One of the hardest elements of grant fundraising is finding the right funder prospects.
Unfortunately, most funders don’t have websites. In fact, according to Candid, the new organization formed with the merger of Guidestar and The Foundation Center:
“Since 90% of U.S. foundations do not have websites, the insights you need to find funders will not be discovered via standard search engines. You need up-to-date, in-depth information to reach the philanthropists that want to support your mission.”
“Open opportunities make up less than 1% of total foundation funding. Digging deeper is critical to your fundraising success.” –Candid
For this reason, a high-quality database is the first essential ingredient to finding the best funders.
But even with the right research tool, it can be difficult and time-consuming to dig through all of the available funders in your search results to determine:
- which funders align most closely with your purpose and programs,
- your request amount
- likelihood of funding
- how to prioritize the funders.
If you’re new to this funding research, it can take months to develop your list of qualified prospects. But, committing 3 to 5 hours a week for grant research is key!
If you need help with a funder profile list that is customized to your organization, you can find one here. Creating the right funder prospect list is also a critical part of my work with clients who contract with us for grant writing services, and is included in our grant writing service contracts.
