What do grantmakers look for when determining what programs to fund?
Grantmakers identify general areas of program interest in their grant guidelines, and they list restrictions to their giving as well. Reading these guidelines is the first step to determining if you truly are eligible for funding support. If you do not meet these interest areas, do not apply. The guidelines are stringent and submitting an inappropriate proposal is a waste of your time and moneyAND it reflects badly on your organization. You will NOT convince them to stray from their designated priorities. If you fit the basic interest areas, it is worthwhile to further explore the opportunity, which includes researching the funders giving history. The challenge remains that most guidelines are somewhat vague. For instance, saying that they fund education might encourage us to submit a proposal when education is so broad, the funder must, of course, have priorities within that category, such as inner-city youth. In general, grantmakers look for several things when determining the select
