Success in grant seeking: How much money to ask for in a grant proposal 

How much money should you ask for in a grant proposal? The “right” dollar amount will vary based on your alignment to the funder’s mission, their giving history and capacity, and any relationships you can capitalize on. If you’re new to grant seeking, here are some tips to help you craft a successful ask. 

Understanding your request: budget and timeline 

The first step in deciding how much money to ask for in a grant proposal is to assess your needs and timeline. Are you applying for an annual grant for general operating expenses or a multiyear project grant? Most funders require a budget in their grant applications. Presenting a well-developed budget can help program officers assess the sustainability of your proposal, giving them confidence about supporting it. If you don’t yet have a budget, Candid offers free resources to help you create one, including our ‘What do funders look for in grant proposal budgets?’ training; proposal budget sample documents; and tips for building a project budget in uncertain times. You’ll also need to set a clear timeline for using the funds requested, as funders often require grantees to submit a report detailing how and when the funds were spent. 

3 factors that shape how much money to ask for: alignment, capacity, and relationships 

1. Mission alignment. Once you’re ready to make the ask, the best place to start is with your current supporters—who are familiar with your work and have already confirmed your organization’s alignment to their mission. It may be possible to request a 15-25% increase in support from such funders to meet new program needs or manage rising operating expenses.  

Another reason to tap existing funders for additional or recurring support is that potential new funders want to know you already have other sources of contributed revenue to back up your request. Pointing to steady support and program sustainability is big! 

2. Giving history and capacity. If your organization doesn’t have existing funders, find new ones and research their giving patterns to figure out a realistic grant amount to request. Ask: Is my organization’s work aligned with their mission? Do they partially fund projects, or do they prefer to fully support them? Some funders specify the percentage they’re willing to contribute toward general operating support or project requests. Their Forms 990 from the last five years will give you an idea of their typical grant sizes and giving capacity.  

You can use Foundation Directory to build a prospect list based on specific criteria. If your nonprofit has an annual budget under $1 million and a Gold Seal of Transparency, you can access a free one-year subscription. 

3. Relationships. Building connections with prospective funders makes a difference; stronger relationships can lead to more contributions. If you don’t have an existing relationship, you’ll need to showcase closer mission alignment as well as good storytelling and strong metrics—and possibly request a lower dollar amount. If the program officers’ contact information is listed, get in touch and ask for guidance. Here are some questions you can ask to help decide how much money to ask for in your grant proposal: 

• Have there been any changes to the foundation’s grantmaking this year? 

• Does the average grant size differ based on existing relationships with grantees? (Some funders give more to recurring grantees than to new ones). 

• Are contributions restricted to specific projects or is unrestricted funding available? 

• Are awards granted one-time only, or can they be annually recurring? If funding cannot be renewed yearly, are multiyear grants available? 

What percentage of your budget should you ask for? 

Categorize your existing funders and new prospects into groups based on your mission alignment, their capacity to give, and relationships or connections that you can leverage. The percentage of your budget you should request from each foundation will depend on your comfort level with the funder and any specific advice given by a program officer. There isn’t a magic formula, but this is a good starting point:  

• High mission alignment and high giving capacity, with existing relationship → Ask for 70-90% of your budget. 

• High mission alignment and high capacity, but no connections → Ask for 40-60% and work on building that relationship.  

• Moderate alignment and high capacity → Ask for 20-40%.  

• Moderate alignment and capacity → Ask for 10-20%. 

When formulating how much money to ask for in a grant proposal, consider these three factors to boost your chances of success. And remember to reevaluate your strategy and adjust as needed for the next iteration of your fundraising process. 

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