Why would my approach to a foundation or corporation be different from asking an individual for support?  Foundations, corporations, and government are institutions that grant funds that are not theirs personally.

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How is the process different from fundraising from individuals?

The application process is:

  • More formal.

  • More professional.

  • Less emotional

  • More time-consuming, sometimes.

  • More public.

  • More targeted.

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There’s value beyond the dollars. 

  • The process will require you to articulate clearly and perhaps to think

differently about your work.

  • Philanthropic groups can provide technical assistance in formal and informal ways—

they can offer guidance, ideas, feedback, and thoughts on how to network effectively.

  • Funders are colleagues too—they can’t do their work without you.

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Start with understanding your organization's core mission and work. Then research funding sources.

  • Spend time identifying foundations and corporations that are interested in your field

and fund work like yours.

  • Read annual reports, newsletters, guidelines, lists of prior grants.

  • Use the Foundation Center library system; use the Internet, the Council on Foundations,

www.Grantsmart.org, www.fdncenter.org, www.Guidestar.org

  • Don’t attempt to force a “round peg” request into a “square hole” foundation—

look for a good fit. A mismatch will not yield good results.

  • Find a grant to meet your needs; don’t design a project just to get a grant.

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What about guidelines?

  • Guidelines are designed to help the funder as well as the grantee. They vary widely.

  • Get them.

  • Read them.

  • Follow them.

  • Adhere to deadlines.

  • Provide all the documentation requested.

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Program officers are people too!

  • Talk to them.

  • Build relationships with them.

  • Answer their questions.

  • Listen carefully and hear them.

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Writing a proposal

  • Know what your organization and project  are about and what you need.

  • Don’t assume a funder knows anything about your organization or program.

  • Answer ALL the questions posed in the guidelines.

  • Write clearly using good English and good punctuation.

  • Make it legible—double space and use a font size of at least 11.

  • Avoid jargon, acronyms, and excessive statistics.

  • Avoid predictions of what might happen without the program.

  • Don’t promise more than you can deliver.

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Evaluation

  • Think about your outcomes, not out-puts—not just the numbers served but rather,

how will lives be changed?

  • How will you know if your program has been a success?

  • How will you measure success?

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What’s it like inside the world of funders?

  • Grantmakers know and talk to each other.

  • They expect quality and they look for it.

  • They have competencies that come from  personal and professional experience.

  • They have an overview of activity in the nonprofit sector that gives them a unique

and valuable perspective.

  • Many grantmakers have worked in or studied the field they fund. They may know

as much as you do about your work.

  • For corporations, grantmaking is often an extension of their marketing efforts.

Make sure you understand their business, customers, and markets.

Tips on funding strategies

  • Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

  • Keep looking for and adding new sources, constantly.

  • Don’t ever forget that individuals do 80 percent of all giving in the United States.

Foundations and corporations are a small slice of the total philanthropic pie.

  • Work in partnership with other nonprofits and with your funders.

Remember

  • Grantmaking is as much art as science.