I’ve been busy with professional development in the last week or so, attending a few seminars at the Foundation Centre here in New York. They run many courses each month on proposal writing, budgeting, research and so on. I’m doing all these courses in order to help better advise my New York based non-profit clients, and also to understand current best practice in the US so as to share that knowledge upon my return to Australia in October.
Today I attended the very instructive “How to Approach a Foundation” led by the Centre’s own senior fundraiser. There were about 80 people at this lunchtime seminar, which was completely free and open to anyone as long as they had registered in advance. The Centre’s mission is to connect grant-seekers with US grant-making institutions, whether they are private or corporate foundations. The Foundation Centre practises what it preaches: its $20 million annual budget is funded from a variety of sources, including earned income from their publications and day-long courses and research. Australian philanthropists: did your eyes pop out of your head at that number?
