Grant research for nonprofits

Nonprofits have the widest range of funding options, and the most noise to sort through. We do the hunting, so whoever handles grants on your team can put their hours into the applications.

Where nonprofit funding actually comes from

Most nonprofits know about federal grants and their local community foundation. The money that goes unclaimed is usually somewhere else. A thorough search covers all of it:

• Federal programs, from agencies whose priorities change year to year
• State agencies, including arts councils, humanities councils, and health and human services departments
• City and county programs, which are small, local, and often uncontested
• Community foundations serving your county or region
• Private and family foundations, many of which never advertise
• Corporate giving programs, including the local store grants that fund equipment and supplies
• Non-cash support: technology credits, donated goods, and discounted services

This holds whether you're a 501(c)(3), another 501(c) type, a faith-based organization running community programs, or a project working under a fiscal sponsor. It holds across fields too, from human services and health to arts and culture, museums, child care and early learning, and housing and community development. Which sources fit depends on your mission, budget, where you work, and what you want to fund.

What we do

You tell us about your organization once. We build your research profile, then search across those sources, check each opportunity against your profile, and set aside the ones that don't fit. What you get back is a short list with the reasoning attached.

Every opportunity comes with a Fit Score explained factor by factor, the eligibility rules and whether you appear to meet them, the deadline, the award range, the effort an application takes, and a link to the funder's own page with the date we checked it.

See a sample report for a community nonprofit, page by page, with every name and figure made up. It's exactly the format you'd get.

Apply, maybe, watch, or skip

Every opportunity gets a plain recommendation. Apply means you appear eligible, the fit is strong, and we confirmed the current round with the funder. Maybe means something needs a closer look first. Watch means a strong match that isn't open yet, so you know when to expect it. Skip means it isn't worth your time right now, and we say why.

Skips matter as much as the rest. Knowing that a well-known program isn't worth 30 hours of your director's time is worth the research on its own.

What working together looks like

Most nonprofits start with a single fit report, and that's a good place to start. What makes the research pay off is what comes after. We learn your mission, your programs, and how your board makes decisions, keep your research current as programs and priorities change, and flag strong matches before they reopen, so funding becomes something you can plan and budget around instead of something you react to. You don't need a development director or grant experience to work with us.

Routine questions between reports are included. Email us about a deadline, a requirement, or a program someone forwarded you, and a person will answer. We'll also tell you plainly when to skip something, and why. That's the difference between a research partner and a list.

What this isn't

It isn't a platform or a database subscription. There's nothing to log into and no search to run. It also isn't grant writing: we don't write your application, and we don't submit anything on your behalf. We find and qualify the opportunities so your writing time goes toward the ones worth winning.

A Fit Score measures alignment, not the chance of being funded. Funders make their own decisions and change their requirements, so we tell you to confirm details with them before you apply.

What we need from you

A clear picture of your organization: your mission and programs, who you serve, where you work, your budget, your registrations, and what you want to fund. The more we know, the sharper the research gets. Every report shows what each recommendation is based on and flags anything worth double-checking.

Newly formed, or not formed yet?

Most grants require a registered organization with an EIN, and many foundations ask for IRS 501(c)(3) determination. If you're mid-formation, the honest first step is finishing that, then coming back. If you're newly formed and waiting on determination, some funding is still open to you, including corporate and local programs and anything through a fiscal sponsor. Tell us where you are and we'll tell you what's realistic now.

Common questions

Do we need 501(c)(3) status to apply for grants?

For most private foundations, yes — their own rules require it. Government programs vary: some are open to any nonprofit, others are written for specific designations or for units of government that then subaward to nonprofits. There is also real funding open to organizations without determination yet, through corporate giving, local programs, and fiscal sponsorship. We check the requirement on each opportunity rather than assuming.

What is a fiscal sponsor, and does it help?

A fiscal sponsor is an established 501(c)(3) that receives and administers a grant on your behalf while you run the work. It can open funding to you before your own determination arrives. Not every funder accepts sponsored applicants, and some treat the sponsor as the grantee for reporting purposes, so we flag which opportunities allow it and what strings come attached.

How far back do funders look at our financials?

Commonly the most recent Form 990 and, where you have them, audited financials going back two or three years. Some programs set a minimum operating budget or require a single audit if you cross the federal spending threshold. A small budget is not disqualifying on its own — plenty of funders prefer smaller organizations — but it does shape which programs are a realistic fit, and we say so in the report.

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