Skip to main content.
Bard
  • Bard
  • Academics sub-menuAcademics
    Bard College Commencement
    • Academics
      • Programs and Divisions
      • Structure of the Curriculum
      • Courses
      • Requirements
      • Discover Bard
      • Bard Abroad
      • Academic Calendar
      • Faculty
      • Libraries
      • College Catalogue
      • Dual-Degree Programs
      • Bard Conservatory of Music
      • Other Study Opportunities
      • Graduate Programs
      • Early Colleges
  • Admission sub-menuAdmission
    • Applying
      • Apply Now
      • Financial Aid
      • Tuition + Payment
    • Discover Bard
      • Campus Tours
      • Meet Our Students + Alumni/ae
      • For Families / Familias
    • Stay in Touch
      • Join Our Mailing List
      • Contact Us
  • Campus Life sub-menuCampus Life
    Bard Campus Life

    Make a home in Annandale.

    • Living on Campus
      • Housing + Dining
      • Campus Resources
      • Get Involved on Campus
      • Visiting + Transportation
      • Athletics + Recreation
      • New Students
  • Civic Engagement sub-menuCivic Engagement
    • Bard CCE The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) at Bard College embodies the fundamental belief that education and civil society are inextricably linked.

      Take action.
      Make an impact.

      Get Involved
      • Campus + Community
      • In the Classroom
      • U.S. Network
      • International Network
      • About CCE
      • Resources
      • Support
  • Newsroom sub-menuNews + Events
    Upstreaming
    • News + Events
      • Newsroom
      • Events Calendar
      • Video Gallery
      • Press Releases
      • Office of Communications
      • COVID-19 Updates
    • Special Events
      • Commencement Weekend
      • Alumni/ae Reunion
      • Family + Alumni/ae Weekend
      • Fisher Center
      • Bard SummerScape
      • Bard Athletics
  • About Bard sub-menuAbout Bard

    A private college for the public good.

    Support Bard

    Legacy Challenge
    • About Bard College
      • Mission Statement
      • Bard History
      • Love of Learning
      • Visiting Bard
      • Employment
      • OSUN
      • Bard Abroad
      • The Bard Network
      • Montgomery Place Campus
      • Campus Tours
      • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
      • Sustainability
      • Title IX and Nondiscrimination
      • HEOA Disclosures
      • Institutional Support
      • Safety and Security
      • Inside Bard
      • Alumni/ae Network
      • Family Network
      • Support Bard
      • Legacy Challenge
  • COVID-19 Information
  • Give
  • Search
Main Image for Institutional Support

Institutional Support

Students using equipment funded through a $500,000 grant from The Sherman Fairchild Foundation.
Photo by Pete Mauney '93 MFA '00
OIS Menu
  • Home
The Office of Institutional Support (OIS), one of three offices within the Office of Development and Alumni/ae Affairs, manages the College’s fundraising efforts from foundations, government agencies, corporations, and other entities to support College-wide needs and maintain the College’s ability to raise and receive funding.

OIS News

Click the links below for new grant awards and other OIS news!
  • Bard College Awarded $399,000 Grant from Mellon Foundation for Project on Voting Rights
    Bard College Awarded $399,000 Grant from Mellon Foundation for Project on Voting Rights
  • NEH

    NEH


    The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded a $350,000 grant to support Dr. Anne Chen's project entitled "International Digital Dura-Europos Archive (IDEA): Reassembling and Recontextualizing Ancient Cultural Heritage." This project will create a digital archive of materials related to the archaeological site of Dura-Europos, Syria, a multicultural center of the ancient world that has been threatened in recent years by looting and conflict. IDEA aims at virtual reassembly and contextualization of archaeological information from a uniquely preserved archaeological site of cross-disciplinary significance.
     
