Scary Funders
By Heidi Herron
Grant writer, researcher, developer, and strategic planner
The first time I reached out to a foundation, I was uneasy. I was nervous that I’d say something wrong. Even worse, I dreaded the idea of not adequately representing my employer, a food shelf, due to my lack of experience. We needed to grow our capacity to provide children with much-needed food on weekends and school breaks. What if, instead, I jeopardized our chances?
For nonprofits seeking support, the process of navigating these power-dynamics may be intimidating and seem overwhelming. However, in most cases, foundation grant support should be part of a healthy revenue budget. The best way to start that process is by researching a foundation’s mission and funding region in order to find compatibility. When those items match up, it is time to muster up your courage and reach out.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy website’s Tips and Advice for Better Grant Seeking reminds nonprofits that “at its core, grant seeking—whether from local, regional, family, or corporate foundations—is all about research and relationships.” So, it isn’t enough to simply do your research and concentrate on writing a strong proposal. Relationships matter. Your organization will save considerable resources by avoiding writing to a foundation that isn’t a good fit. In addition, you may also gain valuable insight into what the particular funder is actually looking for, increasing the value of your time spent on proposal writing.
When I like to know more about a potential funder, grantadvisor.org can be a useful tool. If a funder has been rated by enough grant writers, scores are available that rate their accessibility and overall interactions with nonprofits seeking funding. Anonymous grant reviewers also provide feedback about funders, giving details such as how long the application process took them to complete. Understanding the time involved may be used to calculate the resources required to approach a particular funder.
Luckily, when I rolled the dice and made my first call it was an extremely positive experience. The grants officer was very approachable and equipped with information about their foundation’s granting capacity, funding scope, and geographic region. However, as the saying goes - when you’ve met one funder, you’ve met one funder. I had many more calls to make and emails to send, with varying degrees of success and discomfort.
A decade of practice under my belt, I’ve come to realize that adding foundation grant partners is simply pragmatic – for the nonprofit and the funder. If your organization is making a positive impact in the community and the fit is right, your application will move forward to independent review. I’ve learned that it’s better to approach potential funders with the understanding that they want to hear from you, especially about the good work you do in partnership with the community. If the fit isn’t good, continue to search for funders who share your passion. And pretty soon, it’s not so scary.