More funding community work?

[Lisa Heft]

Doug, you wrote in your response to my 'name your own price' approach -

 

<One might say, Whatever you can afford to pay is the right amount!>

 

Yep, it is an extension of the "Whoever comes is the right person" - I want
to make it as easy as possible for the 'right people' to be able to get
there.

 

It is also operating out of a theory of abundance.

 

<Lisa, do you have any unusual sources of funding you have seen in Community
work?>

 

In my world, the 'unusual' source of funding I describe above is usual.

 

I think just like 'selling' Open Space, it can be hard to sell funding for
these kinds of things before people themselves see a need, and it does not
usually make sense to 'sell' based on a process or a tool you will use.  So
as it seems to work best when we do this work for specific reasons, the only
thing I can think of is to seek specific funding for particular
issues/groups from funders who fund just exactly that sort of thing - just
as NGOs research grants and say 'here is a proposal that fits into your
funding criteria'.  Perhaps there are some funders who will understand the
value of funding dialogue and democracy - I know that several foundations
are funding this sort of thing around the world - as a tool for getting
things done (like engaging a community in identifying issues and
opportunities in their region, to tell potential candidates before an
election in an emerging democracy country).  Funders typically need a lot of
advance notice (to fit things into a pre-set funding calendar).  So perhaps
it like funding anything - researching who funds something similar, when
their funding cycles are, what are the criteria for funding and how does
your event fit into that, and so on.

 

There are announce lists (I can't recall their names) you can get on to
receive weekly reports of funding opportunities - though be careful, because
a number of them are just for projects in a certain country (like the USA).
Then you just look at those over time (and they link you to other funding
sites and keep doing your research) to see where there is a fit.  This can
be a many-hours-per-week job.

 

I think grant writing and seeking sponsors is a special art.

 

You might link with an experienced grant writer-researcher to let them know
the thing you are interested in, have them research and write grants (with
you) and if you cannot pay them a salary as they go, perhaps give them a
percentage / build in a line item cost to pay them for the grants you get /
the work they have done - though that last approach would mean that this
individual has another source of income for themselves while you are all
waiting for the funding to come.

 

Otherwise, I think the source of financial support is often from funders who
have experienced, seen and felt OS for themselves.

 

I think it is challenging to come from outside the system to try to sell /
convince about something rather than have someone within the system (the
communities you wish to serve) identifying their interest or need.  So I
would think that this seeking perhaps should be done in partnership with the
people you are trying to serve. 

 

Not a direct answer to your 'unusual source' question, just some random
thoughts...

 

Ted and Michael H - you have created events where you have invited funders -
what sorts of results or actions from funders or funder-participant-group
partnerships have come of these?  Perhaps that would inform our conversation
here...

 

Lisa

 

___________________________

L i s a   H e f t

Consultant, Facilitator, Educator

O p e n i n g  S p a c e

 <mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net> lisaheft at openingspace.net

 <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net 

 


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