Katherine Shamer, Grant Writer

20/04/2015

Steeplechasing is part of Maryland’s rite of spring ballet and concert. Marylanders delight in the traditions, the horses and the chase. Yesterday was a heavenly spring day for the 113th running of the Grand National.
The Grand National is the middle jewel of the Maryland Timber Triple Crown. The final race of the series, the storied Maryland Hunt Club will be run next Saturday.
Jockeys are men.
In my youth, woman did not ride in jump or flat race. Period. No exceptions.
One woman single-handedly broke that convention. I was blessed to have had a bird’s eye view of that civil rights breakthrough. At the time, I did not fully realize the impact for all young girls smitten with horses and racing.
I do now.
Kathy Kusner

That woman was Kathy Kusner, a leading member of the United States Equestrian Team. Miss Kusner, an equestrian legend, has won numerous awards in the United States and Europe for her amazing riding skill. As early as 1960, she was honored by the American Horse Show Association as Horsewoman of the Year. In many ways, Kathy Kusner was a role model for me and many girls.

Kathy Kusner led the way for women riders but not without a battle. The battle begin when the Maryland Racing Commission refused to grant her a jockey’s license. The decision was strictly based on gender. Under the Civil Rights Action, Kathy sued the Maryland Racing Commission and won. She went on to a successful flat and steeplechase racing career.

The Battle-1971
Miss Kusner’s battles were not over.
The Maryland Hunt Cup is the world’s most difficult steeplechase.
The race began in 1896 and has been run the last Saturday in April each year since except for a few years during World War II.
Krissy Lindly, a young woman of twenty-something traveled to Maryland from mid-west with her horse Whackerjack for the steeplechase season. The twosome arrive in Maryland in January 1971 to train.
Whackerjack, a dappled, bay gelding was stabled at Winter’s Run Farm, the training facility owned and operated by Sylvia Hechter, located in Fallston, Maryland.
Mrs. Hechter, a famed rider who had trained in England, ran a top-notch stable. Winter’s Run was home to many notable race and Olympic team horses. Many leading show horses were stabled at Winter’s Run, including the horses ridden internationally by Kathy Kusner.
National Velvet
Whackerjack, Krissy Linley, Kathy Kusner and the Maryland Hunt Cup were pretty heady stuff to a young girl. This team of horse, trainer and rider seemed like a dream. It felt like Hollywood right in my backyard.
The reality of Kathy Kusner riding the race was quite a different story. This is where the story heats up and the conflict begins. Kathy Kusner had another battle to fight.
Part of protocol, the Maryland Hunt Cup committee approves each race entry.
Was the committee going to grant Kathy Kusner, a world-class equestrian, permission to ride in the race?
There was no question of her skill and ability. If they did grant permission, she would be the first woman to ever ride the race.
The question lingered for weeks without an answer. Talk about a “cat on a hot tin roof!” The entire horse community was “a twitter” in anticipation.
Midnight Meeting
In 1971, the Maryland Hunt Cup committee was all male and composed of the ancestors of the founders. The race originated as a gentlemen’s competition to determine who owned the best horse.
The Maryland Hunt Cup was a bastion of manliness and the prospect of a “little lady” riding the race was “utterly unthinkable”.
Permission dangled for weeks.
During this period I learned the concept of a “gentlemen’s agreement”. There was a “gentlemen’s agreement” that Kathy could race. I remember my mother chuckling at that notion. My mother was right on.
The “gentlemen’s agreement” was not the final word.
The final decision was actually reached at a midnight meeting held by the disgruntled Hunt Cup committee (the gentlemen).
Turney McKnight, a noted horseman, a committee member and a lawyer contended that there was no legal reason to prevent Kathy Kusner from riding.
Under Mr. McKnight’s advisement and the threat of legal ramifications, Kathy Kusner was granted entry into the race.
Turney McKnight is the hero of this story. Sort of like a movie.
Jump Racing!
Change is hard. Changes in traditions are even harder. People often takes baby steps to cultural changes. Today this story seems antiquated. In 1971, Miss Kusner’s bold action created a bit of equality in horse racing and propelled women in racing.
Saturday, Serene Harbor ridden by Annie Yeager, won the challenging three and a quarter mile Grand National, and the $30,000 purse. Miss Yeager won the race by beating a field of brilliant horses ridden by a group of “gentlemen”.
Success is always sweet.
Next week is the 119th running of the Maryland Hunt Cup. Once again, I will be on the hill to watch the most thrilling horse race on this planet. I am grateful for the women riders and trainers participating in the Maryland Hunt Cup. We have come a long way since the 1970’s. My best bet is on the women.
Who do you think might win? I will be sure to keep you posted.
Best wishes and good luck,
Kathi
Believe in possibility and in yourself.

