Uncovering Foundation Prospects

by Susan Whitmore

How do you uncover foundation prospects that might be interested in funding your nonprofit organization’s programs or operations? It may not be as difficult as you think.

The best way to locate foundations is through a subscription service such as the Foundation Directory Online (formerly Foundation Center). There are levels of subscriptions that vary in price and the number of accessible listings, usually ranging from $30 to $200 per month. A service such as this provides detailed information about thousands of foundations you can access at a glance, including: contact information, areas of interest, what the foundation will and will not fund, how to submit an application, deadlines, a board and trustee list, total current assets, average grant ranges, and a list of grants given in the previous year. 

In addition, here is a sampling of other online resources that can help you in your search:

• The Best (Free) Places to Search for Grant Funding
• 5 Places to Find Grants for Your Nonprofit for FREE!

In all cases, the goal is obviously to match your mission with a number of foundations. Once you’ve done this, you can create a prospects chart to keep track of your applications.

A Foundation Prospects Chart

The aim of a prospects chart is help keep you on track with the preparation, submission, and follow-up of grant requests over the course of six months or a year. If you stick to a schedule, you will not overburden your administrative office with too many proposals to submit or track at one time. A number of requests submitted over time will also hopefully ensure a steady stream of funding.

View or Download Foundation Prospects Chart and instructions:
PDF  or  Word format

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