CHAPTER 4: WHAT TO DO BEFORE
YOU APPLY FOR A GRANT
Doing advance work will make it easier to develop a
sound funding strategy, identify the right sources, and
make writing proposals clearer and easier. If you don’t
take the time to prepare, you may not raise the money
you need for the right things or waste a lot of effort
applying to the wrong funders. Lack of a fundraising
strategy can also lead to disjointed programs (because
you applied for a series of grants for unrelated projects
that don’t add up to a coherent whole) and more work
(because each of those grants has its own complicated
monitoring and reporting requirements).
you will too. Often foundations have developed very
specific criteria about what kinds of groups they give
grants to, and yours may not be a good match.
See Appendix 3A for some ideas of websites and
resources to research funding opportunities. Appendix
3B lists more than 30 grantmakers who accept inquiries
from small groups and fund at the community level
internationally – these funders are a great place to start.
Small grants from such funders can help you establish
a track record of successful grant management that can
open up opportunities in future years for larger grants
and contracts from other funders like international
NGOs, aid agencies, large corporations, and foundations.
You want your funding to fuel your work, but not to drive
the direction of your work away from your main mission.
Before you start to write proposals, it’s important to know
what you want to achieve and to have prepared the basic
information you need to apply successfully.
ARE YOU ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?
Once you have identified a prospective funder, go to their
website to review their funding guidelines. If you have
limited access to the Internet, you can ask the foundation
to send you the guidelines via email or mail.
KNOW THE RULES
Some countries have laws about how organizations can
raise money, both domestically and internationally. For
example, in recent years both Russia and Ethiopia have
enacted regulations that restrict the ways in which civil
society organizations are permitted to accept money from
foreign institutions, for example, limiting the percentage
of their budgets that can come from non-local sources
and requiring the organization to register as a foreign
agent. Learn what regulations are in place in your
country and local community so you know what is
permitted and what is not.
Review the guidelines carefully. Your initial research may
show that you are not eligible to apply or don’t meet the
funder’s requirements. If this is the case, then you can
cross the foundation off your prospect list. Don’t waste
your time on a foundation that is not interested in your
work or for which you do not qualify for funding: there
are thousands of foundations and institutions around the
world that give grants – you can find a better match.
First, check basic eligibility criteria:
Does the foundation give grants to organizations?
Some funders give scholarships/fellowships to
individuals only. Others are operating foundations
t