It’s looking like a busy next few months for Serenic—but we’re not complaining!  Below is a list of trade shows, conferences and annual meetings where you can see the financial management and business operations software options provided by Serenic.  Check if Serenic will be coming to a town near you!

Charity Finance Director’s Group

May 18, 2010
London

• Covers key strategic and operational issues you will face, as well as innovative strategies that other charities have adopted in order to position themselves optimally on the long road out of recession.

Directions EMEA 2010

May 19 – 21, 2010
Prague, Czech Republic

• Focuses on strengthening and enhancing Dynamics NAV channel community, including NAV Partner communications & the relationship with Microsoft.

InterAction Forum 2010

June 2 – 4, 2010
Washington, DC

• Connect, Influence and Engage with hundreds of professionals, organizations and peers representing the international non-profit community, government, corporate and philanthropic sectors.

AICPA National Not-For-Profit Industry Conference

June 17 – 18, 2010
Washington, DC

• Provides critical training and the latest updates on auditing, accounting, tax, management, operational analysis and new strategies to enable the Not-for-Profit community to survive in this economic climate.

InsideNGO

July 12 – 16, 2010
Washington, DC

• Three separate NGO events covering: 1. Finance, Grants & Contracts 2. Cross Operations and Technology 3. Human Resources

AZA CFO Seminar

August 25 – 27, 2010
Seattle, WA

Association of Independent Research Institutes (AIRI)

September 26 – 29, 2010
Washington, DC

• An opportunity for AIRI members to network and get in touch with the top decision-makers at non-profit research institutes across the country.

Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference (DFMC)

September 26 – 27, 2010
New Orleans, LA

• More information coming soon!

Directions 2010

October 3 – 6, 2010
San Diego, CA

• Focused 100% on “Charting the Future” with Microsoft Dynamics NAV and its partners. Content created on partner feedback, providing best practices as well as interaction with peers.

A lot of information to take note of, but we will keep you updated as each trade show approaches!  Either bookmark this post, our follow us on Twitter and/or our Facebook Page—hope to see you there

by Steve Glauber

Over my long career, I have lost many nights and weekends writing grants with the plan to either add programs or enhance existing programs in health centers, social service agencies, research programs, and various other nonprofits. I hope the grant writing wisdom I have included below will provide to you some ideas to make your grant writing process more productive.

As a quick confession, I have, at times, forgotten to follow my own advice—which brings me to:

Most important tip – Don’t write grants during family events. My wife decided that we should take advantage of a Marriage Encounter weekend and I thought it would be a great time to write a Community Health Center grant. Well, we got the grant, but years later I am routinely reminded about my lack of focus that weekend!

Here are more helpful tips for grant writing:

1. Remember grant writing is not a game; it is hard work that requires planning and research.
2. Do not limit where you look for grants. Grant opportunities can be found in the Federal Register; by contacting various trade associations; working with philanthropic clearing houses; and requesting to be included on mailing lists of foundations and charitable organizations in your field.  Don’t forget local resources!
3. Become a collector of data. Being able to quickly add the teenage pregnancy rates or the number of clients without health insurance in your county is critical to successful grant writing.
4. Read and study other successful grants – many funding sources provide samples. But please just read and don’t think about plagiarizing.
5. Do not waste your time or the grant maker’s by writing grants that do not fit the grant requirements. Read and fully understand all of the requirements.
6. Start building relationships instead of wasting time writing grants for organizations that you don’t know you.
7. Do not use a scatter gun approach to grant writing; determine your focus and write to the focus.
8. Manage the grant due dates; note many require a letter of intention before the application is due. If you miss a date in the grant process, contact the grant maker before proceeding with the grant application. Also, set up a grant approval cycle before you waste staff time on grants that are not submitted.
9. Contact the grant maker before starting the process. Create a series of questions that have not been answered in their request for proposal, most are happy to help.
10. Never write a proposal if you have not first fully developed the project.
11. Write persuasively and watch page limits – you’re selling your organization and this is not a term paper. Most grants have page limits for both individual sections and the complete grant. However, remember many funding sources will allow you to send supplemental information, such as: building plans, affirmative action plans, and other boiler plate information.
12. Do not cheat on margins to meet page requirements, rewrite to make it fit. Do not write sentences that sound really good but actually say nothing.

Many times we hear “think outside the box.” With grant writing, make sure that the grant makes sense and is not just another project. Grant makers are looking for organizations that can accomplish the project and are not just good grant writers. Remember your mission.

Good luck and keep your debits on the left.