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A library applied for a grant from a federal agency. The grant was designed according to the library's priorities and did not follow the guidelines set by the funding agency. Although the agency asked that all project participants be named prior to submitting the application, the library felt it would be better to gather the people together after the grant award was announced. As a result of that decision, the required group needs—assessment work was ignored as well.

In his new book, The “How To” Grants Manual (Second ed. Macmillan, 1988), David G. Bauer quotes a student in one of his classes. Her comment sums up this columnist's philosophy on technical assistance, as well as that found in other literature and classes on the subject. “I used to go after grants with a shotgun,” she said. “Now I use a rifle and spend time aligning my telescopic site.”

Whatever your library is working on, be it an ongoing operation or a special project, the people who have the greatest need for that service are in your own community. In seeking alternative sources of funding, your first avenue should therefore be a local source. Before you approach regional, state, or national sources, it is wise to garner as much local support as you can.

No matter the funding source—government agency, foundation, corporation—each designates staff to work with potential grantees.

Many grant proposals requesting federal or state dollars would fare better by targeting local sources. Why? Local funding sources have more commitment to the success of a local project than do regional, state, or federal sources; fewer bureaucratic procedures/reporting requirements are involved in designing and implementing a locally funded project; and no strings are attached to its continuation once the outside funding cycle has ended.

Fifteen years ago, when I became a city library director, my highest priority was to increase the percentage of city residents who used the library to 100 percent. During my first six months on the job, I did a community needs assessment and also looked at the other locally funded city services. One of the startling realizations I had was not all city services were striving for that all‐important 100 percent utilization.

Over one‐third of philanthropic giving in the United States comes as a result of direct mail, which is why direct mail campaigns are such an important funding source for libraries of all types.

I read a number of magazines devoted to fund raising, grantsmanship, nonprofit management, and philanthropy. And lately, I've been impressed by the number of both philosophical and practical hints the experts have shared about the basic approach to these activities. Combined with what has been hammered home to me over the years by colleagues from a variety of government agencies, corporations, and foundations, I have compiled a list of what I consider are the best of them.

Our fifth annual survey of the business leaders to keep an eye on the next year.

In uncertain times, courageous leaders must be in place, stepping forward to take action to drive results. Because there is really no such thing as a natural-born leader, the organization must constantly develop current and new leaders. Leadership skills and leader behavior are shaped and molded over time, but also can be dramatically changed and improved with a variety of effective leadership development programs. The perplexing issue about leaders and leadership development is the negative press it often receives. The root cause of this problem is not necessarily the content of leadership development programs or even the way that they are delivered, it is the definition of leadership success and the success of leadership development.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the success of a courageous leader does not occur until impact is achieved in the organization.

The courageous leader is one who can deliver on all levels of outcomes in the face of many difficulties, challenges and uncertainties in ambiguous environments.

Great leaders deliver great results, including the impact they have on their organizations or spheres of influence. Without impact, leaders are ineffective. To achieve success in these turbulent times requires leaders to be effective in delivering on five levels of outcomes, including impact and ROI. The courageous leader is one who can deliver on all levels of outcomes in the face of many difficulties, challenges and uncertainties in ambiguous environments.