Power of Good

R PowerofGood.com | Elevate Alabama 9 "rElEvAnt. rEAlIstIC. rEAl." With those three words, Leslie Sanders, board member of the Alabama Power Foundation, explained what she looks for when deciding which charitable causes to support. "You want people that can really deliver the work," she said. Sanders, vice president of Southern Division, was a panelist at "Charac- teristics of Successful Grant Applications," a two-part breakout session at the Elevate 2014 Conference in Montgomery Aug. 20. The foundation annually offers more than a thousand grants and scholarships to Alabama nonprofit and charitable groups. Since 1989, it has awarded more than $140 million in nonratepayer money to revitalize communities and lend families a helping hand. "The idea was, we wanted to continue our presence in the community regardless of our company's bottom line," said Richard King, director of Charitable Giving and the panel's moderator. "I think it's been extremely successful in doing that." The audience heard tips for how to improve their chances of rising to the top of the grant-application pile. "Is it sustainable? Is there a strategic plan? Are there part- ners?" asked Julia Segars, vice president of Eastern Division. A charitable organization, she added, should have a proven track record or "metrics in place" to define what success would look like. Panelists outlined the foundation's approval process. Grants up to $10,000 may be approved by one board mem- ber; up to $50,000 by a three- Keeping it real STORy By JOHN k. HERR PHOTOS By CHRISTOPHER JONES Nonprofit groups learn the ins and outs of how to apply for grants successfully. REAL continued on page 10 From top to bottom, Leslie Sanders, vice president of Southern Division; Julia Segars, vice president of Eastern Division; and Richard King, director of Charitable Giving, spoke on the "Characteristics of Successful Grant Applications" panel.

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