Innovative Fundraising: AFI Project Successes

Focus:

The AFI conference call shared a number of ways that existing projects have been able to generate the required 100 percent nonfederal cost share, as well as operating support above the allowable amounts embedded in an AFI award.

Key Points:

• Grantees need to distinguish between funds that may be useful, or even essential, to operate their projects and funds that are allowable as nonfederal cost share.
• There are numerous sources of operational support and complementary services to be found in coordinating with other Federal, state and local programs.
• Current AFI Projects use many sources for the nonfederal cost share, ranging from grassroots fundraising to creative approaches, such as donated interest and revenue-generating activities.

Presenters:

• James Gatz, Manager, Assets for Independence Program, Office of Community Services
• Dierdre Silverman, Director of Development and IDA Program Supervisor, Alternatives Federal Credit Union, Ithaca, NY
• Wendy Kelly, Financial Counseling Director, Catholic Charities of LaCrosse, WI
• Charlene Turner-Johnson, Executive Director, Michigan Neighborhood Partnership, Detroit, Michigan

• Anne Yeoman, Assets for Independence Resource Center

Resources:

• 12 New Ways to Fund Your AFI Project (and a few old ones): Creative Strategies from the Field. (.doc 182KB) (.pdf 131KB)

For more information on this topic, please contact the Assets for Independence Resource Center: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/assetbuilding; info@idaresources.org; 1-866-778-6037.