How to Write Foundation Grants
Foundation grants provided by private foundations help fund the programs, infrastructure or other needs of non-profit organizations. Each foundation has a specific cause that they focus on, such as literacy, children, health, or science, which guides what organizations they fund. When applying for funding, follow these simple steps when writing a foundation grant.
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Instructions
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Writing Foundation Grants
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Determine the project you need funding for and the amount of funding you require. A grant request should never exceed 10% of the entire project costs, but some foundations will only provide a few percent.
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Create a cover letter to outline your foundation grant request. This will include your organization's contact information, tax identification number, and a brief description of your request.
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Write the history of your organization. This should include information about your founding, your accomplishments, and programs. A foundation will want to ensure that you have successful programming.
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Introduce your project by providing a summary of what you plan to do. Then discuss the need of the project. A funder will want to know the importance of the project, so back you foundation grant up with statistics and other relevant information that will show what gap your program will fill. Discuss your target population, if the program has specific dates or is ongoing, and what you will do during the program. Help the funder visualize the need and understand how your program will help.
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Outline the project goals, objectives, and outcomes. Remember that a funder will want to see obtainable, measurable goals in a grant proposal. Make sure that you have an evaluation plan that will help you improve the project regularly and a summative evaluation that will allow you to assess the success of the project in relation to reaching specific goals. Evaluation should gather different types of information from volunteers, participants, information on the target population, and similar data to show that your organization maintain credibility and control over the project.
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Describe the qualifications of your organization. Qualifications can include staff and board information or resumes and what each individual contributes to the organization.
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Complete a budget for the project and include information about your organization for the current or upcoming fiscal year. A foundation will want to look at your financial records to determine if an organization maintains fiscal responsibility. This helps a foundation ensure that the organization avoids operating in a deficit.
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Have the executive director or president of your organization sign the proposal before submitting your grant request.
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Enclose a copy of your 501c3 determination letter issued by the IRS that states that the organization registered with the IRS as a charitable, tax-exempt organization. Include the previous year's audited financial statement. Gathering letters of support as part of your enclosures can also help make your foundation grant proposal more valid in the eyes of a funder.
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Tips & Warnings
A foundation may request additional information about your project. Quickly respond to any requests so they can complete the review process.
If you want to request funding as an individual or a business, consider requesting assistance from a fiscal sponsor. Fiscal agents are non-profits that receive funding on your behalf for a percentage of the grant and then re-distributes the funding to you.
Do not call the foundation every day requesting a status update. Give them the time that they need to review your grant request.
