It's simplewe are here to help you. CFR is your resource and we endeavor to make the process of finding and securing funding as simple and transparent as possible. An outline of the general timeline and process follows.

First Steps
Letters of Inquiry
Proposal
Budget
Submission
Stewardship/Post-Award Activities

Timeline

The process of finding and receiving foundation or corporate funding can take six months to a year (or longer). Keep in mind that while some funders put out calls for proposals, many do not. Those that do not may take months to years of cultivation to get the process started. This may include anything from concept papers or LOIs, or conference calls and site visits.

First steps

When you have a project and are wondering whether or not you are ready to request funding, answer these questions first.

1. Is this project approved by my chair, dean or the president/provost?

2. Am I ready to receive funding and execute the project as presented?

If you answered yes to both these questions, you are ready to move forward.

As next steps, you can either begin your own search using our funding resources or schedule an introductory meeting with the CFR officers (Stephanie Glazier or Vanessa Miller).

1. If you choose to begin the process on your own, please keep CFR in the loop. We are here to help and can offer valuable insight into ongoing relationships between funders and the university.
2. The CFR team seeks to be as knowledgeable as possible so we can match your project with the missions of our corporate and foundation partners. We accomplish this through one-on-one faculty and staff meetings, meetings with the president, office of the provost, deans and chairs, and generally keeping up to date on what is happening at Wayne State. Please email Stephanie Glazier or Vanessa Miller to schedule a meeting. After the meeting we will look for funding for you, and, if we are able to find something, send you matches in about 30 days. Please note that we are not always able to find matches for a particular project.   

If we are able to find funding options, we will work with you to develop a plan to begin developing and submitting proposals. This may include setting up meetings with corporate and foundation staff, and helping write and/or edit LOIs, concept papers, or full proposals.

Letters of Inquiry

The letter of inquiry (LOI) is often the first step in the process of securing funding. Most corporations and foundations require this as the initial point of contact to assess the fit of your project with the focus of their work.

Letters of inquiry are typically 1-3 pages in length and provide a brief summary of the project, need for the project, outcomes, activities, expertise, estimated budget and timeline. Because they include so much, LOIs can be a challenge. We are happy to help! Please contact a CFR officer to discuss or request help (Stephanie Glazier or Vanessa Miller).

A useful guide is available on the Foundation Center website or feel free to contact us. We will help craft your LOI and look into specific requirements for the corporation or foundation you wish to pursue.

Proposal

Full proposals can be extensive. They are often the second step of the process, but in some instances they are the first. In these cases, make sure you review the application and guidelines thoroughly to ensure fit and best use of your time. CFR is available to write or edit your proposal.

Proposals vary in requirements but typically include these elements: executive summary, statement of need, project description, goals, outcomes, target population, budget narrative, sustainability, and timeline.

Letters of Support and Letters from the President

• Most full proposals, particularly for foundations, require cover letters from the CEO or president of your organization. CFR will write these cover letters for you and acquire a signature from the president for your proposals. Our president is very busy and travels frequently, so we require at least a one- to two-week lead time for this element of the proposal.
• CFR can also help you with letters of support. We can draft letter templates for your partners to fill in and change as needed.

Standard Attachments

• We have all of the institutional documents needed to submit your proposal and encourage you to work with us to complete this process for you. This often includes our IRS nonprofit determination letter, board of governors list with affiliations, audited financial report, and current budget.

Budget

The budget is a crucial piece of your application. Budgets sometimes tell a story more effectively than your narrative. It is important that your budget match what your narrative proposes. Your budget should also follow the guidelines set forth by the corporation or foundation. Most have very specific rules as to what they will and will not fund and often have a template. Corporate and Foundation Relations can review your budget for fit and function, but you should work with the grants/contracts administrators within your department as well as SPA to develop the exact budget numbers.

Submission

CFR centrally coordinates the majority of submissions to corporations and foundations. This creates one point of contact for the corporation and foundation and also helps us track and enhance our relationships with funders. We have all of the pieces needed to submit centrally and encourage you to work with us to complete this process for you. We ask for lead time of three days prior to the submission deadline so we can make sure we have time to complete all of the registration components and requirements well in advance of the date and time it is due.

Missed deadlines because of last minute work are huge disappointments, and often, bigger wastes of time. This is why we will not submit proposals if they are not received the day before the corporation or foundation's submission deadline.

Please remember to work with Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) office to receive approvals prior to submission of full proposals. SPA requires proposals at least three full university business days prior to the funding agency's submission deadline. Corporate and Foundation Relations does not submit proposals for you to SPA. Although we work with them, we are an entirely different entity with a very different role.

Stewardship/Post-Award Activities

Stewardship is relationship maintenance. This includes ongoing engagement opportunities and meeting reporting deadlines and requirements. It begins as soon as you receive the award, usually with prompt return of a signed grant agreement.

Grant agreements are typically signed by the president. Corporate and Foundation Relations facilitates the process of receiving the grant agreement, obtaining signatures, and returning it promptly to the corporation or foundation. We will also read the agreement for important stipulations regarding permissions for budget modifications, announcement requirements (such as a press release), report dates, and the exact grant period.

Corporate and Foundation Relations tracks report dates and requirements. We do our best to remind principal investigators of due dates and requirements well in advance of these deadlines. We are happy to help get reports together and review your documents. Please send CFR copies of your final report documents so we have a record in our files. In addition, CFR submits all reports to centrally coordinated corporations and foundations.

It is important to inform Corporate and Foundation Relations of any changes to the proposed project or spending issues. We will help you ask for an extension or budget modification, but we need to do this as quickly as possible and must follow the corporation's or foundation's guidelines. Often, extensions are not an issue. The issue is asking too late or after something has already gone wrong. Staying on top of your spending and your progress toward your agreed-upon objectives is very important. Corporate and Foundations Relations will help with this process, and will gladly put together an easy to follow stewardship plan for your grant. Please contact a CFR officer to request a plan (Gayle Foley or Vanessa Miller).