Guide to Fiscal Sponsorship and Affiliation

Work on Your Own

At one end of the affiliation continuum is the individual whose idea can be developed without either institutional backing or much recourse to the skills and expertise of others. Those in the fine arts — poets and fiction writers, in particular — may fall under this rubric. Also in this category are inventors with simple ideas that can be accomplished within a short time period at one location. Another group is applicants for various awards and/or prizes, e.g., architects competing for cash prizes for best design of a local firehouse; scholars applying for travel funds to present a paper at an international conference; and medical researchers, as well as those in other fields, applying for awards in recognition of past achievement or demonstrated excellence in given subject areas.

Nevertheless, even in these cases of direct grants to unaffiliated individuals, some type of influential connection is usually beneficial. It lends credibility to the applicant if the funder knows he or she was referred, recommended, or even nominated by an academic or other institution or by a mentor, teacher, supervisor, or a prominent individual in his field or community. In other words, even if you decide to go it alone, your valuable personal and professional connections still can be helpful. Do not overlook them.

Although the pleasures and rewards of working on one's own are many, the individual applying for such grants may be plagued by doubts and fears that serve as obstacles to the development of his idea into a full-fledged grant proposal. First and foremost among these obstacles is a sense of isolation. The grantseeker applying on his own may feel especially isolated because of the lack of an existing support system, compared to institutionalized philanthropy with its conferences and journals, development specialists and computer networks, official and unofficial workshops/seminars, and other support groups.

To overcome feelings of isolation, the grantseeker should attempt to carve out his own personal network of support. It is hardly ever valid to say, "I don't know anyone." We all have "connections" of some sort. Sit down and take the time to explore yours. Whom do you know who can help you? Whom do you know who knows someone who can help? Talk to that person or persons.

We have created a worksheet you may find helpful in establishing a listing of your own affiliations. Download the worksheet as a Microsoft Word document or in Rich Text Format.

Other obstacles familiar to most grantseekers are envy of those already funded, competition with other applicants, and fear that someone will steal your ideas. Combat these destructive attitudes by adopting a new stance of cooperation. Again, communication is desirable. Talk to people, especially those active in your field of endeavor. Work on the assumption that there is enough funding to go around. Remember that fears and self-doubts are normal reactions to the grantseeking process. Grantseeking involves the taking of risks, which is almost always a painful process. However, most of your fears will lessen once you take the plunge.

Many grantseekers, be they individuals or representatives of large organizations, experience one final obstacle — shame of needing money. This is an anachronistic carry-over from the long-standing American tradition of rugged individualism. It is merely a question of attitude and can be easily changed. Bear in mind that we all need some form of support from our fellow humans. Society, perhaps most of all, requires the services of individuals who serve as the suppliers of new ideas and the facilitators to turn their new ideas into valuable products or services.