General Guidance for UMaine Personnel Seeking Extramural and Gift Support
February 1, 2011
Many entities at the University of Maine seek external funding for academic units, specific programs, capital projects, and student/faculty support. With finite funding resources (foundations, corporations and individuals) available, it is important that we coordinate our gift- and grant-seeking activities to maximize these resources and to avoid competing with ourselves (more than one proposal from the University seeking support at the same time, which can result in neither being funded).
Two departments on campus -- the Office of Sponsored Research Programs (OSRP) and the Office of University Development are responsible for coordinating funding requests. OSRP is responsible forgovernment grants and contracts and, in general, non-governmental and foundation grants that require detailed accounting and reporting, and specific deliverables. The Development Office is generally responsible for individual giving, the majority of corporate gifts/grants, and family/private foundation awards usually categorized as gifts, (fundsfree of quid pro quo encumbrances or contractual deliverables).In most cases, these funders are listed in the Directory of Maine Grantmakers.[i]
These general guidelines should provide a roadmap for University grant-seekers in regards to which of our two offices to contact for assistance with a funding request, yet confusion may still arise as funders can fall into a "grey area". In such cases, ORSP and the Development Office work collaboratively to direct grant-seekers to the appropriate channel.
It is of the utmost importance that all University grant-seekers contact one of our offices for clarification and clearance to proceed with a request for funding in order to avoid concurrent submissions and competition amongst ourselves for the same funding. Proposals that are not cleared for submission cannot be sanctioned by the University. In instances when we are not able to clear a proposal for submission, grant-seekers can access resources available at ORSP and/or the Development Office (including online grantmaker databases) for other prospective funders.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and best of luck with your grant-seeking activities.
Mike Hastings
Director, OSRP
Email:
Barbara Beers
Senior Philanthropic Advisor
Office of University Development
Email:
1The Office of University Development, located in Heritage House on campus, has an on-line subscription to the Directory of Maine Grantmakers, a product of the Portland-based Maine Philanthropy Center. For information as to how to access the Directory, contact the Office of University Development.