Non-Profit Grant Funding

You can't begin to write proposals until you locate funders who are the best matches for your projects and programs. This article focuses on:

• The skill of grant research;
• 18 top search skills that all non-profits and grant writers need to know, and
• 3 top ways to find the best funding source matches.

"Grant seeking" is a lesser known element of "grant writing." However, it is extremely important. In fact, the Grant Professionals Certification exam includes funder research as 1 of its 6 main job focuses: seeking, project designing, writing, managing, ethics and professionalism, and relationship-building.

Grant seeking can be categorized into 2 primary areas:

1. Researching and identifying the best funding matches for your agency (9 skills); and
2. Strengthening your agency's readiness for grant seeking (9 skills).

Let's take a look of teach of these 2 areas in more detail.

9 Skills for Researching & Identifying the Best Funding Matches

As a professional grant seeker, you should be able to...

1. Identify major tends in governmental grant funding and policy;
2. Identify major trends in private grant funding (i.e., foundations and corporations)
3. Locate appropriate funding sources;
4. Gather the most important information about specific funders;
5. Keep up-to-date funder data;
6. Discern effects of an agency's organization (i.e., culture, values, norms) on prospective funding sources;
7. Determine which programs and projects are "most fundable";
8. Decide which funders are the best matches for specific programs and projects; and
9. Analyze Requests for Proposals (RFP's) to determine funder intent and priorities.

3 Top Ways To Find Good Matches

Here are 3 top ways to find good funder matches quickly:

1. Use the appropriate keywords - There are some excellent electronic databases and printed resources that show you exactly how funder's thing and even spend their money. Many databases categorize funders by subject or area of interest, type of support needed, type of recipient agency, geographic focus and special population to be served, if applicable. Identify keywords in these categories that align with your agency's mission, and you're well on your way to finding good matches fast.
2. Choose the appropriate funder type - There are four main funder types - foundations, corporations, government agencies and individual donors. Good grant seekers know how to discern very quickly the best funder type for a specific project.
3. Use linear and non-linear approaches to funders - It's helpful to understand the places where you can find funders directly, like electronic databases. Don't forget, though, that indirect approaches like using the concept "6 degrees of separation" to your advantage can be just as effective or even more so, as in my case.

9 Skills for Strengthening Your Agency for Funding

As a professional who is familiar with grant seeker, you should be able to...

1. Coordinate your agency's grant program with various funders;
2. Assess your agency's capacity for grant seeking;
3. Assess your agency's readiness to seek and implement grants;
4. Assist an agency in improving its grant readiness;
5. Coordinate with strategic plans
6. Conduct needs assessments and mission-based planning;
7. Secure institutional support within and approval of decision-makers;
8. Work with local, state and federal government agencies and personnel; and
9. Identify when grant seeking practices are "outside the boundaries of applicable laws and regulations."