Inspiring education in ourselves
We’ve begun the selection process and already we’re educating ourselves. While going through the first steps of the evaluations, we’ve made some observations on how things can be improved or changed for next year’s program. Here are a few things we’ve found.
The goal and intent of the We Inspire Grant is to create a holistic and integrated solution. We want to communicate your message across a variety of mediums, linking them into a unified message and creating a conversation with your audience. Some applications we received were only seeking one piece of the whole. On this point, we could have been clearer in what we were looking for. Working from someone else’s strategy or single effort is very difficult, particularly when not involved from the beginning. We want the grant recipient to be able to benefit from all of our skills.
What about sustainability? Another key goal of the We Inspire Grant is to work with the winning organization in creating something that will be sustainable, be maintained, and grow with the organization. This led us to asking applicants about travel expenses and budgets to maintain the conversation with their audience. For this we were seeking a show of existing funds for travel and a realistic budget for the current year in order to get things off to a proper start. This isn’t easy, particularly in a non-profit environment. Which is why for next year we’ll be looking for a partner to help with printing costs, as well as potentially reducing the number of trips required.
A tricky thing that we didn’t really foresee, or even think about, was something that didn’t reveal itself until the deadline was just around the corner — in person delivery of applications. As a collaborative effort, we are three, one person, companies and have home offices. Being at the office all day isn’t always possible — client meetings, photo shoots, press checks, all these things take us away and keep us from receiving things in person. Also, since we work out of homes, our “offices” aren’t necessarily the easiest to find. So for next year we know that we’ll need to clarify that all applications must be received via postal or delivery service. This also helps ensure that all applicants have the same deadlines for completing applications, whether local or not.
This being the first year for the We Inspire Grant, it’s a learning year. If you are an applicant or just want to share ideas and thoughts, please go ahead and let us know how you feel we can improve or change things. Inspire us!