You've found a grant that looks like a fit, but a few things aren't clear. Maybe you aren't sure your project fits the priorities, or you're not certain a particular cost is allowed. A call to the program officer would settle it. Then you hesitate, because you don't want to look unprepared or annoy someone who is busy.
Program officers are the people a funder puts in front of applicants, and answering applicant questions is a normal part of the role at many funders. This article covers when to reach out, what to ask, what federal rules mean for the conversation and how foundation conversations differ.
When contact makes sense
There are four natural moments.
- Before you apply. This is the best time. You can check fit before you spend a week on a draft.
- While you prepare. If the notice leaves a real question unanswered, ask it early enough for the answer to change your plan.
- After a decision. Whether you won or not, a follow-up conversation is how you learn what to do next.
- When something changes. If an award is already running and your plans shift, tell the funder before it becomes a surprise.
Contact doesn't mean daily check-ins. It means a few well-prepared conversations at moments when the answer changes what you do.
Do your reading first
A program officer's time is limited, and the fastest way to lose goodwill is to ask something the notice already answers. Before you reach out, read the full notice or the foundation's guidelines. How to read a funding notice shows a quick way to pull out eligibility, criteria and deadlines. Check the funder's frequently asked questions too.
Then decide whether the opportunity is worth a conversation at all. A go or no-go check saves you from calling about grants you shouldn't pursue.
What to ask
Good questions are specific and about things the documents can't tell you. Try these:
- Fit. "Our project does X for Y people in Z county. Is that within what this program wants to fund?"
- Priorities. "Which parts of the program's goals is the funder most interested in advancing right now?"
- Scope. "Would a project of this size and shape be competitive, or would you steer us elsewhere?"
- Common mistakes. "What do applicants often get wrong or leave out?"
- Next steps. "Is there anything you'd suggest we read or prepare before submitting?"
Avoid asking "Will you fund us?" or asking for a promise. Nobody can answer that before review, and the question puts the officer in an awkward spot.
Here's a hypothetical example of a short email request. Say a small youth literacy nonprofit writes:
Hello Ms. Rivera. We run an after-school reading program for about 120 students in two rural counties, and we're considering the program's current opportunity. We have read the full announcement. Do you have 15 minutes in the next two weeks to confirm whether a program serving rural elementary students fits the priorities? We'll send a one-page summary beforehand if that helps.
It's short, shows the writer has done the reading and asks for a small slice of time.
Federal funders: what to expect
Federal program staff can usually explain a notice, but the rules limit how much help any one applicant gets.
Under 2 CFR 200.204, federal agencies may offer pre-application technical assistance or provide clarifying information about a funding opportunity. They must make those resources accessible and widely available to all potential applicants, for example by posting answers to questions on Grants.gov. That is why the answer you get on a call may also appear in a posted list of questions, and why staff may stick to what they can share with every applicant.
The same section requires the summary at the front of a notice to include agency contact information, so look there first for the right person.
Agencies also organize their staff differently. As one example, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at NIH says program officers advise investigators on applying for grants, and that applicants should contact the program officer in their scientific area before applying. The same page directs applicants to the scientific review officer of the assigned study section during review, and back to the program officer after the summary statement. Other agencies will have their own roles, so follow the contacts and instructions in your notice.
Whatever the agency, keep the conversation on the notice and your project. Don't ask staff to tell you how to score higher, and don't ask for information about other applicants. If a staff member says something that changes how you read the notice, ask whether it will be posted or whether there's a written clarification you can cite.
Foundations: relationships, within each funder's rules
Foundations differ more than federal agencies do. Some publish a program officer's name and invite introductory calls. Others say plainly that they don't take calls or unsolicited inquiries. Read the guidelines before you try to reach anyone, and follow what they say. Researching foundations covers how to check whether a funder accepts unsolicited requests at all.
When a call is welcome, treat the first one as an introduction. Describe your work in a few sentences, ask about the funder's current interests and take notes on the answers. Don't pitch a full proposal on the phone. Afterward, send a short thank-you that restates any next step the officer suggested, and then do it.
After the call
Write down what you learned the same day. Note the date, the person, what they said about fit and anything they suggested. If the conversation changes your plan, change it. If it tells you the opportunity isn't a fit, that's a useful result: you've saved days of work.
Your next step
Write three questions you'd ask a program officer about your next opportunity. Check each one against the notice or guidelines and cross out any it already answers. What's left is your call agenda.
SoliContraX can help with the part that comes after the call. Upload the notice, approve a concept and work from a draft that reflects what the funder asked for and what you learned. See how to get started.