The ultimate cheat sheet for grant proposal documents: Part 1

Years ago, a fundraiser was trying to organize paperwork related to grant proposals and asked if we knew of a checklist that listed every document that might have something to do with a grant proposal. We couldn’t find one, so we made our own. We’ve loosely organized this list by stages of the grant proposal process:

1. Prospect research
2. Letter of intent/proposal
3. After submitting a grant proposal
4. If you get the grant
5. If you don’t get the grant
6. Keeping track of your grant proposals

For Part 1, we’re going to focus on the prospect research stage. This is a crucial stage where fundraisers identify the right people and organizations to engage. Having the right prospect list ensures you’re approaching the most appropriate funders. Future articles will focus on the remaining stages.

Prospect research

How do I get started?

The first step in prospect research is to target your search to the grantmakers that are most likely to fund your nonprofit. Look up your current funders, your peer organizations’ donor lists, or the grantmakers you overheard being talked about to see if there are new priorities that could lead to funding opportunities. You’ll want to narrow your prospect list by focusing on funders whose mission, geographic focus, typical grant size and duration, and other funding patterns align with your nonprofit’s goals.

Candid search can help fundraisers identify prospective funders efficiently. Our AI-enhanced search understands the intent and context of your queries, delivering more relevant results for funders, grants, and RFPs than a traditional keyword search. Nonprofits with under $1 million in annual revenue or expenses that earn a Gold Seal of Transparency can get free access to Candid Premium for a year. Learn more about Candid search tools for funders.

What information do I need to collect?

At minimum, you’ll want the information below in your prospect list:

• Foundation website URL(s), if one exists. You should also note the types of information you can find here, such as contacts, requests for proposals (RFPs), or grantee lists.
• Link to their most recent Forms 990. If it isn’t included in their Candid profile, you may be able to find it on their website. And speaking of Candid profiles…
• Link to their Candid profile.
• Content from other third-party sources, like news articles. This could include announcements about upcoming grant opportunities, organization shifts, or funding priorities.
• Notes from communications with the funder prior to sending a letter of intent or grant proposal:
  • Contact’s name, title, email, phone number, and other details
  • Preferred method of communication
  • Date and time of conversation
  • Content of conversation:
    • What did you say? What did the other person say?
    • Did you use a script or a list of talking points? If yes, include a link to them.
    • What are the next steps, if any?

Really? I should try to contact funders directly?

Yes. Many foundations prefer that you call before sending a letter or proposal, as long as your prospect hasn’t clearly stated “no phone calls” on its website or other materials for grantseekers. Before making that first call, you should learn as much as you can about the funder so you can ask better questions. Your conversation needs to make it clear that you have read the guidelines and want further clarification on whether your particular project would fit.

Here are some tips about what to ask funders—including what to know before you request an informational conversation; what you can ask, i.e., questions not answered in the RFP; and what not to ask.

Don’t be picky about whom you speak with. Anyone from the foundation could have some influence when they review grant proposals. Respect their time, don’t do all the talking, listen well, take good notes, and thank them for their time.

This article is an update on Document Checklist for Grant Proposals: Part 1, published in December 2014. We thank the authors of that original article, Richard Hallman and Sandy Pon.