Federal opportunities are posted in one place. Foundation and corporate funding isn't. Each funder publishes its own guidelines, on its own schedule, in its own format, and some give no public deadline at all. If you only look when you need money, you'll find out about the cycle after it has closed.
This article shows how to find a funder's cycle, how to tell whether it accepts unsolicited requests, how to confirm the details and how to build the dates into a plan you can follow all year.
Why cycles matter more than announcements
Many foundations and corporate giving programs review requests on a repeating schedule: a set of annual deadlines, a few board meeting dates or an open window followed by a decision period. Others take requests continuously. A few don't accept requests from the public at all.
The consequence is simple. For a private funder, the question isn't "what's new this week?" It's "when does this funder look at requests, and what do I need ready by then?" Once you know the cycle, a closing date is no surprise, and you can prepare during the quiet months.
Find out whether the funder takes unsolicited requests
Before you track a funder's cycle, check that you can apply at all. Private foundations file a Form 990-PF with the IRS, and the form has a box in Part XV, line 2. The foundation checks it if it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
If the box is not checked, the foundation completes items 2a to 2d, which ask for:
- the name, address and telephone number or email of the person to whom applications should be addressed;
- the form in which applications should be submitted and the materials to include;
- any submission deadlines; and
- any restrictions or limitations on awards, such as by geographic area, charitable field or kind of institution.
The IRS instructions require a private foundation to make its annual returns available for public inspection, so you can read these lines for any foundation you're researching. Treat them as a starting point. The foundation's own website or guidelines are the final word on how and when to apply, because a form filed with the IRS can lag behind a changed process. Researching foundations covers how to find and read these filings.
Where to look for the cycle
Work through these in order and write down what you find.
- The funder's guidelines page. Look for deadlines, review dates, decision timelines and whether the funder starts with a letter of inquiry or a full proposal.
- The funder's application portal or form, if there is one. Portals often show the current round's open and close dates.
- Grantee lists and annual reports. Awards cluster around decisions. If many grants carry similar dates, that points to review meetings.
- A direct question. If a cycle isn't clear, ask the contact listed in the guidelines or on the 990-PF. A short, specific question about timing is routine.
Record the source and the date you found it. Funders change their processes, and a note that says "confirmed on the website" is only useful if you know when.
Corporate giving works differently
Corporate programs vary widely. Some run through a company foundation that files its own 990-PF and behaves like any private foundation. Others sit inside a community relations or marketing department with their own forms and priorities, and may focus on the communities where employees live and work.
Read the company's giving page for the same details: who may apply, what it funds, how to submit and when it reviews requests. If the page names a geographic focus, check it against where you work before you invest any time. If you can't find a process, a polite email asking how the company handles requests is a reasonable first step.
Build the cycles into a calendar
Once you've confirmed a funder's cycle, work backward from each date. A letter of inquiry due in March may mean a proposal in June, so your preparation window starts well before either one. Letters of inquiry explains how that first step works.
A worked example
Say a youth arts organization tracks four private funders. Here is what its planning table looks like.
| Funder type | Process | Date to calendar | Start preparing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family foundation | Letter of inquiry, then invited proposal | LOI due March 1 | January 15 |
| Community-focused foundation | Annual proposal deadline | June 1 | April 1 |
| Company giving program | Rolling requests, reviewed quarterly | Next quarterly review | Six weeks before |
| Local business foundation | Open window each fall | Window opens September 1 | August 1 |
Each row is a date on the calendar and a start date for the work behind it. With four funders, the organization isn't scrambling in any month. It also sees that March and June are busy, which helps it decide how many other applications to take on. A grants calendar is the place to keep all of this.
Read the pattern, not just the page
Funders rarely state everything on the guidelines page. A foundation's past awards show you what its cycle really looks like: how many grants it makes per round, how large they are and which kinds of organizations receive them. If the page says "we fund youth programs" and the grantee list is mostly large institutions in one city, believe the list.
Keep your notes short and dated. Two lines per funder, "accepts unsolicited requests, annual June deadline, LOI first," are enough to act on and quick to update.
Confirm before you commit
Always confirm the round before you start writing. Check:
- that the funder is open to requests now, not just in general;
- that your location, population and type of work are in scope;
- the current deadline and how to submit; and
- whether the funder expects a call or an introduction first.
If any answer is unclear, ask. A funder would rather answer a short question than review a request that doesn't fit.
Your next step
Choose your five best private-funder prospects. For each one, find the guidelines page and write down three things: whether it accepts unsolicited requests, its next deadline or review date and the first step you'd need to take. Enter those dates on your calendar this week, with a preparation start date for each.
When a funder's guidelines are in hand and you're ready to apply, SoliContraX can help you get from those guidelines to a finished application, drafted from your own materials. Start your next application.