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Bette AB Mammone, MA

Expert Guru
About Bette AB Mammone, MA and The Resource Building stratgies LLC:

Resource Building strategies LLC is a boutique philanthropy and capacity building firm committed to organizations who understand the need to adapt to an ever changing worldwide "giving" culture. RBF works with you to develop giving and capital funding plans that move vision to reality with just the right formula for sustainability.

In Fall 2008 RBF will launch its much anticipated national workshop for educators and faith and community based organizations committed to developing successful proposal writing and alternative funding source programs!

Bette AB Mammone is:

A seasoned master level writer and social entrepreneur committed to organizations that recognize the power of persuasive writing!

An amazing funds developer for for-profit and non-profit capital ventures.

A credible fund raiser/writer who has generated more than $100 million in public (state and federal), private corporation and foundation and individual gifts and investments for clients throughout the U.S.


A well educated listener and deliberate thinker:
BA cum laude Elmira College
Reader, Oxford University
MA Journalism Marquette University

A highly regarded trainer/speaker in capacity building/sustainability!




8 Tips from Bette AB Mammone, MA

Anatomy of a Grant:: Getting Your House in Order Before Step Climbing!

If your organization is thinking about establishing a grant writing program, you must first make sure your organizational house is in order. Too often people think money will fix what's wrong. Before you start selling funders that you're worthy, take a look at your staffing, mission, programming, leadership, financial house and how mission is supported and then develop a plan for identifying funders who will support your cause.

Grantwriting Step 1: Gathering Background Information

Gathering Background Information The first thing you will need to do in preparing for any grant proposal is to gather the documentation you will need for that proposal and others that will be identified as you move forward.You will require background documentation in three areas: concept, program, and expenses. If all of this information is not available to you, determine who will help you gather each type of information. If you are part of a small nonprofit with no staff, a knowledgeable board member will be the logical choice. If you are in a larger agency, there should be program and financial support staff who can help you. Once you know with whom to talk, identify the questions to ask. This data-gathering process makes the actual writing much easier. And by involving other stakeholders in the process, it also helps key people within your agency seriously consider the project's value to the organization

Grantwriting Step 2: Developing Your Concept

It is important that you have a good sense of how the project fits into the philosophy and mission of your agency. The need that the proposal is addressing must also be documented. These concepts must be well-articulated in the proposal. Funders want to know that a project reinforces the overall direction of an organization, and they may need to be convinced that the case for the project is compelling. You should collect background data on your organization and on the need to be addressed so that your arguments are well-documented!

Grantwriting Step 3: Creating Your Program

Here is a check list of the program information you require: the nature of the project and how it will be conducted; the timetable for the project; the anticipated outcomes and how best to evaluate the results; and staffing and volunteer needs, including deployment of existing staff and new hires.

Stay tuned for a Continuation of Tips on: The Anatomy of a Grant!

Notes from Babu's Tea Room: Be Inspired!

If you are thinking of opening a tea room, you must first, if you haven't already, take a trip and visit successful tea rooms already in business. I recommend visiting tea rooms such as the Nose Bag in Oxford, England and a good number of tea rooms in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada. You will find tea rooms all over the world, but first do your research! Plan your trip and bring a journal with you to take notes on what you see, hear, feel and what menus look like. Budget your trip and remember this is an investment in your future tea room--best of all the trip is tax deductible!

Notes from Babu's Tea Room: What to Look for

On your trip listen to the music in the tea room, watch and listen to who walks in the door, look at the china and sample a number of teas. If your adventuresome, ask to talk to the owner and without sounding like a detective, find out how much they love what they do, how many hours they are open, what days, etc. Observe the servers and get a feel for how you want your tea room to operate.

Notes from Babu's Tea Room: Know Your Market, Know Your Teas

If opening a tea room is a dream you have had and now you're ready to do it, know your market and know your teas. If you are in a resort community like Lake Placid (where the beautiful Mirror Lake Inn has an elegant afternoon tea)or a large city with high tea served at several hotels, chances are you already know your market (and your competition). If you are in a small town, you may be offering something remarkable that women and girls in particular will love and yearn for from a memory of a vacation experience. In either circumstance, you are going to have to decide when you are open (weekends only, afternoons, special events and holidays), how you will market and advertise your tea room and most of all--you need to know your teas. Find every book you can about tea and read, read, read. Order and sample. Get a group of friends together and have a tasting party. In other words, don't serve anything you haven't tasted, liked or know that someone will like it--and make sure you have herbal and decaffeinated teas for those who love the grace of the tea, but can't handle the caffeine. Recommended reading: Alexandra Stoddards, Tea Celebrations!

Notes from Babu's Tea Room: Serving it Up

So now you've written your business plan, you've visited the best of the best, picked your colors and your know your market. You have a treasure chest of teas that your patrons will love. You have an eclectic but glorious collection of cups to serve with--so who's serving. Your servers will create or darken the experience and be the most significant element in whether or not you are open for business tomorrow. Select servers who love tea, are graceful and beautiful and enjoy the setting you have created as much as the people they will serve. You might find high school girls who love aesthetics and find that this "job" is perfect. You might even attract college students who don't want to work in the cafeteria and remember that European trip they had with their parents last summer in London and they went to a tea room. Whomever they are, select quietly, cautiously and remember they are representing your dream-your passion!