Funder Prospect Research Flashcards
7 cards from real Grant Writing practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Funder Prospect Research flashcards as text
Which tool allows grant seekers to search for federal government grant opportunities across all US agencies?
Answer: Grants.gov
Grants.gov is the official federal portal where all US government agencies post grant opportunities for organizations to find and apply.
When researching a community foundation, which factor is MOST important for determining eligibility?
Answer: Your organization's service area overlaps with the foundation's defined community
Community foundations serve specific geographic regions, so your organization must operate within that defined community to be eligible.
What is a 'letter of inquiry' (LOI) in the grant prospecting process?
Answer: A brief pre-application document sent to gauge a funder's interest before submitting a full proposal
An LOI is a short document that summarizes your project and asks if the funder is interested in receiving a full proposal.
Which section of a private foundation's 990-PF reveals the names of the foundation's officers and directors?
Answer: Part VIII — Officers, Directors, Trustees, Foundation Managers
Part VIII of the 990-PF lists all officers, directors, and trustees, which is critical for identifying relationship connections.
A grant researcher discovers that a target foundation's largest past grants went to organizations with operating budgets over $5 million. Your organization has a $300,000 budget. This suggests:
Answer: The foundation may prefer larger, established organizations and may not be the best fit
Funder giving history is one of the strongest indicators of organizational size preference, and a significant mismatch signals low fit.
Peer prospect research — asking colleagues at similar nonprofits about their funders — is considered:
Answer: An ethical and valuable intelligence-gathering strategy
Networking with peer organizations to share funder intelligence is a standard and ethical practice in the nonprofit sector.
What does 'payout requirement' mean for a US private foundation?
Answer: A foundation must distribute at least 5% of its assets annually in qualifying distributions
IRS rules require private foundations to distribute at least 5% of their net investment assets each year, primarily through grants.