The Blame Game

Good night...does no one take responsibility for themselves anymore?

I'm really disappointed.

So - I offer this cathartic letter, filled with things I would never actually say to the people who really could stand to hear them...for random people who care to read about my work, and who are probably not at all my intended audience:

If you are the director of a non-profit agency and you were to write a grant...and;

If you knew in advance what the scoring criteria for said grant was...and;

If you knew that the pool of applicants and their requests MORE THAN DOUBLED the funds available to award... (Why yes, I do design and write that newsletter - pretty huh?)

Then chances are, you've considered the possibility of receiving a.) far less than your requested amount, or b.) not receiving funds at all. Particularly if you do not clearly impress the scoring Commissioners that your agency is a top performer in a heavily weighted score criterion, and fall into the bottom 25% scores .

Which, going back to point number two, you had plenty of time and knowledge to strategically craft and market your request such that it fit the goals of said grant program.

There is, however, more probability in our area that you had your head completely buried in the sand. In which case, you probably got it abruptly pulled out this week. Sorry 'bout that.

It is also highly likely that, despite having been given a score report with high score, low score, median and average scores, YOUR total score, as well as your average score in each category so that you could see just where you fell, you who had your heads buried would write letters, crossing the line between advocating your cause to just plain whining, filled with nonsensical rhetoric - "The City obviously doesn't support x-type of programs....our funding (which is only promised/allocated at a fixed amount one year at a time and varies from year to year) was cut..." etc. instead of taking the feedback as it was meant to be: constructive criticism and help
towards a stronger application next year.

I'm sorry - the funding "cut" terminology doesn't work for me when the amount is not a given from year to year. If you had been promised $4,000 for 2006-2007, and halfway thru the year we said, "Nah, $3,000 ought to do you," then THAT would be a "cut."

I'm not completely blinded by tunnel vision - I know that you're hearing the same kind of bad news from other funding sources, and I hate that too. But...that is precisely why it is no longer ok to rely on the warm fuzzies that your agency's work creates as a means of raising funds. Mediocrity in agency development cannot continue, lest your organization go belly up in times such as these. My employer and I are trying to help you gauge just where you're coming up short. And I know that other funders do NOT provide this sort of feedback - so some recognition would be nice, instead of the "I'm so shocked, hurt and basically clueless" routine.

In the meantime...your tunnel vision re: your agency being the only one, the ease (or complete lack thereof) in making the funding decisions, and participation in the blame game certainly don't help your case. Please, kindly pull your head out. It may just save your livelihood and your cause. And prevent you from further sounding like an idiot whiner.

Seriously folks...I don't get it. I don't get how you couldn't have known the odds - when the Boss and I did everything in our power to CLEARLY let people know the facts before AND after.

Also...after having gotten some of these "How dare you..." letters, I wonder...are these organizations this audacious with other funders - or, because we are small potatoes and strive to be user-friendly, do they just think they can be this way with us?

Talk about kicking a gift-horse in the mouth - potential or realized.