In the swing

So back from vacation and I felt like I have to get back into the swing of things.

Yesterday was the first day back and I felt like I bounced back and forth between a number of projects, including starting into a new grant proposal.

The grants count yesterday changed to 5-4, as we got another rejection. They say you're supposed to call the funder who rejected you and ask them why you were turned down. I did just that and came back with no helpful information.

But yesterday I also had an application waiting for me on my desk from a foundation I sent an LOI (Letter of Inquiry) to in early February. This has launched me into a new grant proposal that involves research and a whole full proposal that's mostly all new information. It's sort of exciting because it involves writing new material instead of cutting and pasting together parts of previous applications.

And planning for the fall fundraising breakfast is moving forward. We're close to officially having a location for this. I announced it internally yesterday but embargoed that information, so I had best play by my own rules and wait until the appropriate time to release it.

Another Hat and Breaking Up is Hard to Do

The class in college I took on publication design is useful again as I was involved in a redesign of the newsletter we send monthly to Starfish Scholars.

After getting the newsletter in the mail yesterday, I spent some time today turning the publication into a template so the April edition will go much more smoothly when it comes time for layout. In college, I used to do design work weekly to get our campus paper to print. Granted, then I was using QuarkXPress and here I'm using Microsoft Publisher, but the basic principles of design are still the same. So are techniques like setting up style sheets so that all the headlines and body text in subsequent issues look the same.

What I can't figure out to do here is how to post a screen shot of the newsletter. Trust me that it looks snazzy.

In wearing my other hat of event planner for our fall fundraising breakfast, I am getting closer to having a location nailed down. It's down to the top two. This morning, I called up the most expensive location (which was holding the room for us) and told them they were too expensive for our budget.

Hanging up the phone after leaving this voicemail message, I turned to my VISTA office mate and said, "I feel like I was breaking up with them."

I think it'll feel worse when telling the runner-up because our top two contenders are both working hard to come up with a plan that fits our needs. I know it's just business and it's not personal for the event planners at the venues either, but still. Breaking up is hard to do.

Oh and I'm setting aside the VISTA hat for a few days of vacation until next Tuesday. Look for posts to resume some time next week.

Bummer

Starfish received a letter this week informing us we weren't selected to submit a full proposal for a grant. I knew when I wrote it, it was a long-shot application, but it was big money and I think I really was hoping for it anyway.

They didn't pick us for this one.

It's ok, honestly. Some things have changed a bit internally that would have made how we wanted to use the funds more complicated (but not impossible.)

So, I think that brings my grant count to 4-3. Almost sixty-percent success isn't bad, I know, but it's still disappointing to read the "no thanks" letter.

Because doing one thing at a time just isn't good enough

Lately, I have realized just how much of a multi-tasker I am.

Like even writing this blog. I wrote that first sentence and then went to an Excel file for a few minutes to make pie charts. Now, back to blogging. And in a few minutes, I'll likely go read the Indy Star online because I haven't looked at today's headlines yet.

I don't know why or how I developed this habit. It's likely a throwback to the newspaper world where there was never just one thing happening at a time. The way to get all the work done there was to work on severl things at once.

Sometimes that strategy works for this development work. Sometimes... well...

Today, I realize what I need to do is actually finish some projects I've been chipping away at all week. Instead of leaving half-done drafts of several things, I need to buckle down and get some of the projects crossed off my to-do list.

First up, our new fact sheet. This has been a good project for me as a former reporter. How do you tell the story of your organization in one page that's not just margin-to-margin gray? What short facts best illustrate the need and the solution? (And here was the break for headline-skimming...)

And now back to the fact sheet to try to get this draft done.

Do you have a rheuoom?

Today I have felt a bit like Inspector Clouseau today from the old Pink Panther movie sketch. I've been making calls about rooms. (Anybody else know the scene I'm talking about, when Clouseau is in an inn, and is asking the manager if he has a "rheuoom" in his terrible French accent.)

It's time for Starfish to start planning out fall fundraising breakfast and to get started, we first need to find a space to hold it. I've been on the phone most of the morning with conference centers, hotels and other venues here in Indy, trying to find the right location for space, price, menu options, parking availability, etc. for a breakfast of 500 people.

This is actually more complicated and time consuming than I would have expected. I've never be part of the planning before for an event with 500 people coming, so my expectations were completely unfounded. It's quite the industry, it seems, this convention and meeting space and catering business. Anyway, onward to review some information that I received about one possible venue via email.

When I can update on details, I will

The Count

The count now stands at 3-2. No, I'm not calling a baseball game... that's the grants funded count.

Last week we got another no and then this morning, another yes.

Total grant dollars raised so far is $13,500.

I shouldn't just count grant dollars funded, but it's the easier rolling number to keep track of. I know other things I'm doing are adding to the grand total -- bringing in matching gifts from donors' employers because we sent them a reminder letter that it was their responsibility to process the match. Trying to get donors to make good on the pledges they made at our annual fundraiser last fall.

But the grants are the things I see most closely as living or dying based solely on the quality of my work.

The big grants are still outstanding. *Finger crossed*

Where is it I work again?

Ahem.
So in a moment of self-depricating humor here...

Moments ago, I just answered the phone telling the caller on the other end that they'd reached the newspaper where I used to work. My office-mate started laughing, I started laughing and trying to apologize to the caller.

I'm glad it wasn't a grants officer on the other end. Of course, the call was still serious and I feel like a total heel.

Ever since October, I've been worried I would make that mistake. I guess now that I've done it, I can stop worrying about it.

At a workshop I attended this fall, the speaker said if you weren't used to asking donors for 5-figure amounts, you should practice. Ask yourself in the mirror, ask your friends, your dog, whoever, just to get used to saying the words. Apparently, I need to take a step back and practice my phone greeting.

"Starfish Initiative, this is Bethany."