What do I do when the application guidelines say that the funder does not accept unsolicited proposals?
In your research, you’re sure to find several funding sources that don’t accept unsolicited proposals, or they only accept proposals by nomination or from preselected organizations. This means that their board of directors or trustees has already determined which organizations to support from their own communities. However, you don’t need to be discouraged. It’s been my experience that a contact can still be nurtured through a prominent community or business individual who has a relationship with the funder. Through an introduction provided by this person, you can invite the funder to an organizational special event or arrange a site visit. Then you can begin to develop your own relationship with the funder. Another way to get the attention of these funders is to write excellent articles that will appear in regional newspapers or magazines highlighting your organization’s efforts and successes. Along these same lines, you can also send these funders a well-created and informative press
