Giving Show: Top 10 Grantmaking Foundations

Today, I had the awesome privilege of being a guest on the Michael Chatman Giving Show with guest host, Ian Adair! We shared "Ian and April's Top Ten National Foundations" with listeners and tips for approaching the big players in the grantmaking arena. Many, many thanks to the loyal listeners who helped make my first appearance one to remember! We barley scratched the surface about finding the right foundation funder, but we had a great time!

Large foundations receive a lot of requests and it is the responsibility of an ideal grant recipient to do their homework before they approach the foundation. Don’t be intimidated if you believe your organization has a strong fit, BUT don’t jeopardize your future relationship with a poorly thought-out strategy. As a fellow development professional once said…”a little research goes a long way.”

I can't stress enough that just because you hear about a foundation on NPR and you know they have deep pockets, it doesn't mean that they are right for your organization or that you are right for them. 

Tips for Approaching National Foundations

• Know your funders. Research. Research. Research. What makes them tick? Do you share an interest? Do they fund organizations that are similar to yours? What is their annual giving? How many grants do they give per year? Do they have a regional representative or one in my community? 
• Use the Foundation Center and Grant Space. They are my magic fairy dust when I need to know more about a particular funder. They have FREE profile templates, webinars and training sessions. Yes, FREE! 
• Read the guidelines. I'm reminded of a direct quote from a foundation director a few weeks ago, "We don't get as many people reading the guidelines as we'd like". It's the nice way of saying, "Please don't waste our time or yours".  Don't force a square peg in a round hole.
• Start with a relationship in mind. What type of partnership can you create with a potential funder. They don’t want to be your bank account—even if they like limited contact with grantees.
• Respect the funder. Nagging gets you nothing. If a foundation does not want a lot of hands-on contact with a prospective grantee, you must respect their position.  Large foundations receive too many inquiries to respond to all of them like they want. They need policies that protect their organization too.
• Create your own Top 10 Foundations list to share with development staff and your board of directors. Do you have a relationship with any board members? Staff? Use the list as one piece of your fundraising pie and to jump start high-level giving.

Giving Show: Top Ten Grantmaking Foundations

1. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest operated private foundation the world.  The primary aims of the foundation are, globally, to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty, and in America, to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology.
2. During 2009, the Walton Family Foundation invested more than $378 million in a wide variety of domestic and international projects that addressed significant social and environmental issues, and sought to create exciting new opportunities. The foundation continues to implement and expand grant making to fund a positive difference in many diverse communities.
3. The mission of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is to improve the health and health care of all Americans. Their goal is clear: To help our society transform itself for the better.
4. Through the support it provides, the MacArthur Foundation fosters the development of knowledge, nurtures individual creativity, strengthens institutions, helps improve public policy, and provides information to the public, primarily through support for public interest media.
5. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation supports children, families, and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society.
6. The Wal-Mart Foundation strives to provide opportunities that improve the lives of individuals in our communities including our customers and associates.
7. The grant making philosophy of Andrew Mellon Foundation is to build, strengthen and sustain institutions and their core capacities, rather than be a source for narrowly defined projects
8. Kresge Foundation has seven, narrowly defined programs that each in its own way works to improve the life circumstances of poor and low-income children and adults and those living in underserved urban and rural communities.
9. Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization, dedicated to helping build better futures for disadvantaged children in the United States. The primary mission of the Foundation is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families.
10. Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts.

Happy researching, cultivating and fundraising!!

~Cheers!