Writing Grants
10 Steps in Identifying Foundation Prospects
Writing grants is only half the story. The real key is in identifying foundation prospects. A grant writer must determine if there is a good fit between the organization’s funding needs and the foundation’s areas of interests.
Look carefully and consider the following factors BEFORE you start your grant writing.- Does this foundation make grants in my geographic area?
- Does this foundation fund the support that I need:
General operating
Mission program/project
Challenge/matching
Capacity building? - Does this foundation fund our core mission (education, health care, women’s issues, religious, etc.)?
- Does this foundation fund other organizations like mine?
- Does this foundation have members on its Board of Directors that are known to someone in my organization – my board, executive director, volunteers, or program directors?
- Is this foundation familiar with my organization’s mission?
- Have we ever applied to them?
- Have we met with a Program Officer?
- Have we been funded in the past and for how much?
- Did we report on a timely basis and update them on our work, our accomplishments, and our growth/changes as an organization?
Before your fingers touch the keyboard to write that brilliant grant, make sure you know where you are headed. Taking the time to answer these questions will help formulate a strategy that will ultimately allow you to identify the foundation that will most likely fund your grant proposal. Grant funding can be a very important part of your organization’s overall revenue stream. Strategic and thoughtful research adds to your organization’s odds of getting funded. Carefully choosing your foundation prospects is well worth the time and effort it takes. Make that investment to increase your odds of getting funded the first time!
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