Matt R. Fact - Multi Year General Operating Dollars (M.Y.G.O.D.) Lyrics

Yo listen I've been writing grants everyday,
Gettin' so creative Billy Shakespeare status just to find a way
To make my application fit with what these guidelines say
Why do these grantors gotta be so strict now anyway
All I want is that general operation
Unrestricted so that I can be in contemplation
Planning how to most effectively serve my population
Rather than spending all my time in calculation
Trying to figure out who's paying for utilities
Pencils pens and paper printers postage ink and salaries
All these grantors only wanting to pay for programs makes it hard
That's like only wanting to pay for gas, but not the car
With some unrestricted funding we could really thrive
Maybe finally upgrade from Windows 95
Pay our staff a living wage and help them get on by
Replace this chair from back when Biggie Smalls was still alive

To all the grantors, the foundations and the trusts,
We've got the answers, of how you can best help us,
To all the grantors, the foundations and the trusts,
We've got the answers, we think it's time to discuss,
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars

They say they want to help us grow our capacity
But then they won't put a cent towards a salary
How are we supposed to do the work without the we
What you think, that nonprofit means we work for free
Working overtime cause we don't really need to sleep
Zero costs of living we don't even need to eat
Photosynthesis for nourishment just like a tree a little sun some oxygen and H2O that's all we need
And what about our financial stability
Making us take off a year or two for dependency the truth is that that doesn't really help in reality
It just makes it harder to do our work from uncertainty
Means less time for actually doing our work and more for grants
Flying high and dry by the seat of our pants
Never knowing if we'll ever get around to launch our programs cause the funding that we need depends on happenstance

To all the grantors, the foundations and the trusts
We've got the answers, of how you can best help us
To all the grantors, the foundations and the trusts
We've got the answers, we think it's time to discuss
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars

Now listen funders please don't get this message twisted
Or think that we'd be glad if you didn't exist
It's thanks to your support and generosity that we can do our work and if you weren't around you would be dearly missed
It's just that there's a bunch of ways that we could do this better
Starting from the application to the grant report letter
Just imagine how impactful and productive as a team that we could be if we got better at the way we work together
There'd be no limit to the things that we could do
Eradicating poverty and solving climate change too
If you'd only liberate us from the paperwork, restrictions, and reports then our accomplishments would all be thanks to you
By now you probably know, the title of this song
For this last chorus please join us sing along
It's the best way to empower us to achieve our mission
Give us the tools we need, and make us strong
To all the grantors, the foundations and the trusts
We've got the answers, of how you can best help us
To all the grantors, the foundations and the trusts
We've got the answers, we think it's time to discuss
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars
Multi Year, General, Operating Dollars