How to Write Winning Approaches to Funders

A Fundraiser’s Guide to Researching, Reaching Out, and Following Up with Foundations

If your job covers both grants and individual giving, you’ve already learned that foundation fundraising is just one part of your income mix—and it’s a long game. Winning approaches to funders boil down to three essentials: researching well, writing with clarity, and following up like your mission depends on it (because it does).

Think of building a relationship with a foundation like getting new neighbors to trust you enough to borrow a cup of sugar. You don’t knock on the door and immediately ask for cake. You introduce yourself, show you’re part of the community, and plant the seeds for future mutual support.

Identify Strong Prospects First

Strong grants start with strong matches. As fundraising guru Jane Geever wrote in The Foundation Center’s Guide to Proposal Writing, “If your request is not aligned with the funder’s interests, no amount of good writing will make it successful.” That means starting with…