  • Bard Receives a $300,000 Grant from the Booth Ferris Foundation

    Bard Receives a $300,000 Grant from the Booth Ferris Foundation


    The Booth Ferris Foundation awarded a two-year $300,000 award to Bard College to support the establishment of the Center for Ethics and Writing. The Center will provide a critical framework for students to understand the role language plays in shaping our public discourse. The Center for Ethics and Writing, through a partnership with Bard Early College High Schools, community college partners, and nonprofit organizations, reimagines the study of literature and writing as both an academic and social practice, one that asks students to translate the skills they develop in the classroom as critical readers and writers to some of the most pressing and divisive social issues of the moment.
  • $150,000 William Randolph Hearst Foundation Grant

    $150,000 William Randolph Hearst Foundation Grant


    Bard received a $150,000 award from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation to support Early College Opportunity (ECO) Scholarships that will provide scholarships for 10 students as well as funding for peer mentors and an ECO scholar that will help to ensure an easy transition from the Early Colleges to undergraduate life in Annandale.
  • Helen Frankenthaler Foundation

    Helen Frankenthaler Foundation


    The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation awarded The Office of Sustainability and CCS a $50,000 technical assistance grant to support HVAC and Envelope Upgrades for the Hessel Museum. Read more HERE.
  • Bard College Receives $150,000 Grant from George I. Alden Trust to Support Teaching and Research in the Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing

    Bard College Receives $150,000 Grant from George I. Alden Trust to Support Teaching and Research in the Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing


    ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Bard College has received a $150,000 grant from the George I. Alden Trust to acquire an upgraded gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer in order to support the continuity and growth of ongoing curricular and research projects within the Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing at Bard. This new instrument, with its expanded analytical capabilities, is an essential component of the five-year infrastructure and instrumentation plan created by the Chemistry and Biochemistry Program. 

    “We are so grateful to have this support from the Alden Trust. Continuing the essential analytical capacity of our labs is important. And with this funding, we are able to expand the range of experiments that are possible, providing many more opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching and research at Bard,” said Associate Dean of the College and Associate Professor of Chemistry Emily McLaughlin.

    Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GCMS) provides the technology to separate mixtures, and to identify and quantify pure compounds and individual components of mixtures for applications ranging across scientific disciplines. At Bard, this type of instrument has been central to the science curriculum for over 25 years. The acquisition of an upgraded gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer impacts the undergraduate teaching and learning experience in substantial ways—including in research and curricular work in chemistry, biology, environmental studies, and Bard’s Citizen Science Program, in which all first-year students take part. 

    The enhanced capabilities of the new GCMS will facilitate ongoing and new collaborations among faculty and students, including the ability effectively sample aqueous environmental samples for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  The GCMS has been a central part of analytical chemistry at the College, resulting in work presented at local, regional, and national conferences and manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals. 

    Read more here: https://www.bard.edu/news/releases/pr/fstory.php?id=18379

Funding How-To's

The grant process has four components:
1. Seeking grants
2. Writing a proposal
3. Receiving a grant award
4. Managing the grant award activities

Use these topics as a quick reference to funding instructions or download the manual below. To search in the manual, download the PDF file and use "command /control + F"  or use the "Find Text" button in Adobe Acrobat.

Fundraising Manual
  • 1. Proposals, Logic Models, and Budgets 
    The grant process starts with the proposal or letter of interest, a compact version of a proposal. Agencies may also require a logic model, which shows the tasks, goals, and outcomes of the project. Developing a budget will help you understand how funding will be spent and will help determine the activities you can afford. These important topics are covered on page 18 of the Fundraising Manual and will help walk you through how to begin your proposal.
  • 2. Grant Management:
    Award and Post-Award 
    Many government grants have a list of requirements that you must agree to follow. There can be severe consequences for both the College and the program investigator or project director if the funding and project are not handled in accordance with the award’s terms and conditions. This section of the Fundraising Manual will show you how to properly manage your grant and can be found on page 21 of the Fundraising Manual. The Office of Post-Award Management (OPAM) will be happy to help you manage and report on grant funds after your launch meeting scheduled by OIS. Please contact them at [email protected].
  • 3. Common Information Requested in Proposals 
    Grant proposals often require documentation or information that you may not have. Page 23 of the Fundraising Manual lists some of the commonly requested documents. One of our staff members will be happy to help, should you need any of these documents. Please contact OIS for more information.
  • OIS Grant Guides
    Financial Conflict of Interest

