Please include the following information in your proposal:

• How did you first find out about the Cooperating Collection Network?
  Were you referred by an existing CC or some other individual? Did you come across it on the Center’s web site? Did you receive a letter or e-mail about the initiative? If so, from whom?


• Location:
  What is the population of your city and/or county? How many nonprofit organizations are located in your area? (Please be specific: submit estimate and source.) Would anyone who walks in the door be able to use your resources?


• Access:
  How accessible is your location? Is access to the building interior barrier-free? Is public transportation available to your site? Is there parking available? If so, is there a fee? What type of security checks are involved? Will there be a sign-in or registration process for people who use the collection? Please note: applicants whose institutions require appointments to use the resources will not be considered for membership.


• Host Institution:
  Please indicate if yours is a public, academic, or special library, a nonprofit resource center, a foundation, or other type of institution. What is your IRS exemption status? How many visitors do you now serve, and how do you anticipate that becoming a Cooperating Collection will affect this number? Who will support the cost of the yearly membership fee and future enhancements to the collection? Please submit your annual report, budget, etc.


• Populations Served and Special Services:
  What are the demographics of the community you serve? Provide us with details on how your organization serves under-resourced populations (economically disadvantaged, specific populations, etc.). Have you conducted a needs assessment or user survey of any kind in recent years? What outreach efforts does your library engage in to reach new audiences? Do you offer services that encourage use by under-resourced groups, such as foreign language materials? Do you employ staff who speak other languages or are uniquely qualified to assist these populations? Do you have special equipment for disabled visitors?


• Physical Layout of the Collection:
  The Foundation Center requires Cooperating Collections to identify themselves as easily identifiable units of their host institutions. Please indicate your intent to post prominent signage (provided by the Foundation Center), have all CC materials in one place, provide adequate seating, and to have shelving, computer, and photocopy equipment nearby. Please submit a floor plan indicating the proposed location of the collection.


• Technology:
  Included with the core collection of Foundation Center resources are subscriptions to Foundation Directory Online Professional (FDO) and Foundation Grants to Individuals Online (GTIO). The searchable FDO database contains information on more than 98,000 U.S. grantmakers and their grants and GTIO contains unique information on more than 8,300 foundations that give grants to individuals. The Center's web site is another vital source of useful fundraising information. Appropriate technology must be in place to make the Center's database and its web site accessible to patrons. Cooperating Collections may request IP addressing for all or some of the computers in their facility, as long as use can be limited to visitors in the building where the collection is housed. Please indicate how many terminals will be designated to provide access to the Center's database. On the required floor plan, please indicate the proximity of these terminals to the reference staff and the rest of the CC resources. Do you have access to a computer lab and/or training facilities and equipment for Internet and computer demonstrations?


• Books, Reference Works, Periodicals:
  Each Cooperating Collection will receive a complete and up-to-date core collection of Foundation Center reference-only publications. Duplicate copies of core Foundation Center print publications and copies of Center-issued publications that are not part of the core collection can be ordered at a special discount, as long as they are intended for use by visitors to the Collection or for circulation purposes. Each CC is required to subscribe to one or more fundraising or "grantsmanship" periodicals, and purchase basic reference works issued by other publishers, and monographs on foundations, nonprofit management, and fundraising that are published annually. CCs should also gather news items and annual reports for those foundations in their geographic area. Please submit a bibliography of current relevant holdings (with an indication that you do, or will, subscribe to at least one relevant periodical), as well as plans to enhance the core collection with future acquisitions.


• Services:
  The Foundation Center requires that all Cooperating Collections provide reference assistance to the public, staffed at a minimum of 25 hours per week. Most CCs far exceed that minimum requirement. How many hours per week will your CC be open to the public? Will you be open during evening or weekend hours? Will you provide mail, telephone, and/or e-mail reference service? If so, will that be offered free of charge?


• Public Trainings:
  The Foundation Center requires that each CC offer at least two community workshops or orientations on the funding research process each year for local nonprofit organizations. The Center provides training support (including PowerPoint presentations, scripts, and handouts) and staff members will be happy to assist you in scheduling workshops. How frequently will your CC offer orientations and workshops for grantseekers in your community? We are very interested in your partners in the community. Do you plan to collaborate with other libraries, agencies, technical assistance providers, or nonprofits?


• Staff Trainings:
  The Foundation Center requires Cooperating Collections to allocate travel funds for the supervisor to attend at least one regional CC meeting or one annual Network Days every other year. New collections are required to send the supervisor to Network Days in the first year they are designated. (In 2010 Network Days will be held in New York, NY on October 8–9 and in a virtual format on June 3-4.) Please indicate your preparedness to provide funding for travel to a Network Days conference and/or to attend Virtual Network Days.


• Staffing:
  At least one designated staff member, well versed in the use of core materials, is required for the Cooperating Collection. The Foundation Center prefers that a professional librarian, with an MLS degree, serve as CC supervisor. If this is not possible, the designated supervisor must be knowledgeable about nonprofits and have experience working with the public. The supervisor will be the contact person for the Foundation Center and will be responsible for informing the Center of changes related to the collection. Familiarity with Internet and database searching is helpful. The supervisor is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the CC, and for regular reports on the use of the collection. Please address the following:
  
  
  • Who will oversee the collection?
  • Will s/he work full-time or part-time in that position?
  • What steps will be taken to ensure s/he is knowledgeable about the collection and the field of philanthropy?
  • How many staff members will work with the collection?
  • What training and support will be provided to them?

• Outreach:
  It is critical to let the community of local nonprofits know about the new funding resources available. How will you publicize your collection? Do you have a web site? Do you have a blog? The Foundation Center requires that you indicate your affiliation with the Center and availability of the Center's databases on your web site and through prominent signage. Do you have a newsletter, mailing list, or regular contact with the media? Does your organization have a public relations officer who will help promote the collection? Are there other organizations you will partner with who will help you present orientations, workshops, and seminars? What other community involvement will there be? Please submit detailed plans.
• Letters of Support:
  Please submit two or more letters of support from organizations in your community, including nonprofits who will use your collection and grantmakers who will support it, if applicable. Please indicate ongoing support or any special funding your collection is likely to receive.

How to Submit Your Proposal


The proposal should come from the institution that plans to house the Cooperating Collection. It should be submitted and signed by a member of that institution's administration. Proposals for CC designation are reviewed on a regular basis, with designations made each month. Host institutions are welcome to submit a proposal at any time during the year. Keep in mind that the annual membership fee of $995 will apply, no matter when during the year you submit your proposal. Invoices are mailed out each January for that year's full membership. Please be sure your proposal includes all required information as outlined in the "Preparing Your Proposal" section. Submit your proposal, with all attachments, to:

Coordinator of Cooperating Collections
The Foundation Center
79 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10003

For more information, contact Kief Schladweiler, Coordinator of Cooperating Collections, at (212) 807-2417 or cks@foundationcenter.org.

We look forward to hearing from you!