Thank you for writing to us. We very well understand your important question, we agree that finding funding is a big undertaking, and we wish we could point you to specific funders eager to support your work, but that’s not the case. Of course, you could always start a GoFundMe, or similar fundraising drive, but even if successful that would not give you the sustainable and ongoing funding you probably want.
Even so, you do have options. And you might think of your situation as not having a single “right direction,” but rather a number of different directions you could pursue, perhaps even at the same time. Thinking this way can open up your options, and be empowering.
We’ll mention several of these options (not a complete list) in the form of questions to you for your consideration:
* Does your nonprofit consist of a group that is working (or is able to work) actively on this project? (For of course working together and sharing the tasks will make your search a lot easier.) * Have you investigated the possibility of linking up with local government, so that you would become a service local government provides? If not by a staff position, then by renewable contract? * Can you become part of an existing agency that is already working on domestic violence or similar issues? * What about applying through your local government for federal block grant funds? * Can you become part of your local United Way (or similar local group), where you might be able to get a regular (if relatively small) local allocation? * If your focus is actually on building homes, then could you approach large building supply companies (e.g., Home Depot. Lowe’s) with your request? Or Habitat for Humanity?
Also: * Can you learn what other domestic violence organizations in your area (or even nationally) have done? How have they met similar challenges? What lessons can you learn from them that will help you in your own work? * Is there a national association of domestic violence service providers, for example, that you could contact with your question and learn from? * Of course, you would also want to keep in touch with funding-related developments on local, state, and national levels.
These are some directions we think you could consider; we hope some of them might be useful for you.
We’ll close by noting that there are a great many general sources about fund-raising and grant writing that you can consult. Within the Community Tool Box, for example, you could look at Chapter 42, Section 4, on Applying for a Grant, at https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/finances/grants-and-financial-resources/grant-application/main, as well as other sections in Chapter 42.
We hope some of these thoughts may be helpful to you. We applaud your determination (it’s so important), and wish you the very best as your work continues.
