Creative funding ideas

Finding funding is one of the most challenging aspects of nonprofit work. The top five sources of funding for nonprofits are:

• Grants (local, state, and federal)
• Individual donors
• Membership fees
• Charity crowdsourcing sites (i.e. Charity Fundraising on GoFundMe)
• Foundations

Some of these options require special skills like grant writing, hours of work, and bigger populations. Sometimes these things are not available in rural communities, so rural folks get creative! CIL staff who have had success with funding highlight that creative solutions are rooted in the community context and the specific independent living need you are trying to address. It really depends on the region, need, and what the local “hoops” look like.

Connect with clubs and organizations

For example, Diane Haldane, an IL specialist in Harrisburg, Virginia, shared that community clubs and organizations like the Optimist Club, Kiwanis, the Lions Club, or the Rotary Club can be good sources of small amounts of support. Try connecting with members of these types of clubs and asking about what kinds of things they support and what the process is for applying for money. It might be as easy as attending a meeting and telling the members about your work and community goals!

Quick tip!

Partnering with mental health providers in your rural service areas can help you get access to different funding streams, as they can bill for services in a different way than CILs!