The 2024
State of Grantseeking
Report
Our Underwriters
We extend our appreciation to these underwriters for their invaluable support.
Our Advocates
We extend our appreciation to the following organizations and businesses for their generous support in promoting the survey.
Introduction
The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Report is based on the 22nd informal survey of organizations conducted by GrantStation to help illustrate the current state of grantseeking in the U.S. and Canada. The primary objectives of this report are to shed light on the current trends in grantseeking and generate benchmarks by which grantseekers and the organizations they represent can measure their success in the field.
Measuring an organization's internal and external grantseeking experiences against other similar organizations and their accomplishments will help you build a stronger, more resilient grantseeking program. By comparing your own organization's performance to the data represented in this report, you will be able to generate a realistic grantseeking plan for 2024 and into 2025.
I would like to thank our lead survey and report underwriters Foundant and the Grant Professionals Association for their continued trust in our process and our analysis. Additionally, a large thank you to ARNOVA (Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action), CampaignCounsel.org, Giving Payroll, and TechSoup, who all served as survey and report underwriters. I also want to extend my appreciation to the many organizations that were advocates for the survey.
And of course, I must thank the 2,306 respondents who made this report possible. This is a lengthy and intensive survey that requires true commitment from the respondents, but which ultimately benefits the entire third sector. I hope that the information and benchmarks provided will assist each of you in your good work.
Finally, I would like to thank my GrantStation team—especially Ellen Mower, Juliet Vile, and Diana Holder—who dedicate hundreds of hours to this survey each year.
Cynthia M. Adams
Founder, GrantStation
Executive Summary
The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Report reflects the experiences of agile organizations and funders, and skillful organizational leadership.
Grant funding is available for those organizations that engage in active grantseeking. Ninety-one percent of our respondents submitted at least one grant application in 2023, and of those, 88% received at least one grant award.
Submitting a higher number of applications increased the likelihood of winning awards. Among organizations that submitted just one grant application, 62% won an award. However, at least one award was received by 88% of respondents who submitted three to five grant applications, and 96% of those who submitted six to ten applications. So, one way to increase the chance of winning grant awards is to submit at least three applications.
Private foundations continue to be a funding source for most respondents; 82% received awards from this source. Private foundations were most frequently reported as the largest source of total funding (34%) and the source of the largest award (34%). Although government awards are still “big money,” private foundations are more frequent funders.
The median largest individual award for all respondents was $75,000. This figure varied by grantmaker type and organizational annual budget. For example, the median largest individual award received from community foundations was $25,000, compared to $615,000 from the Federal government. Within budget ranges, the median largest individual award received by small organizations (budgets under $100,000) was $10,000, while extra-large organizations (budgets over $25 million) reported a median largest award of $1.8 million.
Even an organization’s mission focus has an impact on award size. Organizations with a Religion Related mission reported a median largest award of $20,000, while the median largest award was $250,000 for Public Benefit organizations and $1 million for Educational Institutions.
The opportunity cost—the in-depth knowledge, staff, and time required in the grant process—should be weighed against the size of an award and the likelihood of winning that award. The grant process takes an investment of days, and in many cases weeks, to complete an application.
Respondent data continues to suggest that successful grantseeking is made more difficult by organizational staff and time limitations (24%), difficulty in finding grant opportunities that matched with specific missions, locations, or programs (15%), increased funder requirements (14%), competition for finite monies (10%), and building funder relationships (9%). These struggles relate to the most frequently reported techniques for lowering or maintaining indirect/administrative costs, which included reductions in the number of staff (39%).
While it was reported that non-government funders will generally assist with indirect/administrative costs, they limit the amount that they are willing to cover. Only 8% of respondents reported that non-government funders would not cover any level of indirect/administrative costs. However, 42% of respondents reported an allowance of 10% or less for these costs and 27% were unsure of cost coverage.
We at GrantStation hope The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Report helps to alleviate some of the frustration among nonprofit organizations as they engage in grantseeking activities. Overall, this report speaks to the importance of targeting the right grantmakers. How can this report help your organization find the funding it needs?
Compare your organization’s grantseeking to this report and note the benchmarks for funder type and award size for your organization’s annual budget and mission. You may wish to use our free Benchmarker tool, which enables you to get personalized information and reports from the results of The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Survey. Are there areas where your organization excels, or where it could stand to improve? Next, using the results of this survey as one of your guides, set realistic expectations for both the projected contribution of grant awards to your total budget, and the time and staff required to engage in grantseeking.
And, consider investing in tools to help organizational growth, such as Membership in GrantStation. At GrantStation, we help you to keep your organization financially healthy through assistance in developing a strong grantseeking strategy. Member Benefits provide the tools for you to find new grant sources, build a strong grantseeking program, and write winning grant proposals.
Ellen C. Mowrer
Ellen C. Mowrer
Chief Executive Officer, GrantStation
Key Findings
Grantseeking Activity
- Ninety-one percent of respondents applied for grant funding in 2023.
- Among the organizations with active grantseekers, 74% reported that one to two people were directly involved with the grant process.
- Compared to the same period in the prior year, 60% of respondents applied for more grants and 45% were awarded more grants. In addition, 45% reported the receipt of larger awards.
- Application rates varied by funder type; 92% of respondents applied for private foundation funding in 2023 while 64% applied for Federal funding.
- Applying for at least three grant awards increased the frequency of winning an award. Thirty-eight percent of organizations that submitted one application won no awards. However, the percentage of organizations that won at least one award was high among organizations that submitted three to five applications (88%), six to ten applications (96%), or eleven or more applications (97-100%).
Awards
- Forty-nine percent of respondents reported grant funding as comprising 25% or less of their annual budget.
- Recurring grants were 10% or less of total grants for 44% of respondents, and 11% to 50% of total grants for 32% of respondents.
- The median total grant funding was $170,000; the median largest individual award was $75,000.
- The median largest award from non-government funders (an aggregate of private foundations, community foundations, corporate grantmakers, donor-advised funds, and “other” funding sources) was $42,500.
- The median largest award from government funders (an aggregate of local, state, and Federal government) was $263,500.
- The most frequently reported type of support for the largest award was general support (33%), followed closely by project or program support (32%).
Federal Government Awards
- Of all respondents to The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Survey, 40% stated that their organizations receive Federal funding on a regular basis and 33% stated that they received Federal funding in 2023.
- The largest award median for the Federal government was $615,000.
- Most organizations that received Federal funding in 2023 reported that their largest Federal award came in the form of grants (64%), contracts (12%), or another form (15%), including cooperative agreements and reimbursements.
- Forty-seven percent of the funds for the largest Federal award originated directly from the Federal government; 24% originated as pass-through Federal funding via a state government.
- Thirty-two percent of respondents reported that matching funds were required in their largest Federal award. Of those, 38% reported a match of 25% or less.
- Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported that their largest Federal award included indirect or administrative cost funding.
Largest Award Logistics
- The grant cycle length—from proposal submission to award decision—for the largest grant award was between one and six months for 58% of respondents.
- The grant process requires staff. For 64% of respondents, one to two people were directly involved in the grantseeking process for the largest individual award, while for 24% of respondents, three to five people were directly involved.
- The grant process takes time. Grant research took three days or fewer for 64% of respondents. Project design and planning took three days or fewer for 51% of respondents, while writing the grant application took between two days and two weeks for 69% of respondents. Application submission took three days or fewer for 70% of respondents and reporting requirements took three days or fewer for 59% of respondents. Post-award monitoring took three days or fewer for 41% of respondents, whereas it wasn’t applicable for 19% of respondents.
- Once an award decision had been determined, funders released the award monies quickly; 67% of respondents reported receiving the award within three months of notification.
