Top 5 Tips for Successful Foundation Funding

1. Research

Imagine for a moment that you plan to buy a home. You want something modest, a one-level and it must have a garage. Well, your realtor just doesn’t get it. Every house he shows you is over priced, or a bi-level and none have garages!

Foundations publish their interests much like you do when you search for a home. The key is tapping into the database. If you don’t have a subscription to the Foundation Center or Foundation Search, try the local library. Often the library has a subscription and you can log on free.

Once on one of these databases, match the following criteria:

• Geographic
• Programmatic
• Type of Support

2. Relationship

Private foundations are a formal way for giving to the things the founders care about, long after they are gone.

With more than 70,000 private foundations in the U.S., it is hard to know where to begin. However, foundations reflect the personality of their primary donor. Learn to see them as people, not entities.

A few things to consider in relationship building:

1. Start where you are, local, statewide, then national. This lets you know the foundations in your area.
2. Join local chapters of non-profits. There is untapped knowledge and networking there.
3. Treat foundations like people and you’ll be ahead of the game.

3. Writing

Ok, you’ve done the research, you’ve built a relationship and now it’s time to write. “But I’m not a writer!” you say. “I don’t know anything about writing a grant!”

Step away from the keyboard. Relax. If you have grant-o-phobia, there are freelance writers to help. But, if you have the time, give it a shot, you may surprise yourself.

Good grant proposals contain:

• Language that echoes the foundation’s interests and mission.
• A history of achievement, however brief.
• Your ability to do what you say.
• A laser focus on your organization’s mission.

A good proposal shows success and outcomes, not just the potential.

4. Reporting

If you can’t measure it, you can’t market it. I know that’s lingo from the “for profit” world. But if you want to be successful in foundation funding, you’d better be able to measure your outcomes.

With nearly every successful grant I’ve seen, a letter of agreement outlines what the foundation expects from your organization. That typically includes some kind of report as to the success or failure of your proposal.

A successful report is:

• Honest – even if you didn’t achieve what you said you would.
• On time.
• Thankful.

5. Resilience and Persistance

The pursuit of foundation funding isn’t for the faint of heart! Some foundations get three times the number of proposals as they actually fund. The key is to not give up!

This is a competitive process. Nevertheless, I believe every nonprofit can develop a solid foundation funding department. Armed with the right attitude, tools and information, any development professional, even volunteers, can succeed in pursuing foundations.

About the Author

Aaron Atwood works for The Elevation Group as a junior consultant and grant writer in Colorado. You can contact him at aaron@theelevationgroup.com.