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T Center Grant Seeking

How to Access GIFT Center Services

If you have a proposal in the works with an approaching deadline, an important first step is to evaluate the opportunity for proper routing through either the GIFT Center or UA Sponsored Projects Services. See #1 below for assistance in making that call. If you would like to engage with GIFT Center services in a more global way, please skip ahead to #2.

1. Determine if you are seeking a gift and route proposal accordingly

Sounds like a simple task, but potentially confusing matters is that common philanthropic and foundation terminology refer to donations as "grants." In University terms, "grant" can refer to either a gift (charitable grant) or sponsored project, and there are two separate offices to accommodate the two different types of grants.

Gift v. Sponsored Project/Contract

Funds are solicited for and committed to the University in a variety of ways. A gift is: a donation or charitable contribution to, or for the use of, a qualified organization like the UA or UA Foundation. In many cases, foundation grants are considered gifts and related processes are supported by the Development Office (including your unit's development professional[s]) and GIFT Center services. In other cases, foundation grants are considered sponsored projects. Applications and awards are then coordinated through Sponsored Projects Services.

If you are unsure if you are seeking a gift or a sponsored project, please refer to sections 9-14 of the UA Gift Policy for further details. If you have questions, please direct them to Jenny Flynn ( ) and/or Lori Schultz ( ). The GIFT Center and Sponsored Projects Services collaborate closely and will work together to identify an effective routing strategy.

For UA Sponsored Project support and procedures, contact UA Sponsored Projects Services.

Routing Proposals through the GIFT Center

Follow the instructions in our guide, Submitting a Grant Proposal via the UA Foundation. The GIFT Center checks outgoing charitable grant proposals for conformity to funder guidelines and internal policies, and, time permitting, will provide feedback on content. To initiate clearance of charitable grant requests, provide information on the grant opportunity, deadline, and your proposal to by the specified internal deadline. To better serve the campus, the GIFT Center requires either three (standard) or seven (online or otherwise complex) days lead time, depending on proposal requirements. Please click on this policy change memo for details on our internal deadline.

2. Contact your Development Office

Critical in faculty/staff grantseeking is the communication and coordination that takes place within your University unit. UA development officers work closely together in University-wide fundraising activities. If available, you can contact your unit's Development Officer as your first step for fundraising activities.

Discuss your project. If the project is determined a unit priority or a promising concept, please ask him/her to sign the completed Project Concept Form (described below) for access to the GIFT Center Services.

If your unit does not have an officer assigned, or the position is currently open, please contact your dean or director.

3. Complete the Project Concept Form

Project Concept Form

No matter where you are in the grantseeking process, thoughtful program/project planning is key as a prelude to successfully communicating your needs to grant funders. This also is an important step in strategizing your unit's overall program/project priorities.

Completing the project concept form is important for:

• Seeing how your project fits with UA and your unit's priorities
• Answering basic who, what, where, when, why, and how questions so that this information is available for finding grant prospects.

Download the Project Concept Form as a tool for organizing your ideas and as a requirement for GIFT Center services.

4. Once approved, submit SIGNED project concept form to the GIFT Center via e-mail, fax, or campus mail

Prior to GIFT Center services, your completed Project Concept Form should be signed by your unit's development officer or the dean or director if no development officer is assigned or the position is vacant.

Submit completed and signed forms via:

E-mail:
Fax:	520-626-7800
UA campus mail:	Attn: Kelly Holt Foundation Development Swede Johnson Building PO Box 210109

Click to Enlarge

Getting the Most out of the GIFT Center

Effective program and unit planning improve the probability that your project will be awarded grant funding, though do keep in mind that through there are many brilliant and promising campus projects and programs, not all are feasible for private grant support. Careful planning and communication within your unit encourages prioritizing and opportunities for initial exploratory research. The ideal foundation grantseeking process, using GIFT Center resources, is reflected as follows: