Chapter 7: Foundations & Grant Writing
This lesson provides the foundational knowledge for why and what to do when pursuing grants. The next step is to put this knowledge into practice by beginning your research.
Task: Your task is to begin your grant prospecting process.
For Beginners (Sapling Stage): Create a list of 5 potential grant prospects by using online research tools or by looking at the annual reports of similar tax-exempt organizations in your area to see who funds them. The goal is to find foundations whose mission aligns with yours.
For Emerging Tax-Exempt Organizations (Branching Out Stage): Choose one of your grant prospects and create a simple plan to research their giving history. You can do this by examining their Form 990 tax forms, which are publicly available. Your goal is to determine their typical grant size and the types of projects they fund to ensure your ask is a good match.
Resource: To assist you, we've prepared a comprehensive guide: "Your Grant Writing Toolkit." This resource includes a Foundations Outreach Checklist, a guide to what to research about foundations' values and processes , and a sample questionnaire and script for conversations with a program officer. It also mentions using Guidestar to research a foundation's 990s.