Development Committee

The Development Committee is the group primarily responsible for coordinating the Yearly Meeting's fund-raising efforts and planning long-term goals and strategies. In addition, the committee is responsible for controlling the distribution of the Yearly Meeting's mailing list.

Click to see the complete description of the Committee as it appears in the current Manual of Procedure.

During Annual Session 2012, the Development Committee discussed having an outside review of the program as it had developed. This review was done during the fall of 2012 and the report is available here.

Listed below are the current members of the Committee.

Grants Application and Management Policy

Grants Process

Baltimore Yearly Meeting

Grant Application and Management Procedures

Purpose

Grant awards are an important source of funding for Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) programs.  Preparing proposals and managing awards is a key service to the Yearly Meeting.  This process involves collaboration between staff, committees, and other volunteers as we work together to support and build the programs of BYM.

This document outlines procedures to be followed in the preparation and submission of grant proposals as well as the management of grant awards.  These procedures are guided by the policies described in the BYM Grant Policy.

All steps of this process should be seasoned in the light of the BYM Anti-Racism Queries:

1.     How could this decision affect those who have been harmed by racist behavior?

2.     To what degree have privilege, class, stereotypes, assumptions, and our ability to include other perspectives affected this decision? Will this decision promote equity, diversity, and inclusiveness? Will it enable us to be more friendly and whole?

3.     How will we provide opportunities for those most likely to be directly affected by our decision to influence that decision?

4.     How does this decision support the declaration of our Yearly Meeting that we are an anti-racist faith community?

Grant Proposal Preparation and Submission

As described in the BYM Grant Policy, all proposals must be reviewed and approved by the General Secretary prior to submission.  Close communication and collaboration between the grant initiators[1] and the Development Director and General Secretary is essential from the very beginning of this process.

The following steps should be followed:

1.     The grant initiator informs the Development Director of their interest in applying for the grant.  For funders who have not previously supported BYM programs, the grant initiator will provide the Development Director with contact information for the funder and all relevant information regarding the funder and the proposal process.

2.     The Development Director informs the Development Committee and the General Secretary.

3.     The General Secretary, in consultation with the Development Director and the grant initiator, determines whether the funder is appropriate for BYM.  The General Secretary must endorse the funding source prior to the preparation of the grant proposal.  Considerations in this decision may include:

a.      Whether the funder’s priorities and policies are in harmony with BYM Faith and Practice;

b.     Whether the administrative requirements of the grant align with BYM’s capabilities;

c.      Whether other BYM groups have sought or may seek grants from this funder;

d.     Whether the proposed activity falls within and/or enhances the goals of the Yearly Meeting.

4.     The Development Director identifies resources that may be helpful to the grant initiator and serves as a resource in this matter, along with experienced grant writers who are willing to read or coach on grant applications.

5.     The grant initiator, in collaboration with the Development Director and other BYM resource people, prepare the grant proposal.  A list of questions to address in the proposal appear below item number 8.

6.     The Development Director reviews the draft proposal for quality and completeness and suggests revisions as needed.

7.     After any revisions, the General Secretary reviews the proposal, seeking counsel from BYM individuals as needed for advice on potential legal, fiduciary, safety, or other concerns.  Any such concerns will be discussed with the grant initiator and Development Director, who will all reach agreement on any needed changes to the project or the proposal.

8.     Once all revisions have been completed, the grant initiator approve the final version of the proposal.  The General Secretary approves the proposal and the Development Director manages the submission process, consistent with the funder’s requirements.

In preparing the grant application, the grant initiator should address the following questions:

1.     What is the proposed program or project, and why is grant funding required to make it possible?

2.     What individuals or groups would benefit from this activity?

3.     What activities and events are planned, and what is the timeline for implementation and completion?

4.     What are the anticipated uses of the grant funds?  Prepare a detailed budget worksheet for the grant and program.

5.     How would the grant funds relate to the overall BYM budget?  Will they replace other funds, or will they enable program activities that otherwise would not be undertaken?

6.     Have all individuals mentioned in the proposal agreed to the proposed responsibilities?

7.     Has the General Secretary approved the roles of staff members involved?

Grant Acceptance and Management

When notification is received that the grant has been awarded, the Development Director and General Secretary review the documentation to determine if BYM can comply with the reporting requirements as well as the final terms and conditions of the grant.  The General Secretary must approve the acceptance of any grant award.

Under the direction of the grant initiator, BYM staff and volunteers identified in the grant application carry out the program funded by the grant, with assistance from other BYM staff as appropriate.  The grant initiator is responsible for maintaining records of program activities, including detailed financial records along with qualitative and quantitative reports on the activities.  In particular, the records must include any metrics requested by the funder, such as attendance figures, evaluation survey results, etc.  Where feasible and appropriate, the grant initiator should capture program activities in photos and video.

If unforeseen significant adjustment in expenditures or in timelines for the program appear to be required, the grant initiator should immediately notify the Development Director, who will consult as necessary with the funder concerning these changes.  As described in the Grant Policy, any changes to the grant terms must be approved by the grant initiator and Development Director before they are accepted.

Final reports or evaluations are often required by grantors.  The grant initiators should prepare and submit this report to the Development Director at least two weeks before the deadline. The Development Director submits the report to the grantor and keeps complete records in the BYM files.

Timeline

Below is an example timeline of collaboration between the Development Director, General Secretary, and grant initiator. The actual timing of steps may vary. Steps should be completed ahead of schedule when possible, taking into account holidays and other events that may cause delays. If steps are completed behind schedule, collaborators should support each other where possible to submit the grant application by the deadline. See the next page for the timelines in a chart form.

Grant application timeline

Time until submission deadline

Step

6 weeks

Notification of Development Director / General Secretary

4 weeks

Approval of funder from General Secretary

3 weeks

Submission of draft proposal to Development Director

2 weeks

Development Director feedback to grant initiator

1 week

Grant initiator approval of final proposal

Grant report timeline

Time until submission deadline

Step

2 weeks

Submission of draft final report to Development Director

[1] The “grant initiator” is the person or people who initiate the preparation of a grant proposal and, if awarded, the management of the award.  The initiator may be a BYM committee, working group, or other group; a subcommittee of such a group; or a BYM program staff member.

Development Committee Annual Reports

Development Committee Interchange Reports

Visioning Project Report

In 2010 and 2011, Baltimore Yearly Meeting undertook a project to consider the vision of the Yearly Meeting community. As a part of that project, each committee was asked to respond to a set of queries that had been promulgated by the ad hoc Visiting Ministers Committee. The Development Committee's responses are available here.