The Western North Carolina Self Development Fund
History of the Self Development Fund
Benefits for Self Development Fund Recipients
Recipients of Self Development Fund Grants
How you can support the Self Development Fund
History
of the Self Development Fund
In the spring of 2000, the Appalachian Heritage Crafters were at a turning point. They had skilled craftmakers joining as members, they were completing a feasibility study, they had made visits to craft stores and shows in three states, and they were organizing a craft show of their own.
However, they didn’t have any funding. The expenses were getting to be more than the members could pay out of their own pockets, and because they weren’t incorporated as a nonprofit, they weren’t eligible for most foundation grants.
CPC, meanwhile, had just received some generous individual donations. We decided we had a responsibility to AHC, to put our own resources on the line and make a tangible investment in their plans. It also seemed like an ideal opportunity to provide some hands-on experience in grantwriting. So we drafted an application form, and the Western North Carolina Self Development Fund was born.
Since that time, we have found that most young grassroots efforts go through a stage where project expenses outstrip the group’s ability to raise funds from traditional sources. At these times, a small infusion of funding means the difference between success and failure for the project and the group. The Self Development Fund meets that need, providing grants of up to $1,000 to groups that work with CPC and complete the application process.
The Self Development Fund is about much more than money, however. To get a grant, a group must complete the application--which includes cooperatively planning a project, drafting a timeline for doing the work, budgeting for expenses, writing an evaluation plan, and creating a strategy for continued fundraising. By the time the application is complete, the group has a well defined plan for carrying out the work. CPC staff provide as much assistance as the group needs at each step, so the process also helps group members learn grantwriting skills.
The Self Development Fund is managed by a Review Committee made up of CPC Board members and former recipients of SDF grants. This review board will read proposals, provide feedback and make funding recommendations. Having such a review process keeps decision-making in the hands of grassroots leaders, and allows staff to concentrate on grantwriting training and support.
Grassroots Fundraising Matching Grants
In January of 2005, the Review Committee met and decided to expand the Self Development Fund to include a Matching Grants program. Reflecting on their own experience the Review Committee wanted to create a program that helped groups move beyond reliance on grants for their funding. The Review Committee wanted to find a way to encourge groups to develop grassroots fundraising plans and projects-- raise money locally for good local work!
The SDF now has a Grassroots Fundraising Matching Grants progam. Groups submit a plan for a grassroots fundraising project (a mailing, dinner, yard sale, cookbook, dance....). After carrying out the fundraising project the SDF matches what the project brings in dollar for dollar up to a specific amount.
Benefits
for Self Development Fund Recipients
• Start-up funding for project
and group development.
• Hands-on grantwriting experience.
• A model grant proposal, that can be revised and submitted
to other funders.
• A mission statement, a clear set of project goals, a budget,
and a work plan.
• A track record of successful fundraising.
Recipients of Self Development Fund Grants
Appalachian Heritage CraftersThe Appalachian Heritage Crafters, a craft cooperative in Cherokee County, has received two grants from the Self Development Fund. The first $1000 grant, in spring 2000, supported early organizational development, a feasibility study, and AHC’s first craft shows. The second $1000 grant helped AHC open up its retail store in 2001. As an organization, AHC has written half a dozen additional grant applications, including proposals to major regional funders like the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. One year after writing their first Self Development Fund proposal, AHC has now brought in nearly $15,000 in grant funding. |
Smoky Mountain Native Plants AssociationFor the Smoky Mountain Native Plants Association, a grassroots agricultural group in Graham County, the process of writing the Self Development Fund proposal was also an opportunity to strengthen their project planning. They were awarded $1000 for their first projects -- growing test plots of native herbs, and opening a farmers market in Robbinsville. Soon after, SMNPA also received a $2000 grant from the Office of Economic Opportunity, and was given $2400 in herb rootstocks from the Cooperative Extension Service. |
Hands Together / Manos UnidasCPC helped the members of Hands Together--an immigrant women’s crafts cooperative in Burke County--collectively draft their proposal to the Self Development Fund. Craig and Paul explained the parts of the proposal--goals, workplan, budget--while bilingual organizers Molly Hemstreet and Francisco Risso helped translate. All the members discussed their ideas, while several people took notes in both English and Spanish. The notes were later pulled together and edited into the final grant application. The $1000 grant has purchased Hands Together’s first set of craft materials. A percentage of the proceeds from members’ sales goes back to Hands Together, to purchase more materials and continue the project. |
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Center for Action
and Social Assistance CASA applied for a SEED grant during the fall of 2003, during the early stages of its efforts to develop itself as an organization. The $1,000 grant helped the group cover expenses as it opened an office, developed partnerships with other groups in the Morganton area, and began developing programs to improve cultural relations, promote the civil rights of immigrants in Burke County, and provide resources and referrals. |
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In the fall of 2003, Henderson County's weekly Spanish-language radio show was proving to be a popular and effective way for communicating with the area's Latino population about a wide range of issues, from domestic violence to transportation to immigration law. However, air time costs money, and a grant from the Self Development Fund helped keep the show on the air while its organizers surveyed listeners and developed a plan for sustaining the program financially. |
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Organized by a group of volunteers that include natives of Haywood County, people from other parts of the United States, and immigrants from South and Central America, Eastern Europe, and Asia, the MOSAIC Multicultural Center's goal is to build cultural bridges in Haywood County through information, advocacy, and outreach and referrals. A spring 2004 grant from the Self Development Fund helped MOSAIC apply for nonprofit status and launched other successful fundraising efforts and grant applications. |
How you can support the Self Development Fund
Some of CPC’s funders--both individual donors and foundations--like the Self Development Fund as an avenue for supporting grassroots efforts. Donors know that their gifts support rural efforts that are truly community-based. They can also be confident that funded groups and projects receive long-term support from CPC, including training, skill building, and help with organizational development.
“I think that with a little help from people like me, CPC can make a tremendous difference in Western North Carolina. CPC is helping people across the region have a greater sense of achievement and increased livability. We live in a very special place, and CPC is helping to ensure that everyone can benefit from and contribute to all this region has to offer.”
--Adelaide Daniels Key,
President of the Adelaide Worth Daniels Foundation
If you are interested in supporting the Self Development Fund, you can give online by clicking the link below. Where the form asks what you'd like your gift to support, note that your donation is for the Self Development Fund.
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