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Printable Guides: Prospect Research 101 (pdf) | Prospect Profile Template (doc) |
When conducting foundation research it is important to know some basics about the foundation.
What type of foundation is it: family, private, corporate, independent
Who is the primary donor
What is the foundation’s history
What is its mission
What are the fields of interest: consider any limitations, geographic focus, and types of support they fund
It is also very important to consider the financials of the foundation, specifically its assets and whether or not they fluctuate from year to year. Much foundation information pertinent to a prospect researcher can be found in one place – the IRS Form 990.
The 990 is a foundation’s annual tax return;it lists the foundation’s assets, grants (total grants given and the specific grants), and the board members. Not all nonprofits are required to file 990’s. For free access to Form 990’s a great site is Economic Research Institute.
Larger foundations list their giving guidelines on their company Website or in their annual report.
NOZAsearch offers free foundation grant searching. You can search by foundation name or cause to locate grant information on organizations similar to yours. Things to consider:
Size of the grants
Giving history
Grant profiles and weekly summaries of foundations actively soliciting proposals is available at GrantStation. NOZA’s grant listings are based on annual reports and newsletters and often contain more recent information than Form 990’s. When researching a smaller foundation like a family foundation look at the foundation’s holdings or assets. Often the assets of a family foundation are very similar or identical to the primary donor’s personal assets and give you a further indication of their wealth.