The Virtual Foundation - your donation makes it happen

After You Receive a Grant

According to The Virtual Foundation's policies all grant recipients are required to submit a Final Report to be sent to the local Virtual Foundation Consortium Member. Final Reports must follow the Guidelines for Final Reports.

We encourage you to send brief updates on your project to the Virtual Foundation so that we can place them on the website. This will help to attract future donors and will publicize your organization's work. Include photos or any other visual materials (maps, drawings, newspaper articles, etc.).

Following is information which may assist you in developing a stronger and long term relationship with the donor who supported your project.

  1. The majority of people who donate to The Virtual Foundation are expecting, at a minimum, a thank you letter from you. If the name and address of the donor is not provided to you by the Consortium Member, please contact the Virtual Foundation Grants Office.

  2. Please write your letter to the donor in English. Most donors do not have access to translators.

  3. Avoid highly formal communications. They may appear insincere.

  4. In your communications discuss your project or other common interests. The more you share information, the more likely it is that the donor will find ways of developing a relationship with you.

  5. Include photos or any other visual materials (maps, drawings, newspaper articles, etc.). This will help the donor to better understand your project and your region.

  6. If you expect a reply to your communication, make this very clear.

  7. Be patient with breaks in communications. International postal delivery can take weeks or months. E-mail often breaks down for days or weeks.
Cross cultural communications are a great adventure. Like all adventures, there will be many surprises and a few problems to be solved along the way. It is best to approach international communications with understanding and as much information as possible. A good sense of humor also helps.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Cross Cultural Communications

The following FAQs may be helpful to your efforts to correspond with donor-partners. If you have a question which we have not answered, contact The Virtual Foundation staff by e-mail at ecologia@ecologia.org or call our toll-free number at (888) 801-7101. We also encourage you to submit your recommendations for posting on this site.
Should I write in English ?
Yes. Many donors can only read English, which they should make clear in their communications.

What do I do if I don't receive a response ?
If you are using e-mail, resend the message after one week. If you are using the mail, contact The Virtual Foundation about communication problems.

May I ask the donor-partner I am corresponding with for additional support ?
The policy of The Virtual Foundation is that all funding requests must go through local Consortium Members in order to insure reliability and prevent fraud.