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FAQ

Grant Information, Facilitation, and Training Center

Frequently Asked Questions

For Faculty and Staff Private Grantseekers

If I have questions about my UA Foundation account or establishing a new account, who do I ask?
If I have questions about gift processing or a receipt for a gift, who do I ask?
Who are you and how can I reach you?
Who can use your services?
What is the GIFT Center?
How do I make an appointment and then what happens?
Where is the GIFT Center located?
Do you help with federal and other government grant proposals?
Why should I use the GIFT Center?
I have identified a grant opportunity. The deadline's approaching. What do I do now?
What if there is no Development Officer in my unit?
What if my Development Officer or Director/Dean will not sign off on my project concept form?
Can I contact you directly?
What do you do, exactly?
Will you help me find grant opportunities?
Will you write my proposal for me?
Is it worth my time and trouble to apply for a foundation or corporate grant?
How do I find out more about the GIFT Center's services and events?

If I have questions about my UA Foundation account or establishing a new account, who do I ask?

UA Foundation Financial Services staff contact information is listed here. Financial Services can help you with questions related to existing or new accounts. Your unit business manager is also a resource on gift accounts, as is our guide Gift Accounting for Charitable Grants FAQ. To set up a new account, please follow the directions on the New Account Request Form. Contact information for questions regarding the form is printed on the document.

If I have questions about gift processing or a receipt for a gift, who do I ask?

UA Foundation Information Services gift processing staff contact information is listed here.

Who are you and how can I reach you?

GIFT Center Staff:
Jenny Flynn
jflynn@al.arizona.edu
Director, Foundation Development/GIFT Center, oversees the GIFT Center. Her background includes experiences as a writer, editor, and teacher as well as corporate and foundation development.

Kelly Holt
holt@al.arizona.edu
Associate Director, Foundation Development/GIFT Center, helps provide many of the GIFT Center services described here. Her background includes several years of diverse grants and nonprofit experience.

You may call the GIFT Center at (520) 621-3579 or e-mail GIFTCenter@al.arizona.edu.

Who can use your services?

GIFT Center resources are available by referral to faculty, staff, and development professionals for priority UA projects in all departments, colleges, and units.

What is the GIFT Center?

The GIFT Center is a professional environment with printed resources and a computer workstation available for subscription foundation database research. Similarly, GIFT Center staff offer many remotely available resources here on our website. Please see Helpful Grantseeking Links.

How do I make an appointment and then what happens?

Development staff accesses the center directly and by appointment. Faculty and staff access the center by referral from a Development Officer (or Dean or Director if there is no Development Officer in their unit). The first GIFT Center appointment with a new user will begin with a brief orientation session with the goal of introducing resources, determining necessary services, and identifying follow-up services.

Where is the GIFT Center located?

We are in the 'Swede Johnson' Building on the northwest corner of Speedway Boulevard and Cherry Avenue, 1111 N. Cherry Blvd. The GIFT Center is located on the third floor of the building, Suite 302.

Do you help with federal and other government grant proposals?

Unfortunately, no. Federal and other government grantseeking is coordinated within each unit and through UA's Sponsored Projects Services.

Why should I use the GIFT Center?

Faculty, staff and development professionals will benefit from the GIFT Center's specialized services through:

Expert guidance through the sometimes complex process of grantseeking
Diversifying their funding base and learning more about fundraising
Training and resources that will enhance their professional development
Accessing comprehensive foundation databases for individual research
Receiving editorial help to improve their grant proposals

Overall, GIFT Center services increase the resources available to advance the mission of the UA and its units.

I have identified a grant opportunity. The deadline's approaching. What do I do now?

First, if you haven't already, please speak with your Development Officer. All members of the University community involved in raising private external funds must work within an existing prospect-management system. The goal of this system is to ensure we are following donor guidelines and professional best practices. Once you've checked with your Development Officer and have approval to move forward, you or your development officer can connect with GIFT Center staff and we will go from there depending on where you are in the process.

What if there is no development officer in my unit?

If you have a charitable grant proposal to submit and no unit development office, contact the GIFT Center at GIFTCenter@al.arizona.edu with information about the opportunity, including the deadline. For more comprehensive services, consult with your unit's dean or director for support and approval. Please refer to Getting Started with Grantseeking for detailed instructions for securing GIFT Center services.

What if my Development Officer or Director/Dean will not sign off on my project concept form?

Unfortunately, on-site GIFT Center services and staff are only available for projects that are identified as a unit priority by administrative level faculty and staff. However, you are welcome to continue exploring the GIFT Center website as there are many helpful resources that may support your efforts and may help develop your project for future consideration as a unit priority.

Can I contact you directly?

If you have a specific project/program or grant prospect in mind, again, talk first to your development officer. He or she is the person who coordinates all fundraising for your department or unit. If you want to have a general conversation about available GIFT Center services or the grantseeking process, feel free to contact us directly.

What do you do, exactly?

The GIFT Center is an available resource for members of the UA community for foundation and corporate foundation grantseeking activities. Faculty, staff, and development officers from all areas of campus use our services, and we will support your efforts in a variety of ways. For example, we can assist you in analyzing a granting agency's guidelines. We can spice up a letter of inquiry or give it a nice stringent copy edit. And, of course, we can work with you to organize and launch a complete grant proposal.

Will you help me find grant opportunities?

Yes. If your unit identified your project as a priority, UA Foundation and GIFT Center resources will support your grantseeking efforts. Please refer to Getting Started with GIFT Center Grantseeking. If your project is not determined a priority through the appropriate unit channels, there are many free grantseeking resources available here at our website.

Will you write my proposal for me?

As you are the experts in your fields, we prefer to take more of a team approach to proposal writing. Many people regard grant writing with the same eagerness as they would a double root canal. We understand that dread and will help ease the process. The basic information, rationale, program plan, and sensitivity to the nuances of your field must come from you. You are the content expert. We can assist as organizational gurus, clock-watchers, and wordsmiths. Together, we'll make a great team.

Is it worth my time and trouble to apply for a foundation or corporate grant?

It depends—on your need, the complexity of the proposal process, and the closeness of the match between what you do and what the granting agency funds. If you have a good prospect and an attractive program, it's probably worth your time and trouble. Even if one proposal isn't funded, you'll often be able to apply the work already done to other opportunities.

How do I find out more about the GIFT Center's services and events?

Visit our homepage for the latest information. Also, to join the GIFT Center mailing list and receive first notice on events and grant opportunities, Visit the GIFT Center listserv.