{"id":2134,"date":"2016-02-25T19:26:14","date_gmt":"2016-02-26T00:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/?p=2134"},"modified":"2021-05-25T17:15:16","modified_gmt":"2021-05-25T21:15:16","slug":"asking-for-donations-from-foundations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/asking-for-donations-from-foundations\/","title":{"rendered":"Asking For Donations from Foundations"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Qgiv offers free donation templates to fundraisers looking to better their nonprofit. Use them for corporate donation requests, individual donation requests, and more!<\/p>\n

Get Free Donation Templates<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

If you’re familiar with Qgiv’s blog, you probably know that we\u00a0love\u00a0<\/em>discussing best practices and strategies for fundraising.<\/p>\n

In the past, we’ve talked about asking for donations from individuals and corporations (often the two most common sources of revenue for nonprofits).<\/p>\n

But in this article, we’re going to cover a somewhat elusive and tricky topic: asking for donations from foundations.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let’s dive into how to raise money by asking for donations from foundations.<\/h2>\n

Before we get into the step-by-step process of fundraising\u00a0from foundations, let’s go over some basic information.<\/p>\n

Preliminary Questions to Ask<\/h3>\n

Before you start writing grant proposals and calling foundation officers, you should ask yourself a few questions:<\/p>\n

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  1. Who will head up our grant program?<\/li>\n
  2. How will we find the right foundations to approach?<\/li>\n
  3. Who will write the grant proposals?<\/li>\n
  4. How much time and effort can we spend on grants?<\/li>\n
  5. How likely is it that our mission will match that of a foundation?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It’s crucial to be honest with yourself when answering these questions. The truth is that many foundations only fund established nonprofits who have a strong history of fundraising.<\/p>\n

    Asking yourself these questions will help you determine whether or not your organization is ready for the grant-writing process.<\/p>\n

    Additionally, it’s important to remember that foundation donations should only make up around 15% of your fundraising revenue total. Don’t ignore your individual and corporate donors and solely go after foundation grants.<\/p>\n

    How do Foundations Operate?<\/h3>\n

    Typically, foundations are grant-making entities that exist to give money to other nonprofits.<\/p>\n

    Foundations have their own board of directors, staff members, and fundraising efforts to help fund the grants they distribute.<\/p>\n

    In general, a foundation will abide by the following schedule with regard to grants:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    1. They’ll set their own grant priorities for the fiscal or calendar year.<\/li>\n
    2. Those priorities will then be published along with grant guidelines such as focus, deadlines, necessary paperwork, and more.<\/li>\n
    3. After applications are submitted, the foundation’s staff will review the applications and rank them.<\/li>\n
    4. The applications are then sent to a committee of the foundation’s board of directors.<\/li>\n
    5. The committee reviews the applications and decides which nonprofit(s) will receive grants.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      There are thousands of charitable foundations with trillions of dollars to give. These grants can be used to:<\/strong><\/p>\n