Total dollar value of grants awarded to agencies and individuals in Wyoming since 2006:
Total dollar value of grants awarded to agencies in Laramie County since 2006:
It can be easy as a nonprofit to be discouraged whenever you hear the term “economic downturn.” With more and more agencies asking for a seat at the funders table, the slice of monetary security becomes smaller and smaller. When I see that 113 funders have awarded more than $16 million to 92 recipients in Laramie County, my heart swells with hope and I am confident that the nonprofits will be sustained.
Hands down, my job is one of the coolest jobs in the world—I get to help nonprofits understand the importance of diversifying their funding stream and show them a fantastic tool to aid their efforts. Foundation Maps is a service of the Funding Information Network which allows you to look at funding maps across the world.
You can see who gets funded for which projects as well as which funders are interested in your particular subject area. For example, searching the Maurice W. Brown Foundation shows that while the majority of its funding is for human services projects, this local foundation also funds environment, education and arts and culture projects. This funder has given six grants to Laramie County agencies to the tune of $139,000 from 2007-2009. What incredible generosity we have right here in our community!
The generosity doesn’t stop at the county line; The Daniels Fund from Denver, CO, has given nearly $2 million to fund projects in Laramie County since 2006. Were you even aware that funders from other parts of our country are truly interested in seeing our agencies survive and thrive?
I would love to show you how to find the funding your agency needs. It is never too early to start this process and will certainly help ease your board’s anxiety regardless of what the economy does. (While The Funding Information Network is a free resource offered by Laramie County Library, the database can only be accessed within the Library. Stop in anytime during our regular business hours to gain access.)
~Rachael