Application 2.4

Locating Possible Funding Sources – Searching Sites

Overview:

In the 2023 report by Giving USA, total U.S. charitable giving reached $499.33 billion in 2022. Although giving declined by 3.4% from 2021 (only the fourth time in 40 years), resources are available to fund grants—we just need to locate possible sources. Yet, it is important to remember that locating prospective funders necessitates solid ideas that address specific needs or challenges. In other words, funders invest in people and programs to make a difference, and it is our obligation to align with the mission and core values of prospective foundations.

While a logical next step in locating prospective funders may include a web search, some additional options can help you gauge the funding landscape. As a starting point, consider adding your name to listservs and/or signing up for email subscriptions that share funding alerts from foundations that match your interests. For example, if you are interested in youth development, numerous federal and nonprofit listservs can connect you with people and ideas around a similar theme (http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/listserv/ preventioned.html). To stay current on topics such as health, consider adding your credentials to receive funding alerts from organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; emails provide various engagement opportunities that may be helpful in grant preparation. The next step is to focus on websites that can help provide you with prospective funding options.

Assignment:

A deep dive into grant-based websites is a great starting point to familiarize yourself with a myriad of funding sources. Based on your general interest idea for a grant, locate possible funding sources from the sites you find (not comprehensive). For each response, indicate the name of the prospective funder, include the URL to the funder, and briefly describe why you believe the source may be a good match (e.g., aligns with the mission, focus of the foundation, etc.).

Local Community Foundations:

In your browser, search to determine if a community foundation is in your area (e.g., community foundations in Bowling Green, KY).

• Name:
• URL:
• Match:
• State:

Search Fundsnetservics.com. Find a state and see what populates based on your area of interest.

• Name:
• URL:
• Match:
• Federal

Go to grants.gov and in the upper left corner, search grants.

• Name:
• URL:
• Match:

Subscription Databases:

Several powerful databases are available to users, although they are behind paywalls. Some sources are best accessed through an intuition of higher learning, such as a local university or college. Consider the following:

• COS Pivot (https://pivot.proquest.com/funding_main). Pivot is a powerful research tool that provides a database with extensive options for funding.
• Foundation Directory Online (http://foundationcenter.org/find-funding/fdo-quick-start). The Foundation Directory is a user-friendly source that allows the grant writer to search by topic, geographic region, foundation type, etc.

References

Giving USA. (2023). Giving USA: Giving USA 2023: The annual report on philanthropy for the year 2022. https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/news-events/news-item/giving-usa:-total-u.s.-charitable-giving-declined-in-2022-to-%24499.33-billion-following-two-years-of-record-generosity.html?id=422