Educational betterment foundations (EBFs) are private, non-profit corporations that are tax- exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Public school districts create EBFs to serve as independent fund-raising entities to solicit individual and corporate gifts as well as grants from private and corporate foundations exclusively for the benefit of the school districts that create them.
Colleges and universities have been employing EBFs as their primary fund-raising organization for centuries. In many cases, cash and security assets held by individual college and university EBFs reach into the billions of dollars. In some cases, the interest alone generated by these EBF assets support over one-half of the college or university’s annual budget.
Public school districts across the nation are just beginning to recognize the enormous power of EBFs in generating unrestricted operation funds. Like a giant oak tree that begins from a single acorn, EBFs grow slowly in the beginning. Once they gain a foothold in the community, vast amounts of chartable dollars can be raised year after year.
Since these dollars are raised by a private corporation, they are not subject to control or accountability by state education departments.
Robert J. Miller & Associates, Inc. (RJMA) has assisted in the creation of numerous EBFs. Its services in this regard include providing guidance in the appointment and formation of the EBF’s board of directors, the drafting of bylaws that meet federal IRS requirements, and the preparation and filing of the application necessary to obtain a certificate of incorporation.
RJMA then embarks upon the long and arduous process of securing a federal tax-exemption under the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Extreme care must be taken in this process to avoid months of delay caused by inadvertent errors and omissions in the preparation of this 30-page application.
Once approved, the IRS issues a Letter of Determination stating that the EBF is a 501(c)(3) organization, thereby enabling its donors to deduct their gifts and contributions from their federal and state income tax. It also enables foundations to award grants to the EBF that would otherwise be prohibited from awarding to tax supported entities such as public school districts.
Words alone cannot thank you enough! Our assigned grant specialist has worked hard for us and I am truly so appreciative. This opportunity is what I often referred to as a “Game Changer” for our community.
We want to express our appreciation for the positive working relationship we have enjoyed. The grant specialist’s contributions have been invaluable to our organization.
In working with RJMA, we appreciate working with the dedicated grant specialist assigned to us. This gives us the opportunity to develop a relationship where we don’t have to educate the writer on the specifics of our municipality over and over; He has a strong understanding of our organization and community which allows us to focus on developing a dynamic application.
The Village of Brockport has been pleased with the grant writing services of Robert J. Miller and Associates with whom we have contracted for over 2.5 years. In particular, we have benefitted from the skills of the RJMA assigned grant specialist. He is quick to respond to our inquiries about grants, notifies us of available grants regularly, and works closely with us in the preparation of grant applications. His excellence as a grant writer is evidenced in the numerous grants we have received.
Our recent partnership with RJMA has been invaluable to our district and community. In only a few months, we were able to garner more than $250,000 in grants! Their grant writers are skilled, hard-working, and a joy to work with. I couldn’t be more pleased.
We couldn’t be more happy with RJMA. They have been so accommodating and given us a lot of individual attention. They have secured many grants for us and I would definitely recommend them to write grants for other schools. They make it so easy for us!
From the start of our relationship with RJMA, I found the President and CEO, as well as the organization to be extremely professional, knowledgeable and open minded. Our assigned grant specialist is talented, hard working and consistent in his pursuit to find us grants and grant funding. It has been a pleasure working with him, and the organization on the whole. I would recommend RJMA to anyone in need of a trust-worthy organization to seek out grant opportunities.
Working with RJMA has positively impacted our capacity towards fund development. They operate with efficiency and an intentionality that has led to multiple grant success.
RJMA has been a fantastic partner with West Clermont. We have had multiple successful awards that will make a huge impact on our students and staff. I especially appreciate their willingness to walk us through the entire grant writing process.
The Kids Equipment Network (TKEN) has worked with Robert J. Miller & Associates, Inc. staff for two years and continues to have a very rewarding experience. Our assigned grant specialist was always professional, personable, responsive, and thorough. They developed and launched an individualized grant proposal submission plan to meet TKEN’s operational needs. TKEN will continue to collaborate with Robert J. Miller & Associates, Inc. to help identify granting organizations that help us achieve our mission.
The staff at RJMA has made it a point to listen carefully to our needs and goals and has tried very hard to meet those needs and goals. They maintain excellent communication and have a wealth of knowledge about available opportunities and how to be successful at seizing those opportunities. The first grant they helped craft for us successfully garnered more than $700,000 in federal funds. I could not be happier with the great team at RJMA.
Robert J. Miller and Associates continue to seek out grants that are tailored to our rural district’s vision, mission, and goals. Their proven success in writing and attaining awards has provided our teachers and students resources and opportunities for innovation and professional growth that otherwise would not have been available. Their proactive stance and expertise are invaluable and, definitely, a worthy investment.
I appreciate the work and dedication of RJMA to the granting writing success for our school. The weekly check-in and persistence of the company makes grant writing more attainable for us. Let me add, we have been able to achieve greater success in the grants awarded to applications made. It’s been a win for our agency.