11/04/2015

Spring is here, or at least on its’ way!

Maryland Home and Garden Pilgrimage
Roland Park
Baltimore City, Maryland

May 17, 2015
10:00 a.m.

Woman’s Club of Roland Park
(Tour headquarters and house number 8 on the shuttle tour)
4500 Roland Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21210

A box lunch is available at the Woman’s Club of Roland Park – $15

Tickets before the day of the tour: $30
Tickets day of the tour: $35
To purchase tickets: http://www.mfgp.org
Information call: 410-323-2892
Information: [email protected]

28/03/2015

An enterprising group of women living in Great Britain developed the programming for the black box flight recorder for the Supersonic Concorde. Even more amazing is that all of the programmers worked from their homes. These programmers were employed by Dame Stephanie Shirley, who in 1962 founded F.I. Group, Inc. Under Dame Stephanie Shirley leadership F.I. Group, Inc. became a $3 billion company, making millionaires of 70 employees.

Dame Stephanie Shirley "Why Successful Women Have Flat Heads" - TED

Believe in possibility and in yourself.

14/03/2015

The universe is tipped in your favor. I recently met with a young women who is in the middle of a difficult, life changing situation. As she revealed her painful story, I was first concerned for her well-being and then impressed with her courage to face her challenges. Her courage was based on her belief that “the universe was tipped in her favor”. I love this concept and I believe she is correct. To read more go to www.winninggrantwriter.com, select blog.

Winning grant writer

09/03/2015

LEVERAGING THE DREAM

Dreaming and grant writing go hand-in-hand.

The dreaming part is fun; the proposal writing, for many, is not.
Grant writing can seem like a tangled web of red tape. And sometimes the process is convoluted. Grant writing can be tedious, particularly, if numerous supporting documentation are requested. Everything written and all of the attached documentation must be 100% accurate, as they are open for questioning and discussion by the grantor.

There is always the hope of an award and the despair when passed over. Luckily, most grant writers are optimist and persistent by nature and do accomplish their goal(s).

Big Dreams

Your dreams are the program energy. Thinking big and dreaming big is the inspiration behind securing the funds. Without the dreams there are no new programs or projects.

As a grant writer, it is tempting to fantasize about the “perfect plan” for raising funds. My perfect plan is for a generous funder to fall in love with the grantee”s mission and proposed project and decide to fund.

The reality is that as grant writers we create the ideal
situation by being resourceful and creative.

Shangri-La to reality.

Sometimes one funder will solely support a project. When noticing this type of situation, be sure to understand that the journey from proposal to funding has been a long process of documentation and negotiation.

There is no magic in the process and be sure that a strong relationship has evolved between the nonprofit and the foundation. Relationships take time and require trust, rapport, and a track record of success. Trust, rapport and history are the keys to successful philanthropy. All of these things take time.

Start-ups

Finding program funding can feel like an odyssey.
In fact, raising seed money can be difficult. Awareness outside of your immediate community may be part of the problem. You may be unknown in the philanthropic community and may consider introducing yourself and your programs and services.

Sometimes the challenges are internal and can be conquered by setting up standard business procedures for daily operations. The creativity andinnovation you used to create the new program needs to come into play when seeking funds. There are many variables to fundraising and combining several funding sources may be just the solution.

Grants for $1,000 to $5,000 – should I submit proposals for small sums of money?

Each organization is different and all options should be considered.

Generally grants are an excellent source of funds.

Grants are not a quick fix or easy income.

Be assured, there are no funders anxiously waiting on the sidelines to write a check. Be confident that there is a lot of competition for grant dollars and all submissions are thoughtfully evaluated. The awards are made based on the proposals that best meet the criteria of their mission.

5/50/50

Smaller awards typically require less documentation. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Maryland Small Grants Program, specifically addresses the needs of smaller Maryland nonprofits who are seeking funding for general operating support, program support and capital requests.

5/50/50 represents Weinberg’s formula for the Maryland Small

Grants Program:
• A streamlined 5 – page proposal.
• 50 days response time.
• For funds up to $50,000.

