In my last article, I described what you may encounter when you try to connect with foundation funders. What if you have no history with them? In this article, I will give you some options for getting through to a human being.

[The following relates mostly to independent grant making foundations, like family foundations, but could also apply to corporate foundations or even small community foundations.]

Getting started: Once you have researched their grant guidelines and past grants and confirm that they accept unsolicited proposals, you need to have an initial conversation with a real person. If the foundation has one or more paid staff persons, you can probably have a phone or video conversation with them. The larger the foundation’s assets and the more paid staff they have, the more likely it is.

Option One: Arrange for a phone call with someone at the foundation. If there is an email contact form on their website, use it to request a callback. If no one replies, you can call to leave a message**, using the phone number from their website, or if that fails, the phone number on the first page of their 990 tax form, or one you find in a searchable database of foundations. Why try to get a phone call? Because it’s person to person, and it’s the best way to start a long-term relationship.

Talking person to person is the quickest way
to understand if a relationship might be
possible, over time.

Filling out forms or submitting something blind to a foundation without connecting with them ahead of time may be a waste of your time. Bigger foundations sometimes accept or even encourage "Letters of Inquiry" but small funders usually don't accept them without a previous connection.

If you don’t have the name of someone specific (often the case with small foundations), you may need to leave a voice mail message, so be succinct, polite, but confident.**

Option Two: No response? Then ask your own board members and major donors (one at a time!) if they know anyone at the foundation with whom you want to connect. Someone may have a connection and be willing to use it for you, and you will get connected.

Option Three: Still no response? Review the list of staff and board members from other foundations with whom you already have a relationship and ask them (individually) if they know someone at the foundation you are trying to approach. If they do, ask them to connect you by email with an introduction.

Option Four: If nothing works to get connected, write the Foundation a one-page letter describing why you are interested in connecting with them, and why you think they will be interested to hear your group’s story.

Note: Options Three and Four above are also helpful in the case of foundations who notify the world that “Proposals are accepted by invitation only.”* Don’t waste time trying to get them to respond to you without an introduction.

Finally, a thought about results. If your group has too few foundation grants coming in for the investment you are making in staff, it may be a result of not enough research, too few inquiries, or an approach that lacks the human touch.

Foundation staff and board members
are people too. (Obvious, but somehow
it needs to be said!)

In my next article, I will address some of the unexpected benefits (not just money!) of building relationships between your group and certain foundations, and how you can be sure you are nurturing and tending those relationships for mutual benefit. (And maybe even shared JOY…!)

___________________________
*Recently, I discovered a family foundation that accepts proposals by invitation only. However, they have installed a field on their website where organizations who are not part of their current grantee group can tell the foundation their story, or why they think the foundation might be interested in what they are doing. The ED assured me that they read every entry submitted, and sometimes contact the group for more information. It's a friendly gesture, but still a long-shot for your group. I don't see many other foundations doing this. (Foundation readers: Consider DOING this!)

___________________________

** When you leave a message, say something like this, “Hello, my name is … and I’m calling from ...[name of your group]. My phone number is [xxx.xxx.xxxx]. I’d like to connect with you or someone else at [name of foundation] about the foundation’s interests in [general issue your group addresses]. We are [building a new initiative] in which we think you will be interested, given your grant guidelines and past grants. Again, my name is …, with …, and you can reach me at [xxx.xxx.xxxx].”

_______________________
© 2021 Dianna Smiley LLC