Accepting Grant Applications
Three years ago, I joined a statewide zoom with our members to introduce myself and let the Association know about my vision for the organization. I let you all know that after reaching our short-term goals to grow membership and add revenue streams, I wanted to focus on becoming a trusted organization for national funders to get connected with Alabama. Nonprofit leaders know our issues in Alabama are not just about money, but a lot of the issue is.
Through many great relationships and conversations, I was introduced to leaders at Fidelity Charitable. This arm of Fidelity provides information to their DAF donors about nonprofits nationwide and provides grants through its own donor-advised fund, called the Giving Account. This fund makes Fidelity Charitable the nation’s top grantmaker, distributing $11.8 billion to charities in 2023.
It is really exciting to tell you that AAN has received a grant from Fidelity Charitable to provide funding to you, our faithful members. Ten organizational members will each receive a grant of $10,500 to create a micro-film that tells the story of your mission and impact. We know this will help you connect with more donors and reach more stakeholders.
Because you know we love continuous improvement and lifelong learning, grantees will also receive 21 hours of fundraising training and coaching so they will beat their fundraising goals for the year. We will provide some excellent options for videographers to choose from and we will help you learn how to best tell your story—in 3-minutes or less.
Once the training and filmmaking is complete, AAN will host its first-ever Nonprofit Film Festival to highlight our grantees and have a fun, festive evening where nonprofit leaders from across the state will network with each other, the media, elected officials, and potential new donors. We see you and we want others to see you and your amazing work.
The donors who will be invited include those here in Alabama as well as those with Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) with Fidelity Charitable. We are trying to open new doors for you. So, get your proposal ready, make sure your membership is current, and let’s show everyone what we’ve got!