Tips from the NEBF Director

Tips from the Director

(Ms.) Martine Kellett, Executive Director

New England Biolabs Foundation

Dear Applicant:

Here are a few random thoughts to help make your grant request successful:

• NEBF Trustees like to see proposals in the form outlined in the guidelines. I realize, however, that small organizations often do not have the resources to custom tailor their proposals. I will gladly accept a proposal in the NNG Common Grant format.

• If you are a grassroots organization in a developing country and have e-mail capabilities, I will be happy to assist you with your proposal via e-mail.

• Personalize your cover letter. Tell me about yourself and how you became interested in this particular project. The cover letter or executive summary should also tell me what the organization is, how much money is needed and what it is needed for. You can go into greater detail in the body of the proposal.

• Keep your proposal written in plain English, free of jargon or “foundation-speak”, such as “paradigm”, “resource owner”, etc.

• If you are new at grant writing, give your draft proposal to 2 or 3 friends and ask them to point out which parts need clarification.

• If you are a large organization ($3,000,000+ in revenue), please explain specifically why our $5,000 grant is so vital to your project. The Trustees feel that our small grants will get lost in a large project, and need to know why you can’t commit $5,000 from your revenue of several million dollars. If the proposal is part of a large project, try to isolate a section that is in line with NEBF’s stated philosophy. If you are requesting funds for a foreign NGO as a fiduciary pass-through, we need to see if any of those funds are going toward your administrative costs.

• I pay special attention to the program budget. Showing that you have a realistic grasp of the financial requirements of your program is key to receiving our support. Details of the budget, such as hourly pay rate, specific quotes from suppliers, or numbers & prices of tools needed, shows me that you have done your homework.

• Large one-time grant requests are discouraged. I would prefer to see more requests for smaller amounts over a few years as the program requires.

• Any news articles in which you are mentioned should be included. The Trustees will often read those first.

• I would like to know what your concerns are about the project. The obstacles you face are often just as important as what you are trying to accomplish.

• The Trustees are only human and appreciate some recognition for supporting your project. It also helps to remember you out of all the projects funded. Thank you notes from the beneficiaries of the grant are best. Mention of NEBF on a newsletter or any printed matter (or web site) is appreciated.

• In an effort to be fair to applicants, personal interviews with any US based applicants are not given. Communication by phone, fax, e-mail or letter is always welcome. However, representatives of foreign NGOs who are visiting the US are welcome to call me for an appointment.

• Once grant awards are made, all recipients are welcome at any time to discuss programs, policies, awards, etc. even if they will be making a repeat request in following years.

• All proposals related to environmental protection or education projects in Papua New Guinea will be given priority.

• If you are applying as an individual, please keep in mind that our grants to individuals are quite rare.

• Do not forget to number the pages.

Any seeker of grants is encouraged to visit the ArtCorps website. For those outside of Central America, this will give you an idea about what we mean when we say, "the communication of the message through art and culture." For those from Guatemala and el Salvador, you may request an artist with your NEBF grant.

Reasons for Refusals

Believe it or not, after 24 years in this field, I still find it hard to say “no” to enthusiastic individuals who have the ability to put thoughts into actions. However, some requests, unfortunately, have to be denied. The most common reasons for refusal are:

• The proposal was badly written with no clear goal and too many unanswered questions;

• The country or location was not a targeted area;

• The project was not grassroots or was not a topic we fund;

• Funds for that category of projects had been exhausted for the year;

• Your organization is large ($3 million+ in revenue) with no arguable need

And finally—

This is a subjective process. The Trustees choose projects which match their individual beliefs and personal choices. However, proposals are rated independently by each Trustee and the Executive Director on a scale of 1-10. If funds are available, an average rating of 8 is usually funded.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

(Ms.) Martine Kellett

Executive Director

Banking reguirements - If you use a foreign bank for wire transfers, you must be able to provide us with the banks's name and address, along with the name and address of their U.S. corresponding bank. You must be able to provide the account number for you NGO. We can not transfer funds without a SWIFT code and ABA # that your bank must provide. This information is necessary for us to make wire transfers. Incomplete information will result in the inablility to provide you with funding.



