That’s what I’ve always loved about SAVI. It’s local,
it’s really unique, and it’s such a valuable resource.
— Kim Donahue
What’s the other strategy that EMCC
used to create a successful proposal?
Collaboration. It identified partners
that shared its goal of lowering the area’s
crime rate. Such synergies are becoming
critical elements of successful proposals.
“Funders want to see more collective
impact,” says Tammie Barney, executive
director of TeenWorks, a youthemployment program in Indianapolis.
“And they want to see that we’re working
together. Because in a lot of cases, we
may be serving the same individuals, but
not in the same way. So they want to see
that we’re talking to each other.”
And there’s a bonus insight from
EMCC’s experience: You don’t have to
be an expert in SAVI to reap big benefits
Director of Agency Services, United Way of Central Indiana
from it. Hardy-Sellers said that SAVI is her
“go-to source for statistical information,”
but she hasn’t yet taken a SAVI class. She
and her team plan to enroll in one soon,
though, so they can “use it to its fullest.”
But you can get started anytime by
using the online training tool, and then
“just start looking around in there,”
Donahue says. “To have a resource
like this devoted to Central Indiana is
incredibly valuable. That’s what I’ve
always loved about SAVI. It’s local, it’s
really unique, and it’s such a valuable
resource. That’s why I’d like to see more
people using it.”
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