Finding the Funds: A Practical Guide to Grant Prospecting

This program teaches you how to find funding opportunities. It does not guarantee funding and does not replace strong programs, sound budgets, or organizational readiness. Who This Is For: First-time grant seekers who want to stop “randomly applying” Individually or Entire Team Program Promise (by the end of this program, participants will be able to): Identify funders aligned with their mission and capacity Confidently evaluate whether a grant is worth pursuing Build a repeatable grant prospecting system they can reuse Create a short, realistic funding pipeline (not a wish list) Curriculum Structure Module 1: Understanding Funding Readiness Goal: Stop applying too early or to the wrong grants Topics: -What funders actually look for -Readiness vs. aspiration -Matching funding type to organizational stage -Common red flags that lead to rejection Deliverable: -Readiness checklist + self-assessment Module 2: Defining Your Funding Criteria Goal: Create clarity before searching Topics: -Mission alignment -Geographic eligibility -Funding amount vs. capacity -Program vs. general operating support -Equity language & values alignment Deliverable: -Personalized “Funding Fit Criteria” worksheet Module 3: Where to Find Grants (Without Overwhelm) Goal: Know where to search and why Topics: -Free vs. paid databases -Corporate foundations -Community foundations -Government vs. private funding -When Google is enough Deliverable: -Resource list + search strategy map