Nonprofit Kit For Dummies, 6th Edition

Chapter 17

Sleuthing for Grant Funding

IN THIS CHAPTER

Familiarizing yourself with the different types of foundations

Tracking down private grant sources

Using online databases to research grant opportunities

Exploring options for public funding

Many people are familiar with the names of the nation’s largest foundations. We can fantasize about receiving six- or even seven-figure grants from the likes of the WK Kellogg, Open Society, or Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. They have so much money — why wouldn’t they support your nonprofit’s work?

Foundations have missions, just like other nonprofits, and the most likely foundation to give you a grant may not be the largest in the land. Your task is to become a sleuth to identify the foundations whose priorities best match your nonprofit’s goals. Spending time to write a good proposal matters — we discuss proposal writing in Chapter 18 — but finding a receptive audience for that proposal is just as important. It may be even more important.

This chapter shows you how to identify grant sources and figure out your approach to a grant giver. ...