Indirect/Administrative Costs
- Compared to indirect/administrative costs for the prior year, 40% of respondents reported that these costs had remained the same, while 51% reported that these costs had increased. Indirect/administrative costs decreased for 9% of respondents.
- Respondents kept their costs low; 64% reported indirect/administrative costs as 20% or less of their total budgets.
- The most frequently reported indirect/administrative cost control techniques involved reductions in the number of staff (39%), reliance on volunteer labor (34%), and “other” reduction techniques (20%) including cost savings through hiring freezes, virtual work, and non-replacement of technology.
- Individual donations (36%) were the most frequent source of indirect/administrative funding.
- Only 8% of respondents reported that non-government funders would not cover any level of indirect/administrative costs. However, 42% of respondents reported an allowance of 10% or less for these costs and 27% were unsure of cost coverage.
Collaboration
- Most respondents (67%) did not participate in collaborative grantseeking in 2023.
- Thirty-four percent of those respondents that did submit a collaborative grant application reported winning an award.
- Increases in annual budget size, with the implied increases in staff and infrastructure, influenced collaborative activities. Fifty-three percent of organizations with budgets of $25,000,000 or more participated in collaborative grantseeking in 2023, whereas 17% of organizations with budgets under $100,000 engaged in collaborative grantseeking during this period.
Challenges to Grantseeking
- Lack of time and/or staff (21%) continued to be the greatest challenge to grantseeking among respondents.
- Difficulty in finding grant opportunities that matched with specific missions, locations, or programs (15%), increased funder requirements (14%), competition for finite monies (10%), and building funder relationships (9%) were also frequently cited as the greatest challenge to successful grantseeking.
Organization Annual Budget
- Larger organizations consistently reported larger award sizes. Median total awards ranged from $17,000 for small organizations to over $3.5 million for very large and extra-large organizations. The median size of the largest individual award ranged from $10,000 for small organizations to over $1.8 million for extra-large organizations.
- Extra-large organizations reported a much greater frequency of Federal government grants. Organizations should note that the median largest award size is substantially higher for government sources and consider these trends when setting realistic grantseeking expectations based on organizational size. For example, the median largest award for Federal grants was $615,000, while the median largest award from community foundations was $25,000.
Organization Mission Focus
- Award sizes varied by organizational mission focus. The median size of the largest individual award ranged from $20,000 for Religion Related organizations to $1 million for Educational Institutions. Religion Related organizations reported a median award total of $21,500, while Educational Institutions reported a median award total of $2.5 million.
- Private foundations were the largest source of total grant funding for most mission focuses. The Federal government was the most frequently reported source of total grant funding for Educational Institutions, Housing and Shelter organizations, and Public Benefit organizations.
Grantseeking Activity
Respondents to The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Survey actively pursued grant funding for their organizations; 91% submitted at least one grant application in 2023.
Recent Activity
In 2023, 84% of respondents applied for the same number of grants (24%) or more grants (60%) than they did in 2022. Of respondent organizations, 75% were awarded the same number of grants (30%) or more grants (45%) compared to the prior year. Moreover, 77% of respondents reported that their organizations received awards of the same size (32%) or larger (45%).
Application and Award Rates by Funding Source
Application and award rates varied by funder type. Grantseekers most frequently applied to private foundations (92%), community foundations (84%), and corporate grantmakers (84%). Forty-six percent of respondents reported applying to donor-advised funds. Among government funding sources, state government application rates (75%) were higher than those of local government (70%) or the Federal government (64%). Fifty-five percent of respondents applied to “other” grant sources (including religious organizations, the United Way, civic organizations, other nonprofit organizations, and tribal funds).
More frequent award rates were reported from private foundations (82%), community foundations (73%), and corporate grantmakers (76%). Fifty-eight percent of respondents reported awards from donor-advised funds. Among government funding sources, state government (71%) and local government (66%) award rates were higher than those of the Federal government (57%). Awards from “other” grant sources (including religious organizations, the United Way, civic organizations, other nonprofit organizations, and tribal funds) were reported at a rate of 51%.
Number of Grant Applications
Most respondents (91%) applied for grant funding in 2023. Of those respondents that submitted a grant application during that time, 40% submitted between three and 10 applications. One or two grant applications were submitted by 12% of respondents. Eighteen percent of respondents submitted between 11 and 20 grant applications, and 10% submitted between 21 and 30 applications. Thirty-one or more grant applications were submitted by 18% of respondents. One percent of respondents reported submitting some applications of indeterminate quantity.
Number of Grant Awards
During 2023, a total of 88% of respondents received at least one grant award. Twenty percent of respondents received one or two grant awards and 38% received between three and ten grant awards. Twenty-one percent of respondents received between eleven and thirty grant awards, while 7% reported receiving over thirty awards. One percent of respondents received awards but were unsure of the exact number, whereas 12% of respondents reported receiving no awards.
Grant Applications vs. Grant Awards
The relationship between applications submitted and awards won can be seen in the chart below. A larger number of applications was more likely to result in a larger number of awards. Some awards received in 2023 resulted from applications submitted at an earlier time, and some applications were submitted for which awards had not yet been determined.
- One Application: 72% of respondents were awarded at least one grant.
- Two Applications: 80% of respondents were awarded at least one grant.
- Three to Five Applications: 88% of respondents were awarded at least one grant; 70% of respondents were awarded two to five grants.
- Six to Ten Applications: 96% of respondents were awarded at least one grant; 79% of respondents were awarded three to ten grants.
- 11 to 20 Applications: 97% of respondents were awarded at least one grant; 76% of respondents were awarded six to 20 grants.
- 21 to 30 Applications: 100% of respondents were awarded at least one grant; 71% of respondents were awarded 11 to 30 grants.
- Over 30 Applications: 100% of respondents were awarded at least one grant; 85% of respondents were awarded 21 or more grants.
Applying for at least three grant awards increases the frequency of winning an award. Applying for at least six grant awards almost ensures winning at least one award.
Grant Funding Sources
Private foundations (78%), community foundations (69%), and corporations (56%) were the most frequently cited sources of grant awards. Donor-advised funds were a source of funding for 34% of respondents, while corporate gifts of products or services were reported by 27% of respondents. Among government funders, state funding sources (51%) were reported more frequently than local (43%) and Federal (40%) funding sources. Other funding sources (including religious organizations, the United Way, civic organizations, other nonprofit organizations, and tribal funds) were reported by 8% of respondents.
Staff
Organizational staff were the primary grantseekers for 69% of respondents. Board members (12%), volunteers (6%), and contract grant specialists (9%) were also cited as the primary grantseeker. Four percent of respondent organizations were not engaged with active grantseekers.
Among those organizations with active grantseekers, 74% reported that one to two people were directly involved with the grant process. Three to five grantseekers were reported by 17% of respondents. Larger grant staff sizes of six to ten people (2%) and over ten people (2%) were also reported. Four percent of respondents said they did not have active grantseekers at their organizations.
GRANT Funding
Total Grant Funding Budget Contribution
Grant funding was 10% or less of the annual budget for 27% of respondents, and 11% to 25% of the budget for 22% of respondents. Grant funding comprised 26% to 50% of the budget for 18% of respondents, and 51% to 75% of the budget for 16% of respondents. Seventeen percent of respondents reported grant funding of 76% or more.
Recurring Grants
Recurring grants (a fixed grant award which takes place on an ongoing basis) comprised 10% or less of total grants for 44% of respondents, and 11% to 25% of total grants for 16% of respondents. Recurring grant funding comprised 26% to 50% of total grants for 16% of respondents, and 51% to 75% of the grant budget for 15% of respondents. Nine percent of respondents reported recurring grant funding of 76% or more.