Approach the Maryland Small Grants Program with due diligence. By accessing an award you have the opportunity to demonstrate your stewardship. Manage your funding well and build confidence in your ability. An award from Weinberg may lead to greater visibility and hopefully, larger awards.

Finally, grants are a viable means of funding. I wish you the best. Most importantly, continue the good work you are doing. You are a blessing to your constituents and the community as a whole.
Thank you for making our world a better place!

Best wishes and good luck,
Kathi

Believe in possibility and in yourself.

Note:
For further information regarding the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, access

http://www.hjweinbergfoundation.org

One of the largest private charitable foundations in the U.S. assisting nonprofit organizations to help financially disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals and families.

18/02/2015

Thou shalt not cut and paste.

What do the Winklevoss twins, Divya Narendra, Kelly Clark and middle school students share in common? Please continue reading to find the answer.

Several years ago I was offered the opportunity to teach technology at a Catholic middle school for girls. I immediately and gleefully accepted the offer. What an incredible journey waited! Now I know that my expectations were rose-colored and that I was somewhat naïve about students and teaching. In many ways, my expectations were greatly surpassed by my experience.

The school served academically promising girls from the poorest neighborhoods in Baltimore. The student population created a new experimental dimension in my white, middle age, middle class life. What I did not realize was the awesome passage that I would travel and the resulting life transformation.

Interestingly, the mundane can be the propeller to an extraordinary learning encounter. In my case, teaching proved to be life changing. I learned about the day-to-day struggles of the very poor. In the process, I was blessed to develop a supportive friendship with a gifted teacher who taught me a lot about children, trust and respect. This woman possessed a beautiful spirit that continues to inspire me. Her dedication to children, leading a values driven life based on Catholic ideals was, and still is, inspiring. Equally important, teaching helped me learned about myself.

Thou shalt not cut and paste!
As a technology teacher, one of my biggest tests was teaching the fine art of source citation. In other words, if you use someone’s ideas, words, and/or art in your document, you are obliged to cite their contribution. If you use someone’s work and pass it off as your own, it is considered plagiarism. The notion that plagiarism is wrong, can bear consequences and potentially, result in public humiliation did not reap any change in behavior.

Convincing students that “cutting and pasting” was plagiarism became a contest of tenacious wills. The classroom became a ground of self-will, i.e., my tenacious will working to stop the practice and the student’s prevailing dogged will to continue plagiarizing. I am positive the school year ended in a stalemate or more likely, a “cutting and pasting” triumphed.

The stalemate may be grounded on the ease of “cutting and pasting” and the temptation to quickly complete an assignment to engage in the favorite pastime of “extreme texting”. Like a lot of technology, “cutting and pasting” and the Internet offer instant gratification.

Why the disconnect?

Instant gratification vs. ethics and the law
To the young psyche, the fact that plagiarism is a punishable offense and at the very least, unethical did not have any framework. The act of stealing was understood as physically taking a tangible possession without permission. Stealing electronic information and using it as your own was an ethereal concept.

To these young minds, the Internet did not hold ownership of anything because there is no identifiable human, so there was no harm done. Many people may be baffled by this concept and the assumed low probability of prosecution makes plagiarism a rampant crime and often unpunished crime.

Who is being harmed?

Facebook-the lines are blurred.
From urban legend, we know that Facebook began at Harvard in a student dorm. This fact is mutually agreed upon by all parties involved. The story becomes muddled from this point forward. Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss and Divya Narendra contested in litigation that Facebook was their idea. Mark Zuckerberg the genius that launched the Facebook technology contested that Facebook was his creation.

In the final analysis, the lines are blurred as to who created Facebook.

Creativity begets creativity.
Recently NPR broadcasted a story about Kelly Clark’s hit “Since U Been Gone”. Clark’s hit was often mistaken for a song by the Smashing Pumpkins, Pavement and Parquet Courts. I believe that creativity begets creativity. Thorny situations can easily arise from creative works and cause difficulty identifying ownership. Once again, who or where the creative process started may be impossible to ascertain, therefore, who gets the credit and who is the owner?

Data, stats graphs and charts.
Facts support the grant proposal and give your request substance. Data and statistics may be required that you do not own. When writing a grant, be absolutely positive that you only use authorized material.

