Research and Scholarly Activity Funding: Types, Strategies, and Funder Expectations

Diversity of Funding Types: Funding opportunities vary significantly and require careful consideration to ensure a project aligns with a funder's specific priority areas.
Project-Specific Funding: Some funders focus on:
- Dissertation grants.
- Pilot research initiatives.
- Multi-year research projects.
- New community-based programs.
Thematic Priorities: Funders often have specific areas of interest:
- Empowering children.
- Supporting work with older adults.
- Assisting individuals with disabilities.
- Focusing exclusively on education or environmental initiatives.

Definition: Fellowships are highly competitive, merit-based monetary awards.
Supported Activities: They support a broad spectrum of activities, including but not limited to:
- Research projects.
- Internships.
- Dissertations.
- General projects.
- Study abroad programs.

Path to Government Funding: A common strategy to secure government funding is to first obtain funding from foundations.
Foundation Interest in Early-Stage Projects: Foundations are frequently interested in funding:
- Pilot research.
- Pilot projects.
- Program evaluations.
Leveraging Success: Successful pilot projects or evaluations funded by foundations can act as a catalyst:
- Other funders may provide subsequent funds to continue the program for an extended period.
- Funding may also be secured to replicate the program in other geographical areas.
Progression Example: If a project has already received an internal TCSPP grant for pilot research and generated significant data, the logical next step is to seek funding from a foundation or a government agency.

Defining "Successful Project": Foundations have distinct definitions of success and varying requirements for reporting results.
Reporting Levels:
- Outputs: Some foundations require grantees to report on immediate, direct results, known as outputs.
- Outcomes: Others are interested in medium and long-term expected outcomes.
- Impacts: A more stringent requirement is to demonstrate impacts, which are the fundamental effects a project has on root causes like hunger, discrimination, or economic stability.
- Goal and Objective Alignment: Some foundations mandate that grantees clearly articulate their goals and objectives in a way that addresses all levels of results (outputs, outcomes, impacts).

Applicant Vetting Process: Foundations rigorously vet applicant organizations, assessing their capacity to successfully complete and sustain the proposed project.
Shift in Expectations: Historically, foundations funded projects that often ceased when the funding ended.
Current Expectation: Sustainability: Today, foundations expect applicant organizations to demonstrate that they possess the necessary human and financial resources to continue the program for years beyond the initial funding period.
Leveraging Initial Investment: Foundations want assurance that their initial investment will lead to, or be matched by, funding from other diverse sources. These sources include:
- Annual giving campaigns.
- Support from local businesses.
- Organized fundraising events.
- Additional support from other foundations or government entities.

Typical Grant Sizes for First-Time Applicants: Generally, foundations award grants ranging from 2,000 to 30,000 to first-time applicants.
Multi-year Funding: Some foundations offer multi-year funding, especially if project outcomes in the first year are favorable.
National Foundations: National foundations typically award larger grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Eligibility for larger grants may be determined by specific factors such as:
- Geographical location of the project or target population.
- The total number of people, organizations, or cities served by the project.