    Disclosure Form

    Financial Conflict of Interest Policy
    Federal Uniform Guidance (UG): CFR
    NSF Responsible Conduct of Research

    Policy

    Logic Model Template
    Projects Requiring Bard IRB Review

    OIS Grant Guides

    Financial Conflict of Interest

    Disclosure Form

    Financial Conflict of Interest Policy
    Federal Uniform Guidance (UG): CFR
    NSF Responsible Conduct of Research

    Policy

    Logic Model Template
    Projects Requiring Bard IRB Review

    Bard College follows the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principals, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards as described in the Code of Federal Regulations. Records of grants and sponsored projects are subject to the College's record management policy under which those records concerning Federal grants, contracts, and awards are subject to the minimum three-year retention requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations (Title 2, Part 200.333).

NSF Grant Guides and Information

Click this link to download the Application Guide

Click this link to download the Awardee Guide

Additional Information on the Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System and Its Impact on Receiving Government Funds

Implemented in 2016, the Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System (FAPIIS),  was created in response to taxpayers demanding more transparency into how government funds are appropriated and spent. As mandated by the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 9.104-6 and Uniform Guidance (UG) 2 CRF 200.206, Federal awarding agencies of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements MUST have a framework in place for evaluating risks posed by applicants prior to making a new award and MUST check FAPIIS for any pertinent information. 
History of Performance has become a hot topic with major Federal Sponsors like NSF. NSF has clarified its expectations around project reporting requirements in Important Notice No. 148. They have made it clear they consider late technical reporting to be a major problem and that they will report the issue on FAPIIS.

NSF Technical Reporting Guidelines:
Annual technical reports are DUE 90 days before the end of the budget period.
Final technical and outcomes reports are DUE 120 days after the end of the project.

IMPORTANT: Any report that is over 1 year late will be reported on FAPIIS as a Recipient’s Material Failure to Comply with the terms and conditions of an award.

What does this mean to Bard?
While NSF has been regularly communicating their expectations, all Federal awarding agencies have the same requirements under FAR and UG for risk assessment. Also, Per UG 2 CFR 200.339, Federal awarding agencies have options for dealing with non-compliance. These range from temporarily withholding payments to the non-Federal entity to withholding further Federal awards.

Bottom-line: Non-compliance on one award could affect receiving other awards at the same institution.

Bard's Lobbying Policy

Lobbying at Bard
Lobbying is defined by NYS as an attempt to influence (support, oppose, modify, delay, expedite, or affect) government decision-making, which includes: legislation, resolutions, executive orders, rules, regulations, rate-making proceedings, and governmental procurement actions.
NYS regulations cover lobbying activities at the New York state, county, city, and town levels.

Types of Lobbying
Direct Lobbying:
  • Face-to-face meeting
  • Telephone calls or texts
  • Distribution of written materials
  • Emails
  • Social media interactions
Grassroots Lobbying:
Grassroots lobbying involves a communication (flyers, social media posts, public outreach efforts, etc.) that takes a clear position on a specific “government action” and urges the public or a segment of the public to contact (“call to action”) a public official in support of that position. Grassroots Lobbying is an attempt to influence public officials through their constituency, by motivating or enabling the public to contact their elected officials.

Member of a Coalition that Lobbies:
A group of otherwise unaffiliated entities or members who pool funds for the primary purpose of engaging in lobbying activities on behalf of the members of the coalition.
 