If you want to use the data, you may be able to easily obtain permission by asking the owner. There may be a fee attached to the information. Pay the fee if you want to include the information. If you do not have permission or have not paid the fee, do not use the information.

Citation
The use of information may just require a source citation. Make it your practice to use standard citation formats for all borrowed information. Finally, be sure you can verify and validate all information that you use. The grantor may question your proposal. Be prepared to confidently discuss what you have proposed.

Questions, comments, fine points etc.
If you have any questions, “Google” plagiarism and/or source citations; there are a host of resources available. Research librarians are also a good resource. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

Good luck and best wishes,
Kathi

Believe in possibility and in yourself.

17/09/2014

The Board of Directors of
Chesapeake Center for Youth Development
Cordially invite you to attend the
40th Year Anniversary Celebration.

October 9, 2014
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Embassy Suites Grand Historic Venue
225 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Business Attire

Honored Guest and Speaker
Kurt Schmoke
President of University of Baltimore
Former Mayor of Baltimore

6:00 p.m. – Cocktail Reception-Open Bar
7:00 p.m. – Dinner
7:30 p.m. – Program
Dessert
Tickets - $100
For further information please contact:
410.355.4698
[email protected] –online reservations

25/06/2014

Chop wood, carry water.

I like surprises, usually.

Last winter, I attended a business seminar. The obvious repertoire of business topics was covered and this Zen proverb:

"Before Enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment chop wood, carry water."

This Zen proverb was the unexpected. Arguably, it was an unusual blend of business and spiritual concepts. Remarkably, it is this proverb that was my greatest take-away from the training. Initially, I struggled with its’ meaning and relevance to work. As I struggled, the meaning became more intriguing.

For me “chop wood, carry water” has come to mean living in the present moment. This twelve word proverb is simple but living the principle can be challenging.

Ho-hum or amazing?

“Chopping wood, carrying water” makes living straightforward and less complicated. When I am present, I am open to my environment and find that good things happen all day long. Some of those good things are small but if I was not paying attention, I would have missed them. I have grown to be grateful for the commonplace and relish the beauty of nature and the extraordinary people I meet.

“Chopping work, carrying water” and grant writing.

The core of “chopping word, carrying water” is the work of the day, actually very hard work. Being present does not eliminate the necessity of work. Reaching goals and objectives, whatever your profession, is hard work.

Raising funds for any organizations is hard work. In an economic downturn, fund raising is extremely hard work. Grant writing, specifically, is a highly complex process and requires extensive preparation and skill. The beginning of the hard work really only begins once the funding has been received and the project starts.

Hot Tip

Life is not about drudgery. Do the tasks that play to your strengths and delegate tasks that play to the gifts of others. A round pegs in a square hole is never a fit, nor will you ever be happy. Rejoice in what you do best and remember you have a lot to offer.

Best wish and good luck, Kathi

Believe in possibility and yourself.

11/06/2014

Change in Location of Meeting

The Major Gifts Round Table, AFP
Guest Speaker
Jonathan Ackerman, Esquire
June 13,
8 a.m.

Notre Dame of Maryland University, Noyes House

Hope to see you there!

06/06/2014

Elton John Aids Foundation Seeks Letters of Intent From HIV/AIDS Projects
The Elton John Aids Foundation has issued a Request for Proposals for HIV/AIDS-related research and civil rights projects.
Grants of up to $75,000 will be awarded for projects in the areas of improving health outcomes and advancing equal rights for African Americans; sexual health and rights of adolescents and young adults; syringe access and harm reduction; health and rights of people who are or were recently incarcerated; and/or access to HIV treatment.
To be eligible, applicants must be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or have a proven relationship with a nonprofit organization acting as fiscal sponsor. Organizations based outside the United States must be a recognized charitable organization in their respective country.
Upon review, selected organizations will be invited to submit full proposals.
For complete program guidelines, an FAQ, and application procedures, visit the EJA Foundation website.

29/05/2014

29/05/2014

The Major Gifts Round Table, AFP
Guest Speaker
Jonathan Ackerman, Esquire
on June 13,
8 a.m.
Mt. Washington Conference Center,
Cafeteria.

Mr. Ackerman is a nationally recognized legal counsel who assists nonprofit organizations with the legal aspects of their creation, qualification, governance and operation, enhancing the fundraising efforts of charitable organizations, and structuring and implementing charitable gift plans on behalf of donors and their families. See you there!!!