Inside this Info Center:
- Grants & Nonprofit Info Center
- About the Grants & Nonprofit Info Center
- Grantseeking Basics: Free Library Workshop
- Local Training & Educational Opportunities
- Guide to Using the Grants & Nonprofit Info Center
Grants Databases
Info Guides
Grants Research
- Getting Started
- How to Find Out About Funding
- The Fit-Funding Match
- Local Funders
- Types of Funders
- Grantmaking Public Charities
- Government Grants
- Corporate Philanthropy
- Approaching a Small Foundation
- Grantmaker Types of Support
- Requests for Proposals (RFP)
- Financial Aid & Scholarships
- Grants to Individuals
Grant Proposals
Nonprofit Resources
- Starting a Nonprofit
- Boards & Management
- Consultants
- Fundraising
- Program Evaluation & Outcome Measurement
- Finding a Nonprofit
- 990 Forms
- Giving to Charities
- Professional Associations
- Jobs in the Nonprofit Sector
- Starting a Foundation
The Grants Collection is a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center.
Research & Resources
Info Guides - Grants: Approaching a Small Foundation
On this page:
Approaching a Small Foundation
How can I approach a small foundation that lists general charitable giving in their field of interest?
Try to find out as much as you can about a foundation before sending them a query.
Find Familiar Names
Check out their board of directors to see if there are any familiar names.
Sources:
- Foundation Directory Online
- Guide to U.S. Foundations, Their Trustees, Officers, and Donors
- The foundation's annual report or other printed matter.
- The foundation's IRS 990-PF Form. Learn about the IRS 990-PF Form.
- Use the Foundation Center's Foundation Finder to find the foundation's web site or do a Google Search to find the foundation's web site. Many small foundations do not have web sites.
Find Information about How They Fund
If you are researching a business, search for the Web site of that business where they may outline their community involvement or partnerships.
- Contact an organization the foundation has given to in the past to see how the foundation really operates. Same sources as above.
- Search local newspapers for articles on the foundation.
Make Contact with the Foundation
After this research call the foundation's office.
Ask for a copy of their funding guidelines, most recent annual report and any other information they could send you. Ask for the name of the person you speak to. You might mention what your organization does and ask if the foundation has funded anything similar in the past.
Thank Them
When you get the information from the foundation, send a note thanking the person you spoke to and include the most recent copy of your organization's newsletter, magazine, or brochure.
If the foundation has no phone number or no staff, send a written request for information. You might mention what your organization does and ask if the foundation has funded anything similar in the past.
Here is a sample request for information.