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	Vision of the Foundation > Grant Amounts > Guiding Principles > Funding Priorities > Special Interests > Geographic Locations > Grant Restrictions Application Guidelines > Who Can Apply > Preliminary Inquiry > Application Deadlines > Where to Apply > Application Contents > Tips from the Director > Other Funding Information If Funded > Award Distribution > End of Project Report Previous Awards	Tips from the Director (Ms.) Martine Kellett, Executive Director New England Biolabs Foundation Dear Applicant: Here are a few random thoughts to help make your grant request successful: • NEBF Trustees like to see proposals in the form outlined in the guidelines. I realize, however, that small organizations often do not have the resources to custom tailor their proposals. I will gladly accept a proposal in the NNG Common Grant format. • If you are a grassroots organization in a developing country and have e-mail capabilities, I will be happy to assist you with your proposal via e-mail. • Personalize your cover letter. Tell me about yourself and how you became interested in this particular project. The cover letter or executive summary should also tell me what the organization is, how much money is needed and what it is needed for. You can go into greater detail in the body of the proposal. • Keep your proposal written in plain English, free of jargon or “foundation-speak”, such as “paradigm”, “resource owner”, etc. • If you are new at grant writing, give your draft proposal to 2 or 3 friends and ask them to point out which parts need clarification. • If you are a large organization ($3,000,000+ in revenue), please explain specifically why our $5,000 grant is so vital to your project. The Trustees feel that our small grants will get lost in a large project, and need to know why you can’t commit $5,000 from your revenue of several million dollars. If the proposal is part of a large project, try to isolate a section that is in line with NEBF’s stated philosophy. If you are requesting funds for a foreign NGO as a fiduciary pass-through, we need to see if any of those funds are going toward your administrative costs. • I pay special attention to the program budget. Showing that you have a realistic grasp of the financial requirements of your program is key to receiving our support. Details of the budget, such as hourly pay rate, specific quotes from suppliers, or numbers & prices of tools needed, shows me that you have done your homework. • Large one-time grant requests are discouraged. I would prefer to see more requests for smaller amounts over a few years as the program requires. • Any news articles in which you are mentioned should be included. The Trustees will often read those first. • I would like to know what your concerns are about the project. The obstacles you face are often just as important as what you are trying to accomplish. • The Trustees are only human and appreciate some recognition for supporting your project. It also helps to remember you out of all the projects funded. Thank you notes from the beneficiaries of the grant are best. Mention of NEBF on a newsletter or any printed matter (or web site) is appreciated. • In an effort to be fair to applicants, personal interviews with any US based applicants are not given. Communication by phone, fax, e-mail or letter is always welcome. However, representatives of foreign NGOs who are visiting the US are welcome to call me for an appointment. • Once grant awards are made, all recipients are welcome at any time to discuss programs, policies, awards, etc. even if they will be making a repeat request in following years. • All proposals related to environmental protection or education projects in Papua New Guinea will be given priority. • If you are applying as an individual, please keep in mind that our grants to individuals are quite rare. • Do not forget to number the pages. Any seeker of grants is encouraged to visit the ArtCorps website. For those outside of Central America, this will give you an idea about what we mean when we say, "the communication of the message through art and culture." For those from Guatemala and el Salvador, you may request an artist with your NEBF grant. Reasons for Refusals Believe it or not, after 24 years in this field, I still find it hard to say “no” to enthusiastic individuals who have the ability to put thoughts into actions. However, some requests, unfortunately, have to be denied. The most common reasons for refusal are: • The proposal was badly written with no clear goal and too many unanswered questions; • The country or location was not a targeted area; • The project was not grassroots or was not a topic we fund; • Funds for that category of projects had been exhausted for the year; • Your organization is large ($3 million+ in revenue) with no arguable need And finally— This is a subjective process. The Trustees choose projects which match their individual beliefs and personal choices. However, proposals are rated independently by each Trustee and the Executive Director on a scale of 1-10. If funds are available, an average rating of 8 is usually funded. I hope this helps. Good luck! (Ms.) Martine Kellett Executive Director Banking reguirements - If you use a foreign bank for wire transfers, you must be able to provide us with the banks's name and address, along with the name and address of their U.S. corresponding bank. You must be able to provide the account number for you NGO. We can not transfer funds without a SWIFT code and ABA # that your bank must provide. This information is necessary for us to make wire transfers. Incomplete information will result in the inablility to provide you with funding.