee to agree that a project is wonderful, but that it is not a good fit for the fund. Beyond that, committees look for projects that are sustainable and that have a broad impact. Grantmaking dollars are limited, so advisors want to make sure they are making smart investments that will have a strong, lasting impact on the most people.
Committees also consider other work being done in the same issue area as a proposed project, in order to judge how the project fits into the bigger picture. Review committees also consider the organization itself. Are its financials strong? Are there unexplained deficits or assets in the budget? Does the organization have a strong board, a dedicated volunteer base, and community support?
All of these topics may be discussed during grant review sessions. Few decisions are easy. It is more common for discussions to be lengthy. Nearly all decisions are reached by consensus.
All of our grant committees are comprised of volunteer reviewers. Reading, reviewing, travelling for meetings, and discussing grant applications takes a good deal of time, effort, and thought. We appreciate all the work that our reviewers put in to ensure that MaineCF’s grantmaking is responsible, effective, and best meets the needs of communities in our state. We hope you do, too. And if you have a burning question, please don’t hesitate to give a holler.
Cherie Galyean is MaineCF's foundation officer for the midcoast and downeast regions. She coordinates grantmaking, development, and donor service activities in the midcoast and downeast regions and staffs the Knox, Waldo, Hancock, and Washington County Funds. Cherie lives in Bar Harbor