How to Search for a Charitable Foundation

When you are an organization or individual in need of a charitable donation, how do you go about finding what you need? After all, there are so many different companies and foundations out there that issue grants to people, depending upon their goals, that is can tough to know where to submit a proposal. Here are some tips to make the process of searching easier:

1.       Go online: Hitting up the Internet for information is a great way to find out just about anything these days, and getting a grant is no exception. Web sites like nozasearch list more than a million different charitable foundations that provide money to grant-seekers. Searching the nozasearch database can not only give you insight into who is giving money and what their process it, but you can also get valuable tax information as well. The site features the public tax records of a number of great foundations that issue grants because these records are a matter of public record. These numbers can also assist you in formulating your approach, as it is a bit easier to do when you do know what a charitable foundation has done in the past. Looking at the history of giving can give you insight into how often and how much the foundation contributes to organizations or individuals in your particular field.

2.       Ask around: If you know of anyone who has received a grant in the past, ask him or her where they received their funding and what the process entailed. In some cases, they may be able to give you the contact name or number they used to help you get your foot in the door. Ask them for advice in your approach and find out how stringent the acceptance process was. For example, if they were turned down multiple times or required to go through a difficult acceptable process, you can either prepare yourself to endure the effort or decide that ultimately, you may want to seek out a foundation that specializes in working with people who have little to no experience in seeking out grants.

3.       Purchase a resource book: Visit your local book retailer and search for a resource book on charitable foundations. Some books will provide you with information on submitting a proposal as well as contact names, numbers, Web sites, address and more. You can then find charitable donations that fall in your category and approach them first. Moreover, you will have a list at your fingertips that you can refer back to at any time.