If Bard expects to incur more than $5,000 in lobbying expenses in a calendar year, Bard must file a report with the State. 
  • If Bard lobbies for itself, it must file a report every two months.
  • If Bard engages outside lobbying firms, it must file a report every 6 months.
If you lobby in New York
To ensure proper and accurate reporting to NYS, the following information must be sent to:
Brandt Burgess at [email protected] (845-752-2357)
If engaging an outside lobbyist or lobbying firm, the following information is required every six months (January-June and July-December):
  • Name of lobbying entity or entities
  • Cost of lobbying efforts for the past 6 months for each entity
  • For who’s benefit is the lobbying effort undertaken
If engaged in in-house lobbying efforts, the following information is required every two months (January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, and November-December):
For each lobbying effort (i.e., lobbying a single issue):
  • The type of lobbying engaged in during the effort; i.e., Direct Lobbying, Grassroots Lobbying, or both.
  • A detailed description of the bill/resolution/order (including the bill/resolution/order ID #) or procurement
  • Names of all public officials contacted
  • Names of all Bard employees who made contact with a public official or engaged publicly with a grassroots effort (i.e. a publicly identifiable person)
  • The expenses incurred; e.g., pro-rated salary, business costs associated with the effort, transportation, etc.
  • For who’s benefit is the lobbying effort undertaken
If engaged with a coalition that lobbies in NYS:
  • Name of the coalition(s)
  • Is the coalition reporting its lobbying effort itself, or is it requiring its members to report?
  • If the coalition requires the member to report, then the following information is required every two months:
    • A detailed description of the bill/resolution/order (including the bill/resolution/order ID #) or procurement action
    • Names of all Public Officials contacted
    • Expenses incurred; e.g.,  dues to the coalition; volunteer’s salary
    • For who’s benefit is the lobbying effort undertaken

The list of required information may change as the first few reports are filed. A prompt response is required-both to the initial report of activities and any subsequent requests for clarification and/or requests for additional information. Delays in filing these reports will cost Bard hundreds of dollars in fines.

Bard's Office of Risk Management

https://www.bard.edu/campus/departments/risk-management/

Our Staff

  • Josh Bardfield ‘01
    Special Projects Lead, OIS
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7260
     

    Josh Bardfield ‘01

    Special Projects Lead, OIS
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7260
     

    Josh is the Special Projects Lead, OIS, and oversees grant applications for various special projects across the Bard network. Prior to joining Bard in June 2019, Josh spent 20 years working with wide-ranging domestic and global public health initiatives, many which received significant grant funding,  in program development, research, and technical writing spanning the non-profit, civil-service, academic and private sectors. Josh earned his MPH from Columbia University and is a Bard alum, Class of ‘01.
  • Sarah Donnatien
    Administrative Coordinator
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7316

    Sarah Donnatien

    Administrative Coordinator
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7316

    Sarah is the Administrative Coordinator within the Office of Institutional Support. She manages a tier of foundation and corporate grants, manages the office's daily activities, and maintains the OIS grants archive. Sarah attended SUNY New Paltz, where, in 2018 she obtained her Bachelor's in Sociology. Before coming to Bard, Sarah served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region.
  • Jordan Jeffries
    Prospect Research Analyst
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7435
     

    Jordan Jeffries

    Prospect Research Analyst
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7435
     

    Jordan Jeffries is the Prospect Research Analyst in the Office of Prospect Research. He searches for foundation prospects for institutional projects at Bard and its affiliates, as well as researching individual prospects for the College. He provides data and documentation to grant seekers on campus and also assists with prospect research on institutional and individual funders. The Office of Prospect Research recommends grant ask amounts, strategies of approach, and provides briefing memos for meetings with potential funders. Jordan has a BFA in illustration from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Check out Jordan's art HERE! 
  • Megan Miller
    Grant Officer
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7262

    Megan Miller

    Grant Officer
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7262

    Megan is the Grant Officer and manages mid-range corporate and foundation institutional grants. Megan earned her BS in Animal and Veterinary Sciences from Clemson University in 2018. During her time at Clemson, Megan was the Marketing and Communications Director for FIRST, an academic and social support program for first-generation students. 
  • Karen Unger
    Associate Vice President, OIS
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7434

    Karen Unger

    Associate Vice President, OIS
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7434

    Karen is the Associate Vice President of the Office of Institutional Support. She directs a staff of six who research and raise significant funding from foundations, corporations and government agencies to strengthen Bard’s commitment as a private institution working for the public interest. Karen began her mission-driven career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Liberia, West Africa, teaches English as a Second Language at the college level and has worked in administrative and creative roles for national non-profit organizations and public school systems. With a graduate degree from Queens College, CUNY, in creative writing, Karen is also an award-winning author of books for middle and high school students, short stories and print and online magazine articles.  
  • Daina Vitin
    Prospect Research Analyst
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7408