After being a client with RJMA for one year, our school has received more money in grants and funding than in the past five years. The staff is courteous, competent, and works relentlessly to find, apply, and secure funding from various sources. When questions came up that needed attention, Robert Miller flew into New York to meet with our Board of Trustees to answer all their questions and continue the successful relationship we have forged during the past year. My representative has done an outstanding job of alerting me to new funding opportunities we never knew existed. Her follow up is impeccable and she knows what they look for when selecting schools to receive funding. Her weekly emails containing a running record of grants we filed for is really appreciated at our monthly board meetings.
This week the Poughkeepsie City School District (PCSD) received notification that it is the recipient of an additional $1.1 million in new grant funding, increasing the grant funding received to approximately $2.1 million since January 2021. As part of the District’s strategic plan to acquire more grant funding, Robert J. Miller & Associates, Inc., an outside grant writing firm was secured to work with district leadership on grant applications to support district-wide reform efforts and to deepen the district’s impact on student learning. The latest round of awards will enable the district to strengthen its safety and security posture and increase instructional technology used among staff and students.
As a first-time applicant for a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant, the process was much more in-depth and formidable than any of our previous grant-writing experiences. The support provided by RJMA in helping our school pull together the final pieces and complete our application was invaluable. Thank you, RJMA!
CentraState Healthcare has been working with Robert J Miller & Associates for over 15 years, and in my current position, I have been working with RJMA for over ten years. The numerous grants we have received as a result of working with RJMA over the years have enabled our clinicians to continue to offer much-needed programs and health services to the families and individuals in our communities. CentraState is fortunate to have RJMA as a part of our ‘family’. RJMA is a highly professional, skilled, and effective grants management group and it has been a pleasure to work with them.
Our school district has been very pleased with the services provided by RJMA. We were looking for some assistance in monitoring, preparing, and successfully acquiring grants. Our look is now over. RJMA has greatly surpassed our expectations. Our success rate achieving various grants has never been higher.
RJMA has been essential to the district’s ability to increase its outside grant revenue by hundreds of thousands of dollars annually over the past several years. Their expertise in grant writing and their knowledge of the little things that give grant applicants an edge in the process are what we needed to take us to the next level in our grant applications. We highly recommend them to any school district looking to increase its grant funding possibilities.
Over the past ten years, the grant services provided through RJMA have allowed my programs to offer more expansive services to our students. The RJMA grant writing manager working with my school administration and instructional staff formed a very complete and efficient team. As such, they were successful in acquiring a number of both large and small grants for our schools. RJMA is a highly professional, skilled and effective grants management group and it has been a pleasure to work with them.
The pioneering rural schools work RJMA did while partnering with ECO2000, a consortium of 7, later 12, school districts in extreme Northern Maine, demonstrates the effectiveness of having a knowledgeable grants firm provide vital services to rural schools. Without RJMA’s services, our schools would not have been able to provide additional services to our students and staff. Given the ability to access RJMA’s vast grant database, our consortium was able to tailor our grant applications to our specific needs, thus providing a greater chance for funding. Having a success rate far above average, grant funding greatly exceeded fees paid to RJMA for their services.
The Waterford School District has worked with Robert J. Miller & Associates’ experienced staff for several years. Our district has received over $11 million in grant funding due to their ability to effectively convey our District’s mission and objectives through the grant writing process. We are pleased to have Robert J. Miller & Associates on our team!
The Tonawanda City School District has used Robert J. Miller & Associates grant writing service for 18 months. To date our district has received close to $400,000 in grant allocations. The one grant received will help student achievement to increase with our special education population. The grant writer is excellent with communicating with my staff as she seeks input while developing the grant proposal. I highly recommend Robert J. Miller & Associates for your grant writing needs.
Robert J. Miller & Associates, Inc. has been an incredible partner in the pursuit of grants and awards to provide additional resources for our students. They have become a valued member of our team as we make efforts to provide enhanced opportunities for our students to be successful.
Robert J. Miller & Associates has been invaluable to our organization’s fundraising efforts, and in the process has become an integral partner for our strategic planning. Their ability to comprehend and understand our large, complex health care organization and to match our needs with funding opportunities has been outstanding.
I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for the fine work your firm has performed on behalf of our school district. We find working with Robert J. Miller & Associates to be enjoyable as well as professionally rewarding. What makes Robert J. Miller & Associates, Inc. stand out is their accessibility, willingness to listen, and the ability to understand our exact requirements to secure grants from agencies that complement our vision.
Robert J. Miller & Associates, Inc. has provided excellent grant writing services to assist our organization in furthering its mission. The RJMA grant writing team uses critical research skills in order to find grants that match our funding needs, and then provides a strategic and thoughtful approach to the narrative. The final result is a polished professional grant package ready for submission. On all levels, Robert J. Miller & Associates, Inc. has exceeded our expectations.