Total Grant Funding
Total awards under $10,000 were reported by 16% of respondents, while 19% reported total awards between $10,000 and $49,999. Ten percent of respondents reported total grant awards between $50,000 and $99,999, whereas 24% of respondents reported total awards of $100,000 to $499,999. Total awards between $500,000 and $999,999 were reported by 9% of respondents, while 14% reported total awards of $1 million to $4,999,999. Eight percent of respondents reported total awards of $5 million or more. The median value of total awards was $170,000 and the average value of total awards was $2,593,100.
Largest Source of Total Funding
Private foundations (34%) were the most frequently reported largest source of total grant funding, followed by the Federal government (16%) and state government (15%). Community foundations were the largest source of total grant funding for 11% of respondents. Eight percent of respondents reported local government grants as the largest source of total grant funding, while 7% reported corporate grants as the largest total grant funding source. Donor-advised funds were the largest source of total grant funding for 2% of respondents. “Other” grant sources (including religious organizations, the United Way, civic organizations, other nonprofit organizations, and tribal funds) were the largest source of total grant funding for 7% of respondents.
Largest Awards
Largest Individual Grant Award Source
Private foundations (34%) were the most frequently reported source of the largest individual grant award. For 16% of respondents, the Federal government was the source of the largest individual grant award. State government was the largest individual award source for 15% of respondents, followed by community foundation grants (11%), local government grants (8%), and corporate grants (7%). Donor-advised funds were the largest individual award source for 2% of respondents. Seven percent of respondents reported “other” grant sources (including religious organizations, the United Way, civic organizations, other nonprofit organizations, and tribal funds) as their largest individual grant award source.
Largest Individual Grant Award Size
The median largest individual grant award for all respondents was $75,000 and the average largest individual grant award was $ $959,790.
Seventy-nine percent of respondents reported that their largest individual grant award was under $500,000. A largest individual grant award of under $10,000 was reported by 12% of respondents, while 27% reported a largest award of $10,000 to $49,999. Fifteen percent of respondents reported that their largest individual grant award was between $50,000 and $99,999, whereas 25% reported that it was between $100,000 to $499,999. The largest individual grant award was between $500,000 and $999,999 for 8% of respondents, and from $1 million to $4,999,999 for 10% of respondents. Three percent of respondents reported that their largest individual grant award was $5 million or more.
Largest Award Support Type
Of the 25 types of support, project or program support (38%) and general support (26%) were reported most frequently. The “other” category is comprised of support types with less than 1% of responses.
Largest Award Logistics
Grant Application Cycle Timing
The grant cycle length—from proposal submission to award decision—for the largest grant award was between one and six months for 58% of respondents. A longer grant cycle of seven to twelve months was reported by 23% of respondents. Seven percent of respondents reported a shorter grant cycle of less than a month, while 12% reported a grant cycle of over one year.
Staff Involvement
For 64% of respondents, one to two people were directly involved in the grantseeking process for the largest individual award. Twenty-four percent of respondents reported that three to five people were directly involved, and 5% reported that six or more people were directly involved. Six percent of respondents reported no direct staff involvement.
Grant Award Cycle Timing
Once an award decision had been determined, funders released the award monies quickly; 67% of respondents reported receiving the award within three months of notification.
Time Allocation
When combined, the various facets of a grant application involve days to weeks of work. For the largest individual award, we asked respondents to tell us how much time was spent on research to support the statement of need, project design, writing the proposal, coordination of the attachments and submission, reporting, and post-award monitoring. Research (64%), project design (51%), submission (70%), and reporting (56%) took three days or fewer for the majority of respondents. However, writing the grant application took more than three days for 57% of respondents. Post-award monitoring was not applicable for 19% of respondents and took three days or fewer for 41% of respondents.
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
Government Funding Sources
Among those respondents that reported government funding sources, state government (80%) was most frequently reported as a government funding source, followed by the Federal government (66%) and local government (64%).
Government Largest Source of Total Funding
Government Largest Individual Award Source
Among those respondents that reported government funding sources, the Federal government (43%) was most frequently reported as the largest individual award source, followed by state government (39%) and local government (18%).
Government Grant Application Cycle Timing
The government grant cycle length—from proposal submission to award decision—for the largest award was between one and six months for 48% of respondents, while 3% reported a short grant cycle of less than a month. A longer grant cycle of seven months or more was reported by 50% of respondents. The longer grant cycle reflects the government application process; the non-government application process took seven months or more for 25% of respondents.
Staff Involvement
For 56% of respondents, one to two people were directly involved in the grantseeking process for the largest individual government award. Thirty-three percent of respondents reported that three to five people were directly involved, and 9% reported the involvement of six or more people. Two percent of respondents reported no direct staff involvement. This represents more staff involvement than for non-government awards, for which 72% of respondents reported one to two people were directly involved in the grantseeking process.
Government Grant Award Cycle Timing
Once an award decision had been determined, funders released the award monies quickly; 51% of respondents reported receiving the award within three months of notification. Delayed receipt of award monies, taking four months or more, was reported by 49% of respondents. The longer award cycle reflects government processes; non-government release of award monies took four months or more for 21% of respondents.
Government Funding Time Allocation
For the largest individual award from a government funder, we asked respondents to tell us how much time was spent on research to support the statement of need, project design, writing the proposal, coordination of the attachments and submission, reporting, and post-award monitoring. For most respondents, the various facets of the government grant process took five or fewer days.
Government Largest Award Size
Government Largest Award Support Type
The largest government award received by 47% of respondents was in the form of project or program support, whereas for 16% of respondents it was in the form of general support. The “other” category, comprised of support types reported at a rate of less than 2% (including endowment awards, emergency funds, project planning support, conferences/seminars/workshops, and advocacy/grassroots awards) was reported by 11% of respondents. Building and infrastructure awards were the largest support type for 10% of respondents. Capacity building was the largest support type for 5% of respondents, while mixed support types were the largest support type for 4% of respondents. Donations (products, services, technical support, etc.), collaborations/coalitions, events/sponsorships, and training programs were each reported as the largest form of support by 2% of respondents.
Federal Government Funding
Forty percent of respondents reported that their organizations regularly receive Federal funding, and 33% stated that their organizations received Federal funding in 2023.
Federal Government Award Type
Those organizations that received Federal funding during 2023 reported that their largest Federal award came in the form of grants (64%), contracts (12%), or another form (15%), including cooperative agreements and reimbursements. Nine percent were unsure of the form of funding.
Federal Government Award Origin
Forty-seven percent of the funds for the largest Federal award originated directly from the Federal government, while 24% originated as pass-through Federal funding via a state government. Twenty-six percent originated in another form, primarily as pass-through funding from non-Federal levels of government, tribal agencies, or nonprofit organizations. Three percent of respondents were unsure of where their Federal funding originated.
Federal Government Matching Funds
Thirty-nine percent of respondents that received Federal funding reported that their largest Federal award did not require matching funds, whereas 32% reported that matching funds were a requirement of their largest Federal award. Twenty-nine percent of respondents that received Federal funding were unsure if matching funds were included as a requirement.
Of those organizations that received awards requiring matching funds, respondents most frequently reported a match of 10% or less (19%), of 11% to 25% (19%), or of 26% to 50% (13%). Nine percent of respondents reported a match of over 50%, and 40% of respondents were unsure of the match requirement.
Federal Government Indirect/Administrative Cost Funding
The largest Federal award included indirect/administrative cost funding for 57% of respondents, while 26% reported that cost funding was not included, and 17% were unsure if it was included.
A Federal direct cost agreement was included in the award for 23% of respondents. There was no direct cost agreement for 42% of respondents and 35% were unsure if a direct cost agreement was part of the Federal award.
Of those respondents that did receive indirect/administrative cost funding, 46% reported that their largest Federal award included an allocation of 10% or less for these costs, and 11% reported that the award included 11% to 20% funding for these costs. Nine percent of respondents reported that their largest Federal award included funding of 21% or more for indirect/administrative costs, while 34% were unsure of the level of funding allocated to these costs.
Respondents by Government Largest Award Source
As illustrated by The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Survey results, a respondent organization’s demographics can be defined by the source of the largest award. The following are typical organizations that received their largest award from each funder type. You may choose to apply to funders that have provided awards to organizations that are demographically similar to your organization as part of your grantseeking strategy.
Organizations for Which the Federal Government Was the Largest Award Source
Eighty-three percent of survey respondents from organizations for which the Federal government was the largest award source (FGLAS) were directly associated with their organizations as employees (37%) or at an executive level (46%). Nonprofits comprised 83% of FGLAS organizations, while educational institutions comprised 6%. (Among respondents from educational institutions, 88% represented two- or four-year colleges and universities.) Eight percent of FGLAS organizations were government or tribal entities, and 3% were libraries or businesses. FGLAS organizations frequently reported employing over 200 people (22%), and between 26 and 75 people (18%). Seventy-five percent of FGLAS organizations reported annual budgets of $1,000,000 and over; of those, 21% reported annual budgets of $25,000,000 and over. The median annual budget was $3,025,125. FGLAS organizations were older than other organizations; 33% were 26 to 50 years old and 38% were over 50 years old. Forty-seven percent of FGLAS organizations worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban) and 26% served urban areas. The most frequent geographic service reach for FGLAS organizations was multi-county (35%), one county (16%), or one state (11%). Human Services (28%), Education (12%), and Health (10%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Fifty-eight percent of these organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Organizations for Which State Government Was the Largest Award Source
Seventy-nine percent of survey respondents from organizations for which state government was the largest award source (SGLAS) were directly associated with their organizations as employees (27%) or at an executive level (52%). Nonprofits comprised 85% of SGLAS organizations, while educational institutions comprised 6%. (Among respondents from educational institutions, 57% represented two- or four-year colleges and universities.) Six percent of SGLAS organizations were government or tribal entities, and 3% were libraries or businesses. SGLAS organizations most frequently reported employing one to five people (25%) or six to 25 people (27%). Annual budgets between $250,000 and $999,999 were reported by 14% of SGLAS respondents, while 30% reported annual budgets between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999, and 13% reported annual budgets of $25,000,000 and over. Fifty-six percent of SGLAS organizations reported annual budgets of $1,000,000 or more. The median annual budget was $1,439,000. Most SGLAS organizations were 11 to 25 years old (24%), 26 to 50 years old (32%), or over 50 years old (30%). Forty-two percent of SGLAS organizations worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban), while 24% served urban areas and 21% served suburban locations. The most frequent geographic service reach for SGLAS organizations was multi-county (31%), one county (16%), or one state (15%). Human Services (25%), Art, Culture, and Humanities (20%), and Education (13%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Fifty percent of these organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Organizations for Which Local Government Was the Largest Award Source
Seventy-three percent of survey respondents from organizations for which local government was the largest award source (LGLAS) were directly associated with their organizations as employees (21%) or at an executive level (52%). Nonprofits comprised 99% of LGLAS organizations. Most LGLAS organizations reported employing one to five people (38%) or six to 25 people (16%), while 12% reported employing between 26 and 75 people. Fifteen percent of LGLAS organizations reported an all-volunteer staff. LGLAS organizations most frequently reported annual budgets between $100,000 and $249,999 (19%), between $250,000 and $499,999 (19%), and between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999 (20%). The median annual budget was $483,751. Most LGLAS organizations were 11 to 25 years old (23%), 26 to 50 years old (35%), or 51 to 100 years old (19%). Forty-five percent served urban areas, while 30% worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban), and 22% served suburban locations. The most frequent geographic service reach for LGLAS organizations was multi-county (29%), one county (24%), or multi-city/town (18%). Human Services (25%), Art, Culture, and Humanities (20%), and Housing and Shelter (11%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Fifty-four percent of these organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Non-Government Funding
Non-Government Funding Sources
Non-Government Largest Source of Total Funding
Among respondents that reported non-government funding sources, private foundations (54%) were most frequently reported as the largest total source of this type of funding, followed by community foundations (17%), corporate grantmakers (12%), donor-advised funds (3%), and “other” grant sources (12%). Three percent of these respondents reported government funders as their largest source of total funding.
Non-Government Largest Individual Award Source
Among those respondents that reported non-government funding sources, private foundations (54%) were most frequently reported as the largest individual award source, followed by community foundations (18%), corporate grantmakers (13%), donor-advised funds (3%), and “other” grant sources (12%).
Non-Government Grant Application Cycle Timing
The non-government grant cycle length—from proposal submission to award decision—for the largest award was between one and six months for 65% of respondents, while 10% reported a short grant cycle of less than a month. A longer grant cycle of seven months or more was reported by 25% of respondents. The shorter grant cycle for non-government funders reflects an application process that is often simpler than that of government applications; the government application process took seven months or more for 50% of respondents.
Staff Involvement
For 72% of respondents, one to two people were directly involved in the grantseeking process for the largest individual non-government award. Eighteen percent of respondents reported that three to five people were directly involved, and 4% reported the direct involvement of six or more people. Seven percent of respondents reported no direct staff involvement. This represents less staff involvement than for government awards, for which 56% of respondents reported one to two people were directly involved in the grantseeking process.
Non-Government Grant Award Cycle Timing
Once an award decision had been determined, non-government funders generally released the award monies within three months of notification (79%). Delayed receipt of award monies, taking four months or more, was reported by 21% of respondents. This timing is significant, as delayed release of funds from government sources was reported by 49% of respondents.
Non-Government Funding Time Allocation
For the largest individual award from a non-government funder, we asked respondents to tell us how much time was spent on research to support the statement of need, project design, writing the proposal, coordination of the attachments and submission, reporting, and post-award monitoring. For most respondents, the various facets of the non-government grant process took three or fewer days. However, writing grant applications took from two days to two weeks for 71% of respondents.
Non-Government Largest Award Size
The largest individual award median from non-government entities was lower than that from government funders (an aggregate of Federal, state, and local government). The largest award median from private foundations was $50,000. The largest award median from corporate grantmakers was $30,000, while that from community foundations was $25,000. Respondents reported a largest median award of $15,000 from donor-advised funds, and a largest median award from “other” funding sources (including religious organizations, the United Way, civic organizations, other nonprofit organizations, and tribal funds) of $42,000. In comparison, the largest individual award median from government funders was $263,500.
Non-Government Largest Award Support Type
The largest non-government award received by 33% of respondents was in the form of general support, followed by project or program support at 32%. Respondents also reported the largest non-government award type as capacity building (9%) and building and infrastructure funds (6%). Donations of products, services, equipment, and technical assistance, mixed/multiple support types, and challenge and matching grants were each reported by 3% of respondents. Advocacy and grassroots funding were reported by 2% of respondents as the largest individual award support type. The “other” category, comprised of support types reported at a rate of less than 2%, includes collaborations, emergency funds, events/sponsorships, endowment funds, and seed money.
Respondents by Largest Award Source
As illustrated by The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Survey results, a respondent organization’s demographics can be defined by the source of the largest award. The following are typical organizations that received their largest award from each funder type. You may choose to apply to funders that have provided awards to organizations that are demographically similar to your organization as part of your grantseeking strategy.
Organizations for Which Private Foundations Were the Largest Award Source
Seventy-nine percent of survey respondents from organizations for which private foundations were the largest award source (PFLAS) were directly associated with their organizations as employees (21%) or at an executive level (58%). Nonprofits comprised 94% of PFLAS organizations. PFLAS organizations most frequently reported employing one to five people (35%) or six to 25 people (25%). Seventeen percent of PFLAS organizations reported annual budgets between $100,000 and $249,999, while annual budgets between $250,000 and $999,999 were reported by 26% of respondents. Twenty-seven percent of respondents reported annual budgets between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999. The median annual budget was $800,000. PFLAS organizations were 11 to 25 years old (28%) or 26 to 50 years old (27%). Forty-six percent worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban), while 27% were in urban areas and 18% worked in suburban areas. The most frequent geographic service reach for PFLAS organizations was multi-county (27%), one county (15%), multi-state (12%), or one state (12%). Human Services (20%), Art, Culture, and Humanities (12%), Education (11%), and Animal Related (11%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Forty-eight percent of PFLAS organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Organizations for Which Community Foundations Were the Largest Award Source
Eighty-two percent of survey respondents from organizations for which community foundations were the largest award source (CFLAS) were directly associated with their organizations as employees (16%) or at an executive level (66%). Nonprofits comprised 95% of CFLAS organizations. CFLAS organizations most frequently reported employing one to five people (43%), employing six to 25 people (17%), employing less than a full-time equivalent person (9%), or being staffed by volunteers (23%). Thirty-two percent of CFLAS organizations reported annual budgets under $100,000, while 33% reported budgets between $100,000 and $499,999, and 18% reported annual budgets between $500,000 and $999,999. Seventeen percent of CFLAS organizations reported annual budgets of $1,000,000 or more. The median annual budget was $207,000. Most CFLAS organizations were one to ten years old (31%), 11 to 25 years old (25%), or 26 to 50 years old (24%). Thirty-eight percent worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban), while 27% were in an urban service area and 23% were in a suburban service area. The most frequent geographic service reach for CFLAS organizations was multi-county (25%), one county (22%), or one state (14%). Human Services (23%), Art, Culture, and Humanities (10%), Health (10%), and Youth Development (10%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Sixty-three percent of these organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Organizations for Which Corporations Were the Largest Award Source
Eighty percent of survey respondents from organizations for which corporations were the largest award source (CLAS) were directly associated with their organizations as employees (26%) or at an executive level (54%). Nonprofits comprised 98% of CLAS organizations. CLAS organizations most frequently reported employing one to five people (28%), employing six to 25 people (24%), employing less than a full-time equivalent person (10%), or being staffed by volunteers (14%). Twenty-three percent of CLAS organizations reported annual budgets between $100,000 and $499,999, while 22% reported annual budgets between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999. Annual budgets less than $100,000 were reported by 22% of respondents. The median annual budget was $720,000. Most CLAS organizations were one to ten years old (23%), 11 to 25 years old (28%), or 26 to 50 years old (32%). Forty-eight percent worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban), while 25% were in urban areas and 19% were in suburban areas. The most frequent geographic service reach for CLAS organizations was multi-county (28%), one county (19%), international (11%), or multi-state (1%). Youth Development (17%), Human Services (13%), Animal Related (12%), and Education (12%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Fifty-three percent of these organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Organizations for Which Donor-Advised Funds Were the Largest Award Source
Eighty-seven percent of survey respondents from organizations for which donor-advised funds were the largest award source (DLAS) were directly associated with their organizations as employees (22%) or at an executive level (65%), while 9% of respondents were board members. Nonprofits comprised 96% of DLAS organizations. DLAS organizations most frequently reported employing one to five people (45%), less than one full-time employee (22%), or being staffed by volunteers (22%). Thirty percent of DLAS organizations reported annual budgets below $50,000. Thirteen percent of respondents reported annual budgets between $250,000 and $499,999, and 17% reported annual budgets between $500,000 and $999,999. The median annual budget was $325,400. Most DLAS organizations were one to ten years old (46%) or 11 to 25 years old (32%). Thirty-five percent worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban), while 30% were in urban areas and 22% were in suburban areas. The most frequent geographic service reach for DLAS organizations was multi-county (35%), one county (22%), multi-city/town (13%), or international (13%). Education (17%) Environment (17%), Animal Related (13%), and Health (13%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Fifty percent of these organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Organizations for Which “Other” Sources Were the Largest Award Source
Seventy-three percent of survey respondents from organizations for which “other” sources (including religious organizations, the United Way, civic organizations, other nonprofit organizations, and tribal funds) were the largest award source (OLAS) were directly associated with their organizations as employees (15%) or at an executive level (58%), while 10% of respondents were volunteers. Nonprofits comprised 89% of OLAS organizations. OLAS organizations most frequently reported employing one to five people (35%) or being staffed by volunteers (31%). Forty-one percent of OLAS organizations reported annual budgets under $100,000, and 13% reported annual budgets between $100,000 and $249,999. Eighteen percent of respondents reported annual budgets between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999. The median annual budget was $238,000. Most OLAS organizations were ten years or younger (44%), 11 to 25 years old (22%), or 26 to 50 years old (15%). Forty percent worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban). Twenty-seven percent were in urban service areas, while 17% were in suburban areas, and 14% were in rural areas. The most frequent geographic service reach for OLAS organizations was multi-county (30%), international (13%), or multi city/town (13%). Human Services (20%), Art, Culture, and Humanities (13%), and Education (11%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Forty-seven percent of these organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Collaborative Grantseeking
Participation and Awards
Collaborative grantseeking—organizations joining together to submit grant applications for joint activities or programs—is a technique often favored by funders. Many funders feel collaboration among nonprofits increases the effectiveness of awards. Most respondents (67%) did not participate in collaborative grantseeking in 2023. Thirty-four percent of those respondents that did submit a collaborative grant application reported winning an award.
Collaboration by Annual Budget
Increases in annual budget size, with the implied increases in staff and infrastructure, influenced collaborative activities. Fifty-three percent of organizations with budgets of $25,000,000 or more participated in collaborative grantseeking in 2023, whereas only 17% of organizations with budgets under $100,000 participated in collaborative grantseeking during this period.
Indirect/Administrative Cost Funding
Indirect/Administrative Costs as a Percentage of Budget
Indirect/Administrative Cost Funding Sources
Indirect/Administrative Cost Non-Government Funder Limitations
Respondents reported that non-government funders will assist with indirect/administrative costs, although they limit the amount that they are willing to cover. Forty-two percent of respondents reported an allowance of 10% or less for these costs, and 19% reported an allowance of 11% to 25% for these costs. Eight percent of respondents reported that non-government funders would not cover indirect/administrative costs, while 27% were unsure of the coverage level. Only 4% of respondents reported that non-government funders allocated over 25% of the budget for these costs.
Indirect/Administrative Cost Change
For 2023, 51% of respondents reported increased indirect/administrative costs. Forty percent of respondents reported no change in these costs, while 9% of respondentsreported a decrease in indirect/administrative costs.
Indirect/Administrative Cost Controls
Respondents were asked, “How did you reduce your indirect/administrative costs?” and were able to report multiple techniques. Reductions in the number of staff (39%) and reductions through increased reliance on volunteer labor (34%) were the most frequently reported indirect/administrative cost control techniques. Managing costs by “other” reduction techniques (20%), by making reductions in the organization’s staff hours (18%), by sharing a space or location (17%), by reductions in staff salaries (15%), and by reductions in services and programs (13%) were also frequently reported. Reductions in organization hours (8%), use of buying groups and economics of scale (5%), and reduced organization geographic scope (3%) were also reported as indirect/administrative cost reduction techniques. Among the “other” reported reduction techniques, each of which were reported by fewer than 3% of respondents, cost savings through hiring freezes, virtual work, and non-replacement of technology were frequently cited.
Challenges to Grantseeking
We asked, “What, in your opinion, is the greatest challenge to successful grantseeking?” Respondents continued to report that grantseeking’s greatest challenges stem from the lack of time and staff for grantseeking activities (21%).
Difficulty in finding grant opportunities that matched with specific missions, locations, or programs (15%) and adherence to varying funder practices and requirements (14%) were also frequently cited as the greatest challenge to successful grantseeking.
Respondents next reported increased competition for finite monies (10%) and building funder relationships (9%). Writing grant proposals, reduced funding, the need for a grants specialist, and internal organizational issues (each 5%) were also challenges to grantseeking success.
Economic conditions were reported by four percent of respondents. “Other” challenges (including changing funder priorities, reduced budgets, small organizational size, managing a grants program, and a specific or rare mission focus) were reported by six percent of respondents as the greatest challenge to successful grantseeking.
Organization Annual Budget
Organizational size determined by the annual budget appears to be a key factor influencing the grantseeking experience. The variations in funding by budget size emphasize the importance of comparing your organization to those with similar annual budget ranges. For this report, organizational budget ranges are defined as:
|
BUDGET RANGE |
RANGE NAME |
MEDIAN BUDGET |
% OF RESPONDENTS |
|
Under $100,000 |
Small |
$50,000 |
18% |
|
$100,000 - $999,999 |
Medium |
$350,000 |
35% |
|
$1 Million - $9,999,999 |
Large |
$2,585,000 |
32% |
|
$10 Million - $24,999,999 |
Very Large |
$14,000,000 |
6% |
|
$25 Million and Over |
Extra-Large |
$56,500,000 |
9% |
Total Funding
Largest Source of Total Funding
The largest source of total funding varied by organizational size. Federal and state government funding frequency tended to increase with organizational budget size, whereas funding from community foundations and “other” funding sources (including religious organizations, the United Way, civic organizations, other nonprofit organizations, and tribal funds) generally decreased in relation to budget size. Private foundations were a frequent funder of organizations of any budget size, while donor-advised funds were infrequently cited as the largest source of total funding. Corporate grants and local government were infrequently cited as the largest source of total funding for extra-large organizations. The response rate for each source of funding, by organizational budget size, is shown in the following chart.
Largest Individual Award
Just as with total award sizes, larger organizations consistently reported larger individual award sizes. The median largest individual award was $75,000 for all survey respondents. When broken out by budget size, the median largest individual award ranged from $10,000 for small organizations to $1,800,000 for extra-large organizations.
Largest Individual Award Source
Organizations reported variations in the largest individual award source based on organizational budget size.
Very large and extra-large organizations reported a much greater frequency of Federal government grants. Organizations should note that the median largest award size is substantially higher for government sources and consider these trends when setting realistic grantseeking expectations based on organizational size. For example, the median largest award for Federal grants was $615,000, while the median largest award from community foundations was $25,000.
Medium and large organizations most frequently reported private foundation grants as the largest individual award source. The median largest award for private foundation grants was $50,000.
The response rate for each source of funding, by organizational budget size, is listed in the following chart.
Respondents by Annual Budget Size
As illustrated by The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Survey results, a respondent organization’s demographics and grantseeking experience can be further defined by their annual budget size. The annual budget impacts grantseeking because it speaks to organizational age and experience and to the size of staff and programs. The following are typical organizations of varying budget sizes. You may choose to apply to funders that have provided awards to organizations that are demographically similar to your organization as part of your grantseeking strategy.
Organizations with Small Annual Budgets Under $100,000
Sixty-one percent of survey respondents from organizations with small budgets under $100,000 were directly associated with their organizations as employees (4%) or at an executive level (57%); 25% were board members. Nonprofits comprised 93% of small organizations. Small organizations most frequently reported all-volunteer staffing (47%), employing less than a full-time equivalent (27%), or employing one to five people (21%). The median annual budget was $50,000. Sixty-three percent of small organizations were 25 years old or younger. Small organizations were frequently five years old or younger (38%), 11 to 25 years old (25%), or 26 to 50 years old (18%). Forty-two percent worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban), while 22% were in urban areas, and 22% were in suburban areas. The most frequent geographic service reach for small organizations was multi-county (23%), one county (15%), or one state (14%). Art, Culture, and Humanities (17%), Human Services (13%), Animal Related (11%), and Youth Development (10%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Forty-three percent of small organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Organizations with Medium Annual Budgets Between $100,000 and $999,999
Eighty-two percent of survey respondents from organizations with medium budgets between $100,000 and $999,999 were directly associated with their organizations as employees (14%) or at an executive level (68%). Nonprofits comprised 96% of medium organizations. Medium organizations most frequently reported employing one to five people (61%) or six to ten people (14%). The median annual budget was $350,000. Medium organizations were often ten years of age or younger (27%), 11 to 25 years old (32%), or 26 to 50 years old (26%). Forty percent worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban), while 24% were in urban areas and 22% were in suburban areas. The most frequent geographic service reach for medium organizations was multi-county (26%), one county (18%), or multi-city/town (14%). Human Services (18%), Art, Culture, and Humanities (15%), Education (10%) and Youth Development (10%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Fifty-two percent of medium organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Organizations with Large Annual Budgets Between $1 Million and $9,999,999
Eighty-four percent of survey respondents from organizations with large budgets between $1 million and $9,999,999 were directly associated with their organizations as employees (38%) or at an executive level (46%). Nonprofits comprised 91% of large organizations. Large organizations most frequently reported employing six to ten people (15%), 11 to 25 people (35%), or 26 to 75 people (31%). The median annual budget was $ $2,585,000. Large organizations were usually 11 to 25 years old (25%), 26 to 50 years old (35%), or 51 to 100 years old (22%). Forty-seven percent worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban), while 31% were in urban areas and 16% were in suburban areas. The most frequent geographic service reach for large organizations was multi-county (29%), one county (19%), or one state (11%). Human Services (26%), Art, Culture, and Humanities (11%), and Education (10%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Fifty-seven percent of large organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Organizations with Very Large Annual Budgets Between $10 Million and $24,999,999
Eighty-nine percent of survey respondents from organizations with very large budgets between $10 million and $24,999,999 were directly associated with their organizations as employees (59%) or at an executive level (30%). Nonprofits comprised 87% of very large organizations. Among respondents from educational institutions (13%), 80% represented two- or four-year colleges and universities. Very large organizations most frequently reported employing 26 to 75 people (18%), 76 to 125 people (35%), 126 to 200 people (27%), or over 200 people (15%). The median annual budget was $14,000,000. Very large organizations were usually 26 to 50 years old (34%), 51 to 100 years old (38%), or over 100 years old (21%). Fifty-two percent worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban), while 33% were in urban areas. The most frequent geographic service reach for very large organizations was multi-county (35%), one county (19%), one state (13%), or multi-state (12%). Human Services (37%), Education (12%), Mental health (8%), and Health (8%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Sixty-seven percent of very large organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Organizations with Extra-Large Annual Budgets $25 Million and Over
Eighty-two percent of survey respondents from organizations with extra-large budgets of $25 million and over were directly associated with their organizations as employees (57%) or at an executive level (25%). Nonprofits comprised 61% of extra-large organizations; 24% were educational institutions and 14% were tribal or government entities. Among respondents from educational institutions, 14% represented K-12 schools and 86% represented two- or four-year colleges and universities. Extra-large organizations most frequently reported employing over 200 people (77%). The median annual budget was $56,500,000. Extra-large organizations were usually 26 to 50 years old (21%), 51 to 100 years old (45%), or over 100 years old (27%). Fifty percent worked in a mix of service areas (rural, suburban, and urban), while 29% were in urban areas and 16% were in suburban areas. The most frequent geographic service reach for extra-large organizations was multi-county (37%), one state (16%), one county (12%), or international (10%). Education (28%), Human Services (28%), and Health (19%) were the most frequently reported mission focuses. Fifty-one percent of extra-large organizations reported a service population comprised of over 50% individuals/families at or below the poverty level.
Organization Mission Focus
The mission focus of the organization impacts organizational grantseeking activities. Variations in grant funding and sources emphasize the importance of comparing your organization to those with similar mission focuses.
Of the 25 mission focus choices in The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Survey, which are based on the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities Classification System, 15 comprised 93% of respondent organizations. The remaining mission focuses (each of which had under 2% of respondents) were combined into the Other Missions category. For this report, mission focus classifications are defined below.
Total Funding
The median value of total awards varied by organizational mission focus. Educational Institutions reported a median award total of $2 million, an outlier in total funding, and Mental Health organizations had a median award total of $784,000. Most of the mission focuses had median total awards under $500,000. Religion Related organizations reported the lowest median award total of $21,500. Remember the median largest award size is substantially higher for government sources and factor in these trends when setting realistic grantseeking expectations. The median value of total awards for all respondents was $170,000.
The following chart shows the median size of total grant awards reported by mission focus.
Largest Source of Total Funding
Private foundations were most frequently reported as the largest source of total grant funding for organizations. Over 40% of Animal Related, Environment, and Religion Related organizations reported private foundations as the largest source of total grant funding. The Federal government was the most frequently reported largest source of total grant funding for Public Benefit organizations and Educational Institutions.
The missions with the highest rate of response for each source of funding are listed in the following chart.
Largest Individual Award
The median largest award size is influenced by mission focus, ranging from $20,000 for Religion Related organizations to $1 million for Educational Institutions. Along with Educational Institutions, Public Benefit, Healthcare, and Mental Health organizations reported receiving the largest median individual awards. The median largest individual award for all respondents was $75,000.
The following chart shows, by mission focus, the median award size for the largest individual grant award.
Largest Individual Award Source
As with the largest source of total grant funding, private foundations were the most frequent source of the largest individual award for organizations of most mission focuses. Public Benefit, Educational Institutions, Healthcare, and Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition missions reported the Federal government as the largest individual award source. Housing and Shelter was the only mission to most frequently report state government as the largest individual award source.
The missions with the highest rate of response for each source of funding are listed in the following chart.
Respondent Demographics
Organizational Affiliation
Type of Organization
Most respondents represented nonprofit organizations (89%). Other respondents included educational institutions (4%), businesses, consultants, and other agencies (3%), government entities and tribal organizations (3%), and libraries (1%). Among respondents from educational institutions, 30% represented K-12 schools, while 28% represented two-year colleges, and 42% represented four-year colleges and universities.
Organizational Age
Organizations ten years of age or under comprised 22% of respondents. Organizational ages of 11 to 25 years were reported by 25% of respondents, while 28% reported organizational ages of 26 to 50 years. Organizations of 51 to 100 years of age comprised 18% of respondents, and 8% of respondents were from organizations over 100 years of age.
Annual Budget
The median annual budget of respondent organizations was $700,000.
Staff Size
Primary Grantseeker
Most respondent organizations relied on staff members (69%) to fill the role of primary grantseeker. Board members (12%), volunteers (6%), and contract grant specialists (9%) were also cited as the primary grantseeker. Four percent of respondent organizations were not engaged with active grantseekers.
Grantseeking Staff Size
Most respondent organizations relied on one or two staff members (74%) as grantseeking resources. Three to five people were tasked as grantseekers by 18% of respondent organizations. Two percent of respondent organizations identified six to ten grantseeking staff members, and 2% employed over ten grant professionals. This question was not applicable for 5% of respondents.
Location
Within the United States, respondents came from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two territories. In addition, respondents from seven Canadian provinces participated, and 34 respondents were from countries outside of the United States and Canada.
Service Area
The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Report utilizes the Census Bureau’s population-based area classification. Rural service areas containing fewer than 2,500 people were reported by 10% of respondents. Nineteen percent of respondents reported cluster/suburban service areas containing between 2,500 and 50,000 people. Urban service areas containing over 50,000 people were reported by 27% of respondents. In addition, 44% of respondents reported a service area comprised of a combination of these population-defined areas.
Geographic Reach
Organizations with an international, continental, or global geographic reach comprised 9% of respondents, while organizations with a national geographic reach comprised 7%. A multi-state organizational reach was reported by 9% of respondents, and 12% reported an individual-state reach. A multi-county reach was reported by 28% of respondents, while a one-county reach was reported by 17%. Eleven percent of respondents reported a multi-city or town organizational reach, while 4% reported a geographic reach within an individual city or town. In addition, 3% of respondents reported a reach comprised of other geographic or municipal divisions.
Poverty Level
Respondents were asked, “What percentage of your service recipients/clients/program participants are comprised of individuals/families at or below the poverty level?” Service to individuals or families in poverty was reported at a rate of 76% or more by 34% of respondents, while 18% reported serving those in poverty at a rate of 51% to 75%. Service to individuals or families in poverty at a rate of 26% to 50% was reported by 17% of respondents. Service to those in poverty at a rate of 11% to 25% was reported by 15% of respondents, while 6% reported a service rate of 10% or less to those in poverty. This question was not applicable for 10% of respondents.
Mission Focus
Nearly half of the respondent organizations reported one of three mission focuses: Human Services (22%), Art, Culture, and Humanities (12%), and Education and Education Related (12%). The next most frequent mission focus responses were Youth Development (8%), Healthcare (8%), Animal Related (6%), Community Improvement (5%), and Housing and Shelter (5%). Missions focused on Environment, Public Benefit, and Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition were each reported by 3% of respondents. Missions focused on Religion, Mental Health, and Employment were each reported by 2% of respondents. The remaining eleven mission focuses (7%) were each reported by fewer than 2% of respondents.
Target Beneficiaries
We asked respondents to identify the intended beneficiaries of their organization’s mission and programs. The beneficiary definitions were provided by GrantAdvisor.org and encompassed gender, age, ethnicity, disability, health, citizenship status, military service, and income-related definitions.
Methodology
The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Report presents a ground-level look at the grantseeking experience and focuses on funding from non-government grant sources and government grants and contracts. The information in this report, unless otherwise specified, reflects recent grantseeking activity during the year 2023. For visual brevity, response rates are rounded to the nearest whole number; totals will range from 98% to 102%.
The 2024 State of Grantseeking™ Survey was open from February 10, 2024, through March 31, 2024, and received 2,306 responses. The survey was conducted online using Survey Monkey and was not scientifically conducted. Survey respondents are a nonrandom sample of organizations that self-selected to take the survey based on their affiliation with GrantStation and GrantStation partners. Due to the variation in respondent organizations over time, this report does not include trends. The 2024 State of Grantseeking ™ Report uses focused survey results, including data by mission focus or budget size, to provide a resource more closely matched to your specific organization.
This report was produced by GrantStation. The lead underwriters were Foundant Technologies and the Grant Professionals Association. Additional underwriters included ARNOVA, CampaignCounsel.org, Giving Payroll, and TechSoup. The survey was also promoted by many generous partner organizations via emails, e-newsletters, websites, and various social media outlets.
Ellen C. Mowrer, Diana Holder, and Juliet Vile wrote, edited, and contributed to the report. For media inquiries or permission to use the information contained in The 2024 State of Grantseeking ™ Report in oral or written format, presentations, texts, online, or other contexts, please contact Ellen at ellen.mowrer@grantstation.com.
Descriptive Statistics
Descriptive statistics is the branch of statistics devoted to the exploration, summary, and presentation of data. The State of Grantseeking Reports use descriptive statistics to report survey findings. Because this survey was not scientifically conducted, inference—the process of deducing properties of the underlying population—is not used.
About GrantStation
- GrantStation databases include private grantmakers (U.S., Canadian, and international), U.S. federal government programs, and lists of U.S. state government and Canadian government agencies that provide support. Our team of researchers creates high-quality, current funder profiles, curated with the human touch.
- Finding funders for your organization shouldn’t take time you don’t have, move staff away from mission-driven priorities, or cost a ton of money.
- GrantStation profiles grantmakers that accept inquiries, and features what they will fund this year and in the future. Go beyond search engine inquiries, data scraping, and 990 mining with your GS Membership.
- At GrantStation, you can search through thousands of grant opportunities, all active and accepting proposals in the coming year! Get the tools you need to secure your funding this year and beyond at GrantStation.
- We make sure that your GrantStation Membership is valuable, and affordable, on purpose.
- Keep abreast of the most current grant opportunities by signing up for our free weekly newsletter, the GrantStation Insider. (Sign up here.)
- Win awards to fund your mission. Visit the GrantStation website and join today!
About the Underwriters
Welcome Home Grant Professional!
Are you searching for a place where you can connect with other grant professionals in the industry or find helpful ways to grow professionally? The Grant Professionals Association (GPA) is that place! The Grant Professionals Association, a nonprofit membership association, builds and supports an international community of grant professionals committed to serving the greater public good by practicing the highest ethical and professional standards.
You will find over 4,500 other grant professionals just like you. You can connect with your peers via GrantZone (GPA’s private online community) to share best practices, ask questions, and develop relationships.
You will have access to resources to help you succeed professionally with our annual conference (GrantSummit), over 100 webinars on our GrantSchool platform, an annual journal, weekly news articles, local chapters, product discounts, and more! When you join GPA you will receive a free subscription to GrantStation!
GPA is THE place for grant professionals. Now is the time for you to belong to an international membership organization that works to advance the profession, certify professionals, and fund professionalism. Receive your discount by using the discount code “GPA-25” when joining. Find out more at www.GrantProfessionals.org. Your association home awaits you.
Software Solutions Designed Specifically for the Unique Needs of Nonprofit Organizations
With growing community needs, demands onnonprofit organizations have never been greater. How can your organization keep pace and continue to successfully pursue its mission with limited staff and resources? Put the right software in place to more effectively manage your nonprofit’s operations so that you’ll have more time to focus your energy on maximizing your impact on the communities you serve.
GrantHub¾Pre-Award Grant Management
Increase your grant efficiencies and win more grants.
- Manage relationships, tasks, and grant deadlines
- Find potential funders and grant opportunities
- Track and report your fundraising progress
- Catalog important funder and grant documents
- Maintain relationships and history despite staff turnover
- Streamline proposal creation using common application responses
Start your free 14-day trial. *No credit card required
GrantHub Pro¾Find Grants and Pre- and Post-Award Grant Management
Centralize your entire grant management process¾from finding funding to grant closeout¾to maximize your nonprofit organization’s funding and program success.
- Save time managing your grant process
- Discover right-fit funding sources
- Stay on track and never miss a deadline
- Cultivate strong funder relationships
- Centralize your post-award grant management and financials
- Increase accountability and informed decision-making
- And create greater impact in the communities you serve!
ABOUT US
The Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) is a diverse community of scholars, educators, and practice leaders that strengthens the field of nonprofit and philanthropic research in order to improve civil society and human life.
ARNOVA is committed to growing the organization by bringing in new members across different sectors. We believe connecting diverse voices—students, professors, funders, and practitioners—can lead to societal improvement.
ARNOVA is a community; we are where higher learning and the nonprofit sector meet.
Benefits of being an ARNOVA member
ARNOVA provides opportunities to connect with peers across the globe working in academic, think tank, philanthropic, and nonprofit organizations. Many members join ARNOVA to be a part of our annual conferences and our Sections & Groups—both of which lead to members networking and exchanging ideas.
Members also get a subscription to Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, ARNOVA’s field-leading journal, and ARNOVA News, our email newsletter. It contains news of the Association and its members and articles about members' research.
Learn more about our membership benefits at www.arnova.org/member-benefits/
Have questions? Contact us at info@arnova.org
Are you considering a Capital Campaign? This free Guide to Capital Campaigns will help as you prepare.
CampaignCounsel.org offers full-scope capital campaign services designed to address your unique organization and community. We provide capital campaign leadership, planning, and management for nonprofits embarking on multimillion-dollar building projects across the globe. Our services include needs assessments and capital campaign planning and management.
A trusted partner for three decades, TechSoup (meet.techsoup.org) is a nonprofit social enterprise that connects organizations and people with the resources, knowledge, and technology they need to change the world.
Need tech on a nonprofit budget?
With 60+ partner nonprofits, we manage a unique philanthropy program that brings together over 200 tech companies to provide technology donations to NGOs globally. We have reached 1.2M+ nonprofits and distributed technology products and grants valued at $15 billion. U.S. nonprofits can find out more at www.techsoup.org.
Interested in in-depth training tailored to nonprofits and public libraries?
TechSoup offers a range of options from free webinars to TechSoup Courses tackling nonprofits’ most pressing tech questions. Sign up for expert-led tech training at https://www.techsoup.org/courses.
Want to chat in person?
Our free TechSoup Connect events connect nonprofits, tech experts, and community leaders. They offer a supportive community, hands-on learning, and networking for everybody who wants to use technology for social good. Find a free event near you at: https://events.techsoup.org/.
We handle all the extra admin work for our nonprofits so they can focus on what is important, their mission.
After working with nonprofits for almost 10 years David Webb saw a need that wasn’t being met, a payroll provider that cared about its customers over profit. That’s how Giving Payroll™ was started. We provide the lowest cost possible to our nonprofit clients and have discounted pricing for small businesses!
With our industry leading Pay Nonprofits™program, $5 dollars of every Business Clients payroll service fee is donated to a charity of their choice. No extra work for you to do. Nonprofits can end up with 100% free payroll services, plus a recurring monthly donation!
Payroll + Tax:
Processing payroll, filing taxes, and maintaining compliance are a breeze with RUN’s automated services.
- Automated federal, state and local payroll tax management
- Worry-free tax filing
- On-the-go mobile access
- Simple time and attendance tracking tools
- ADP’s Pay-by-Pay® Premium Payment Program
Hiring + HR:
Recruit, manage, and take care of your employees with hiring, HR, and retirement plan services all rolled into one.
- Employee Handbook Wizard
- 24-hour access to HR tools, including standard HR forms
- Simple hiring tools and resources
- HR compliance support through our HR Help Desk
- Retirement services and benefits
Customer Service
You are assigned a dedicated account manager to help you with the onboarding process, as well as any questions that may come up. You will have access to the same person every time and you even get their cell phone.
Contact to learn more:
Email: payroll@givingpayroll.com | Phone: 877-245-0345