    Daina Vitin

    Prospect Research Analyst
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7408

    As part of the OPR/OIS team, Daina researches, analyzes, and ranks individual, corporate, and foundation prospects and donors. Using internal and external research sources she works to determine those prospects’ capacity and inclination to give. Daina provides strategic and collaborative advice for building relationships through connections and matching donors with like areas of interest. Daina earned her MLIS from Rutgers University.
  • Debra Pemstein
    Vice President of Development & Alumni/ae Affairs
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7405

    Debra Pemstein

    Vice President of Development & Alumni/ae Affairs
    Email: [email protected]
    Ext: 7405

    Debra Pemstein has been vice president for development and alumni/ae affairs at Bard College since 1998. She works with the President, administrators, faculty, staff, and volunteers to raise annual, capital and restricted funds, serves on campus-wide strategic planning committees, and works closely with the President and Trustees as a member of the President's Council. During her tenure, Bard has been able to expand its programs through major capital campaigns that have resulted in new buildings for the performing arts, sciences, dormitories, and administrative use and endowments of several faculty chairs. Debra supervises development activities for all of Bard’s institutes and programs, including the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, Bard Music Festival, Bard Prison Initiative, Bard High School Early Colleges, and the Center for Curatorial Studies- Hessel Museum, to name just a few. She also serves as chief administrative officer for the Fisher Center. Debra formerly served as director of major gifts and planned giving for New York City Ballet, director of development for Paul Taylor Dance Company, and associate director of development for the New York Philharmonic. In addition, she is a college lecturer and has presented papers on fundraising topics at national professional conferences. She has served on many boards and advisory committees, including those at Poughkeepsie Day School and Temple Emanuel (Kingston, NY). Currently, Debra is on the Board of Directors of Dutchess Tourism and is the Chair of the Dutchess Tourism Workforce Committee and a member of the Finance Committee. She is also a member of the Dutchess County Economic Development Advisory Council. Debra attended the London School of Economics, received her BBA from George Washington University and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive.

Bard Staff That Work Closely With OIS
 

OIS works closely with the Office of Post-Award Management (OPAM) on post-award grant management. OPAM will be available to help you manage all financial aspects of your grant once it has been received. Once you have been notified of your grant award, OIS will help set up a launch meeting with them to discuss the next steps. You can contact OPAM at [email protected].

For Bard Annandale faculty seeking support for individual projects, please contact Faculty Grants Officer Sue Elvin-Cooper ([email protected]).

For information regarding the Bard High School Early Colleges, please contact BHSEC Grants Officer Sarah Imboden ([email protected]). 

What We Do

What We Do

OIS includes a dedicated cadre of staff that work closely with project directors, program staff, and faculty on the successful submission of grant applications that meet College priorities. Also within OIS is the Office of Prospect Research (OPR), an important part of Bard’s fundraising efforts. OPR finds potential sources of funding and individual donors for the College and recommends outreach efforts. The OIS team has a diverse set of backgrounds that they use to assist you in thinking strategically about raising money for your Bard project. Please feel free to give us a call or stop by to meet with one of our staff members!

OPR by the Numbers

OPR by the Numbers

Research completed by OPR on potential sources of funding is key to developing successful grant proposals. 

  • 145
    Individuals Researched Each Month
     
  • 195
    Institutions Researched Per Month
     
  • $164,540
    Average Grant Award
  • $387,387
    Average Grant Request

Location and Contact

  • Our Location

    You can find the Office of Institutional Support at:
    Bard College Alumni/ae Center 
    4604 NY-9G, Annandale-On-Hudson, NY 12504
  • Contact Us
    Bard College Office of Institutional Support
    P.O. Box 5000 
    Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000

    Sarah Donnatien, Administrative Coordinator
    [email protected]
    845-758-7316
Bard College
30 Campus Road
PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
Phone: 845-758-6822
Admission E-mail: [email protected]
©2023 Bard College
Follow Us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Follow Us on Instagram
You Tube
Information For:
Prospective Students
Current Employees
Alumni/ae 
Families
Quick Links
Employment
Travel to Bard
Site Search
Support Bard