Introduction to Grants Research

About

The first step is doing one's homework. Foundations have missions just as do nonprofits and so it is vital to the success of your proposal that you find those funders who are aligned with your organization’s program area.

Google is not an effective tool for grants research as many funders still do not maintain a website. It is therefore imperative to know the key resources where you can locate reliable information. This introductory program is ideal for those who are new to the grants process or would like a brush up.

We cover:

• Where you can locate Requests for Proposals (RFPs)
• Tips to consider as you conduct your research
• Some tips on what funders look for when evaluating a proposal
• How to find contributors to your peer organizations
• A quick look at Donor Advised Funds (DAFs)
• A little bit about Individual Donor cultivation
• And much more!

In the last portion of the class, we take an in depth look at the Foundation Directory Online (FDO) and run test searches for funders. The FDO contains profiles on over 90,000 grantmakers from across the country.