Foundation Center

For those looking for grant funding, the Foundation Center is a good place to start. However, what the user receives for free is extremely limited. Instead of trying to convince your sponsoring organization to shell-out $1,295 annually (good luck!), visit one of the state's three cooperating collections - for FREE!!!

The South Dakota State Library in Pierre is home to one of the collections. I spent three hours there this morning seeking out funders I wouldn't have otherwise been able to locate with the resources available to me. The staff was extremely helpful, I didn't have to pay for printing, and there wasn't a time limit.

For most VISTAs here in South Dakota, a cooperating collection is close by. I called the State Library last week to learn more about what they had to offer. The only thing they asked of me was to please call or e-mail a day beforehand to ensure staff would be available to assist me. This request may have been because I live 100 miles away; however, I'd still give them a call just to make sure.

It's been a great week in Mission... and it's not even Friday yet!

Being a Year-One VISTA, I've had to take heart in the small accomplishments since arriving in Mission in November. I realize I'm still in a stage of laying groundwork for my remaining time here, as well as for those who may follow after I leave. This week, however, has brought a host of tangible results.

We recently hosted a group of first-year Stanford University School of Medicine students for a week. I drafted a press release detailing their time volunteering here on the Habitat job site and down at the IHS hospital in Rosebud. Not only did the Todd County Tribune publish it, but it was on the front page of yesterday's edition!

Today, the March issue of the Sicangu Eyapaha, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe's monthly newspaper, arrived with an article I wrote about our upcoming fundraising run/walk in June. An article dispelling some myths about Habitat should appear in the April issue.

But the biggest news of all is today's word a grant proposal I wrote several months ago will be funded! I'm absolutely thrilled. I had never written a grant proposal before starting at Habitat, so to have it accepted for almost the full amount requested is just awesome. I've since attended grant writing training; between that and the confidence gained from this successful proposal, I'm hoping this is only the first of many grants to come our way.

I've been told by both of my co-workers how happy they are to have me here. They've always praised my work. But it has been a challenge not having something concrete to show for my efforts. So, the articles and especially the grant have provided me with items I can point to and say, "Here's what I did." And it certainly makes it easier to describe my job to folks who may not know much about VISTA!