This book is organized around a number of areas that seem to be very essential to developing a good proposal. Chapter headings include such things as, "Why People (and Foundations) Give Away Their Money", "The Need to Get Organized", and "Building Your Proposal, Piece by Piece". It's packed with lots of advice from the author's personal experience. The annotated bibliography seems to be especially helpful. However, it's hard to skip around in the volume due to the many examples, personal anecdotes and stories that the author shares from his personal experiences. You really need to read it cover-to-cover so that you can gain the needed insight. If you're just starting out with your proposal and aren't sure where you're heading, this book could be a good investment. If you are looking to fill in the gaps in your proposal you may find the book a bit frustrating since it doesn't lend itself to moving around and easily finding specific bits of information to assist you.

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Product Description

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. 

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #291061 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

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

About the Author
Andy Robinson has worked with a variety of nonprofits as a fundraiser, grantwriter, editor, and community organizer. All told, he has raised more than $4 million for grassroots organizations and written 150 successful proposals. He is the author of Selling Social Change (Without Selling Out): Earned Income Strategies for Nonprofits, available from Jossey-Bass.

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Customer Reviews

Practical, idealistic, and loaded with examples
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.

A must-have resource
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.

A Must For Any Grantseeker
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.