TransFormation Alliance has just as much to gain from the local grant opportunities as it does from national funding sources. Depending on the targeted funder, TransFormation Alliance can pitch its work with members within a specific issue area, for example the arts, health or the environment to those funders who have more of a siloed approach to its grantmaking. In addition to philanthropic organizations, appealing to the community of high net worth individuals with a history of funding these types of projects and advocating for equitable development should be included in the fund development strategy. The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta is a good resource for investigating and engaging high net worth individuals interested in supporting TransFormation Alliance’s work. One of the ways community foundations distribute grants is through its donor-advised fund, which allows donors to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction and then recommend grants from the fund over time. Donor advised funds are a suitable giving vehicle for high net worth individuals to support the TransFormation Alliance and its member organizations. TransFormation Alliance should be engaging Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the Atlanta area (e.g. Coca- Cola, Home Depot, Delta) making the economic case for equitable transit oriented development and its impact on their employees and ultimately, their shareholders. TransFormation Alliance should also be targeting local developers and the eco-system of companies supporting major real estate development projects, specifically those companies working in southwest neighborhoods (for instance, the Gulch, construction of a new West End Mall, developing YMCA headquarters). Unusual Suspects In order to tap into Grantmakers who aren’t typically mentioned in this space, but may have a proclivity for funding the TransFormation Alliance relies heavily on TFA’s ability to execute its Grooming a Champion and Sensemaking funding approaches. The funders listed in the plan represent a segment of the grantmaking market and a next step would be integrating relationship science and prospecting to develop a narrowed list worth cultivating. Grantmakers like The Marcus Foundation who don’t seemingly have a very targeted approach in their grant making but have interests in community development and human rights (based on the organizations they have funded) are exactly the type of foundations that TFA needs to cultivate and help make the case for funding. Foundations like the J. Bulow Campbell Foundation who fly under the radar of most grant seekers, may also be a foundation to target. The J. Bulow Campbell Foundation funding patterns are aligned with education, youth, public spaces and cultural amenities, and Christian concerns. It may be that the Christian focus makes the foundation unapproachable for some grant seekers, but they have funded organizations like the Path Foundation, East Lake Foundation, Trust for Public Land, Atlanta Community Toolbank, 100 Black Men of Atlanta and the Beltline Partnership. Furthermore, their grants are awarded almost exclusively for capital funding rather than operating or program support. Conclusion Utilizing a strategic approach that integrates the following: 1) Grooming a Champion 2) Sense-making 3) Relationship Mapping 4) Creating A Bridge to Equity and 5) Developing a Strong Policy and Advocacy Agenda not only creates a comprehensive funding strategy that will lead to sustainability, but will also build the capacity of TransFormation Alliance and its members. Drawing from a landscape analysis of nine different alliances across the U.S this proposal identifies five potential areas for obtaining funds. The nine similar partnerships included: The Alliance for Community Transit- LA, LA Thrives, The Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, Hope Community, Mile High Connects, Elevated Chicago, Great Communities Collaborative, TransForm, and Puget Sound Sage. To compare and contrast the TransFormation Alliance each partnership was classified by their city, year founded, type of collaborators, issue areas, political landscape, geographic scope, organization function, common agenda, size of targeted beneficiaries, branding awareness, donors, funding model, and 990 forms. Accordingly, these factors were used to pinpoint the strengths and challenges within the organizational structure, marketing and funding strategies for the TransFormation Alliance. Out of nine partnerships, one alliance was ranked weak, three were fairly strong and four were ranked strong in regards to their funding strategies when compared to the TransFormation Alliance. The classification of weak indicates none of the research factors were stronger than the Transformation Alliance, fairly strong signifies two factors were stronger and strongly ranked indicates more than three factors were stronger. Compared to these nine partnerships the TransFormation Alliance is the only one to merge sense making, collective impact and racial equity into a single model which should position TransFormation Alliance well among potential funders. Appendix B (See Spreadsheet attached) Landscape Analysis Results:
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TRANSFORMATION ALLIANCE STRATEGIC ARTICULATION MAP & FUND DEVELOPMENT PLAN REPORT
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