Carmei Ha'ir and IsraelGrants host a foundation representative

Written by David Maeir-Epstein

Carmei Ha’ir, an Israelgrants client that provides meals for the needy in a dignified atmosphere of a resturant, recently had a very productive visit from a representative of a large foundation based out of Baltimore. In the course of her duties, Nechama Sidor, spoke to a representative of this foundation on the phone, in accord with IsraelGrants "SPIFF" technique, whereby the representative of the nonprofit begins a dialogue with the foundation before sending the proposal. Nechama managed to speak to one of the department heads of the  foundation, and discovered that he was coming to Israel. Using her persuasion skills and explaining the merits of Carmei Ha’ir’s mission, Nechama managed to convince him to visit Carmei Ha’ir on his trip.

Although Carmei Ha’ir has hosted many visits, this one was different. It was not mere show and tell but a chance to convince a major foundation that the organization had the capacity to make a significant lasting impact, and that Carmei Ha'ir had a culture of cooperative work with partners and was open to being guided by an experienced funder. I, David Maeir-Epstein, IsraelGrants CEO, served not only as a simultaneous language translator, but as a simultaneous consultant, explaining to the capable nonprofit what the highly sophisticated funder actually meant and expected. This was a great example of how the organization's staff directly opened the door and I, as the consultant, facilitated the discussion that led to an outcome that exceeded all expectations. When the Foundation representative told Carmei Hair what to ask for, how much to ask for and what to do to properly prepare the submission, including the involvement of specific potential partners, we knew that we were on the right track. This particular foundation has an arduous application process. This meeting, while promising, is by no means a guarantee and  Carmei Ha’ir still has a long journey to prove its worth to this foundation. However, we are hopeful that this will eventually lead to a six figure grant. This is a good example of a professional partnership - Nechama's initiative and Israelgrants' professional facilitation.