Foster and Associates
Gallery
The Haven was denied an AHP grant for $140,000. After being referred to Foster & Associates, they not only got the grant for us but tripled the award to $445,000! I will not hesitate to contract with Foster & Associates for assistance in the future. Their help is a great investment.
Elaine Hunsicker, Executive Director, The Haven, Battle Creek, MI
We could not have possibly packaged a competitive proposal on our own. Foster and Associates took the best we had to offer and made it better... good enough to win... and we did!
Steve Glade, Development Director, Gospel Rescue Mission, District of Columbia
When the City Mission of Schenectady spends money with vendors, the Kingdom is expanded, but the vendor wins first and the ministry second. With Foster & Associates, the ministry wins first, then Foster & Associates. No other vendor ties their fees as closely to performance as does Foster & Associates – they are unique.
Mike Saccocio, Executive Director, City Mission of Schenectady, NY
Kevin Foster came to my attention in the midst of a capital fund drive to open a new Rescue Mission in our sister city. His familiarity with affordable housing grants from the Federal Home Loan Bank opened the door to a resource that I had never before known. He helped us qualify for a grant of $500,000, and without these funds the new Mission might have never become a reality.
Ken Streeter, Executive Director, City Mission of Saginaw, MI
The grant you wrote was the largest grant that we have ever received. This grant also allowed us to expand from the original plans and make the shelter more detailed than what we originally planned. Your understanding empowered this grant. Your knowledge on how to write and the diligence of your work is what made this possible. You have a caring heart and it shows in your dedication to your task at hand. While you were working with us on our grant I could tell your desire to succeed was not for your self but so that you could help us reach those truly in need. You truly have a heart for Rescue Ministry.
Marilyn Farmer, Executive Director, MorningStar Mission, Joliet, IL
Believe It
Since we write so many grant proposals internally, we applied for a $250,000 AHP grant. This proved unsuccessful. What we learned is that internal personnel are good at writing to local foundations where we have an established relationship. However, taking “mission speak” and presenting it in monetary terms to a nameless banker requires a skill set most missions do not possess. Foster & Associates re-applied and obtained $482,000 for us. Going forward, we will always use third party experts to pursue infrequent and unique proposals. It would be poor stewardship to do otherwise.
Darryl Bartlett, Executive Director, Holland Rescue Mission, Holland, MI
Joe Rowe, Associate Director & Grant Writer, Los Angeles Mission, Los Angeles, CA
I would have never tried to wade through the AHP grant process on my own. Though I love to write, this grant takes a technical skill set that I do not possess. We turned to Kevin Foster to assist us in obtaining two $1,000,000 grants. The small price that Union Rescue Mission paid was certainly worth the astonishing pay-off as we rehabbed our downtown facility and are in the midst of renovating our Hope Gardens Family Center. I highly recommend Kevin Foster.
Andy Bales, President, Union Rescue Mission, Los Angeles, CA
If you had a bad tooth, you would not pull it yourself. Instead, you would let an expert handle it. In the same respect, I can’t imagine trying to navigate the Federal Home Loan Bank system without the services of Foster & Associates. Working with Kevin and his team is almost like going to the dentist and loving it.
Paul Spence. Vice President of Development, City Gospel Mission, Cincinnati, OH
As a director of a smaller organization, I write all of the organization’s grant proposals except one. We hired Foster & Associates to write a proposal to request $140,000. They got us $245,000. Their fees were the best investment we ever made.
Kelli Tackett, Executive Director, Keystone Place, Centreville, MI
In dealing with the banking industry, I believe it is essential to use the expertise of professionals who are immersed in the process. There is a steep learning curve and it is seldom worth the opportunity cost for an Executive Director or a Development Director to become experts at a subject they will rarely do. Having the appropriate expertise could mean the difference in receiving the grant or not. That’s why Foster & Associates will always be an extension of our development department.
Tony Chung, Executive Director, Hiway 80 Rescue Mission, Longview, TX
Before we worked with Foster & Associates we never thought about pursuing more than $20,000 of capital improvements at any one time and we usually encountered many denials in our requests for funding. Thanks to a grant of $450,000 we are going to have a new facility which we could have never done it without the inspiration and perspiration of Foster & Associates. This means that our residents will not have to wear their winter coats inside next year because they will be living in a building with adequate insulation.
Rob Miltenberger, Development Director, Victory Center Ministries, Clinton, IA
Mr. Foster provides the three things we look for in a consultant: results, punctuality, and integrity. His results are clear; he accepted our project, wrote a grant for more than we asked for, and it was approved. Mr. Foster’s expertise in AHP grants helped the Mission present a clearly written, well defended grant application. He also helped establish critical relationships with representatives from The Bank. These relationships allowed our application to be critiqued before submission.
Gary Steward, Executive Director, Hope Gospel Mission, Eau Claire, WI
I would strongly recommend Foster and Associates to anyone that is considering applying for a Federal Home Loan Bank Grant. The entire process, from application to disbursement of funds, is very specific and really requires professional attention to minutiae of detail. Kevin Foster and his staff guided us through the maze of paperwork and their efforts resulted in a grant award of $1,000,000.00 for a new women and children facility.
D. Scott Munro, Development & Expansion Director, Gospel Rescue Mission of Tucson, AZ
Star of Hope Mission has used Foster & Associates to write three grants totaling $1,200,000 in renovations at three different facilities. We have found Foster & Associates to be professional and capable in working with us and the Federal Home Loan Bank. It is refreshing to work with a group who are so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about helping us do our job of helping the homeless.
John Mills, Executive Vice President, Star of Hope, Houston, TX