Things Aren't Always as They Appear; Dig Deeper to Make an Impact

One of the things I have learned over the past 16 years at the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is that things are not always as they appear. Often times, we who work in the field of philanthropy are challenged with interpreting what others put before us. Whether it is a letter, face-to-face meeting, grant proposal or something else, it is incumbent upon us to sift through the language and get to the heart of the idea or concept.

A grant proposal, for example, that is polished and well written with every question answered perfectly and every thought well stated, is a good thing. Some grantmakers give the “presentation” of a proposal added value because it is so attractive. On the other hand, strong writing skills do not necessarily translate into the perfect idea or project that a funder should fund.

Several years ago a concept came to the Foundation in the form of a handwritten two-page letter. It was not written well and the presentation itself was poor. We looked beyond all of that and found an idea that had merit. It was an idea that was going to benefit the community. It was going to support young people and bring local churches together to work towards a common goal in an impoverished neighborhood. So we decided to take things a step further. We met face-to-face with the community leader and you could see and hear her passion. She had a plan to make the project work and a pathway to get there. She was simply unable to write it clearly on paper. Needless to say, we took a chance and funded the program. It was very successful and, over the years, changed the lives of many young people in that poor neighborhood.

We cannot get consumed in the glamour of a beautifully written letter or proposal because it may be nothing more than that, beautifully written. Funders have a responsibility to turn over rocks and look deeper to find the best organizations and people that will create positive community impact. Sometimes it is right in front of our faces and sometimes it is not.

We are implementing a new change at the Foundation in 2012 which addresses this very issue. We will be meeting face-to-face with finalists for our Strategic Grants so they have an opportunity to dialogue directly with the Foundation’s grants review team. This will give both the grantseekers and the Foundation the chance to interact and the grant reviewers can ask questions to help strengthen the Foundation’s understanding of the proposal.

There are thousands of great organizations doing good work as they serve the needs of others. I believe it is our responsibility to find ways to uncover the "heart" of a program and the “passion” of the people who champion the programs. Nicely written proposals are easy to read and appreciated. However, our goal—as a funder—is to always find those organizations and the people behind them that can truly have impact through their work and the potential for successful results, regardless of the writing.

Learn more about the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina’s 2012 Strategic Grants or attend the Grant Seekers Forum. The deadline to apply is March 6, 2012.


Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina