Welcome to Day 10 of the 30-Day Grant Readiness Challenge!
Say that you are doing grant research and find a foundation that is a perfect match for your mission. But when you check the guidelines, you see the dreaded phrase: “Unsolicited proposals not accepted.”
Does this mean that you should give up? Not necessarily. Today, we help you develop a clear strategy for handling invitation-only grant cycles.
Navigating the “Invitation Only” Funder
You have two primary paths when you encounter a funder that doesn’t accept unsolicited applications. Discuss these with your team to determine your organizational policy or mindset.
Option 1: The “Walk Away” Strategy
Deciding not to pursue these funders is perfectly acceptable. Relationship building takes time and staff capacity. If you have a steady stream of open-application grants and limited time, your grant-seeking strategy may be to focus only on accessible opportunities.
Option 2: The “Persistence” Strategy
If the funder is a perfect fit, you may choose to play the long game. This involves finding out how to earn a place on their solicited applicant list. This usually requires:
- Identifying a mutual connection on your board.
- Preparing a brief elevator pitch about your impact.
- Making an introductory call to the Program Officer to ask about their process for identifying new partners.
Pro Tip: Be Consistent
The biggest waste of time is a “middle of the road” approach where you spend half the time on outreach but never follow through. Pick your strategy and stick to it.
Master Your Funder Outreach
Use these existing resources to help you turn “No” into “Not Yet”:
- Watch: Don’t Treat Your Grantmaker Like an ATM—that is, grantmakers should not feel that your interactions with them are purely transactional.
- Review: Visit our Grantmaker Relationship Resources page for more tips on building long-term funder trust.
- Assess: Is your team ready to manage complex funder relationships? Check your score with the GRASP Tool.
Join the Discussion
We want to hear from you! What is your organization’s policy or practice? Generally, do you bypass “unsolicited proposals not accepted” funders, or do you try to build a bridge?
Leave a note in the comments below and let us know your approach!