Ultimate Insider's Guide to Winning Foundation Grants

As head of the Cedar Tree Foundation, Teitel dispensed tens of millions of dollars in grants. He knows the secrets, the preferred approaches, the red flags - and he wants you to know them, too. He’s committed to leveling the playing field.

Teitel’s book is divided into four parts:

Part One takes you behind the scenes to show you exactly what foundation insiders look for in proposals.

Part Two exposes seven misguided myths about foundations.

Part Three offers you literally dozens of do’s and don’ts when developing your proposal.

Part Four, Administering the Truth-Detector Test to America’s Charitable Foundations, offers courageously frank answers to questions we’ve all longed to ask foundations.

Teitel is the ultimate foundation insider. He’s been in the corner office, and in the boardroom. He knows the secrets, the preferred approaches, the red flags. And he feels it’s only right that you know them, too.  

Introduction: I’ve Looked at Life from Both Sides Now

Part One: Thank You for Your Proposal
Chapter 1 – Not-So-Divided Loyalties: Whom Does the Funder Work For?
Chapter 2 – Let the Games Begin: Letters of Inquiry
Chapter 3 – Meat and Potatoes: Proposals and Budgets
Chapter 4 – Writing a Wonderful Proposal
Chapter 5 – Sweaty Palms: In-Person Meetings with Funders
Chapter 6 – Making Sausage: How Foundation Staff and Boards Decide
Chapter 7 – Reports: What to Do after You Are Funded
Chapter 8 – You Really Can Do It

Part Two: Myths about Foundations
Chapter 9 – Myth One: Fundraising Isn’t That Hard
Chapter 10 – Myth Two: Foundations Are Straightforward and Honest, and You Can Take That to the Bank
Chapter 11 – Myth Three: Charming the Foundation Will Conceal Your Flaws
Chapter 12 – Myth Four: Funders Don’t Read Grant Reports
Chapter 13 – Myth Five: It’s Fine to Embellish – Everyone Does It
Chapter 14 – Myth Six: Funding Is a Cat and Mouse Game, and Guess Who’s the Mouse?
Chapter 15 – Myth Seven: Funders Don’t Care

Part Three: The Grant Seeker’s Reality Check
Chapter 16 – Six Things You Can Do to Help Your Proposal Make the First Cut
Chapter 17 – Eight Red Flags Foundations Are Wary Of
Chapter 18 – Seven Reasonably Easy Things You Can Do to Improve Your Proposal
Chapter 19 – Five Mistakes Too Many Applicants Make
Chapter 20 – Four Questions You Can Expect to Be Asked about Your Proposal
Chapter 21 – Don’t Be Too Concerned about These Three Peripheral Matters
Chapter 22 – Four Things You Should Never Do When Approaching Foundations
Chapter 23 – Five Questions to Ask When Meeting with the Program Officer
Chapter 24 – A Short List of Unequivocal Don’ts
Chapter 25 – Six Ways to Help Assure Repeat Funding

Part Four: Administering the Truth-Detector Test to America’s Charitable Foundations  
Chapter 26 – Questions and Answers

Final Words: Plant and Tend Your Garden with Care

Martin Teitel has worked in the world of nonprofits for 45 years, 30 of them for grant making foundations, including a 12-year stint at CEO of the Cedar Tree Foundation in Boston. Teitel has a PhD in philosophy from the Union Institute, Cincinnati, and a Masters in Social Work from San Diego State University. He is a Field Education Supervisor for the Harvard Divinity School.