Creating a Funder Profile

The research team at GrantStation is dedicated to providing our Members with the most current, reliable, and pertinent information on funders. You depend on us for your successful grantseeking, so we want to share with you the process we use to select the funders and develop the profiles for the charitable search sections of our website.

In order to select new funders for our website, our research team continually monitors publications, newsletters, websites, blogs, etc. for leads. We have also developed relationships with many organizations in the philanthropy field that share information with us on new funding opportunities. Rather than just focusing on foundations, trusts, and funds, we also look for corporate giving programs, associations, religious funders, and a myriad of other funding opportunities that aren’t easily categorized.

Our selection process for funders is based on the following criteria:

  1. The funder accepts unsolicited proposals, applications, or letters of inquiry.
  2. The funder accepts requests from a range of organizations, not solely one specific group, such as members of an association.
  3. The funder provides grants. Select product donations, fellowships, training programs, etc. are also included. We don’t include funders that only provide scholarships.

Once a funder is selected, our goal in developing the profile is to provide accurate and sufficient information to help you decide if the funder’s interests are aligned with your grantseeking needs.

The first step in the development of funder records is to access the funder’s guidelines and application procedures. There are basically three methods for accessing this information:

Website
The majority of funders on our website maintain their own website that includes the information that we need to evaluate the funder’s interests. For grantmakers located outside of the U.S. and Canada, this is our primary source of information.

Hard Copy/Email Information
Many funders without websites have developed written information that we request by regular mail or email.

Tax Returns
Some funders do not have either a website or written guidelines. If the funder is a foundation, fund, or trust, we access the information needed to develop a profile from the organization’s tax return. For U.S. organizations, we use their IRS 990 form; for Canadian organizations, we use their Canada Revenue Agency return. Once the profile is developed we send a copy for review to the funder.

The second step is to create the text for the various fields included in the profiles. We strive to make every profile as clearly written and easy to understand as possible. We believe that it is our job to take sometimes confusing and poorly written guidelines and make them readable, while maintaining accuracy and including all of the relevant information.

The third step is to tag the profile with the Areas of Interest, Target Populations, and the Types of Support that correspond to the funder’s interests and guidelines. The goal of the selection process is to help you locate all the appropriate funding sources possible, without flooding you with unlikely prospects. We are committed to providing you with the most comprehensive and carefully screened listing of prospective funders possible with each search.

The final step in the profile development is to send the profile to the funder for review. This step is taken if there are questions about the geographic scope, areas of interest, target populations, types of support, etc. that aren’t fully answered on the funder’s website or in their guidelines.


If you have any comments or questions for our research team, please send an email to research@grantstation.com.