Strategies for Connecting with Invite-Only Funders
I’m thrilled to hear that so many of you found the spreadsheet of 40+ social impact funders committed to upholding justice helpful. I hope you can continue to use this information to keep pushing forward as you serve your communities in this incredibly difficult time. I see you and I hear you.
However, I found something troubling in the spreadsheet, and you probably did too—I’m sure you noticed that that the application process for a large number of these funding institutions was some variation of “invitation-only.”
This is problematic for many reasons— starting with if the FUNDER does not “discover” you, and THEY do not choose to connect with you, even if you’re work is a 100% aligned, your pathway to connecting with them is as clear as mud.
To me, this is an issue of equity and access.
If you find yourself in that situation, here are a few strategies and resources to try to crack that door open.
1. Find a Way to Connect
If the funder has published their email and phone number or provides a ‘connect with us link’ your first step is done.
If there’s no visible way to get in touch (or even if you’ve got that covered), time to do some detective work:
Check out their social media: Can you find their social media profiles on LinkedIn, Face Book, and Instagram etc.? Can you identify a staff or board member to potentially connect with?
Look for recent press releases and news articles.
Sign-up to receive the organization’s updates and newsletters—these can be give you valuable insights into the institution.
No luck? Check out their 990 and find their listed contacts.
2. Find your Synergies
Assuming you’ve been able to find a personal contact and have some intel., take some time to write up a short synergy report on areas of alignment;
Which of your programs/activities are a great fit based on the funder’s stated priorities and recent giving history?
Take time to create a short pitch-intro that represents your authentic work and voice:
Version 1: A few talking points for a phone call
Version 2: A 1-2 paragraph written introduction.
Remember, you will need to tweak and customize this for each funder.
Be clear on your ask to connect. Be ready to answer questions.
3. Reach Out
Barring any requests for **privacy, try to connect directly with a program contact or decision maker. Depending on your individual situation, plan out your outreach approach:
Telephone call or email intro? Follow-up plan? No pushy messages. Respectful request to connect.
Consider having a mutual contact or affiliated colleague make an introduction on your behalf.
Evaluate whether a short direct messaging via the organization’s public social media with request to connect would further your case.
** ONLY use publicly and officially listed contact information. Do not contact people via their personal emails or phone numbers found on the internet. Also, if the entity specifically requests not to be contacted at all, or requests not to be contacted via a specific method i.e. no phone calls, respecting that request is key.
If you’d like to dive deeper into this topic, check out these resources:
How to Engage with Invitation-Only Funders: from https://fundingforgood.org/how-to-engage-with-invitation-only-funding-foundations/
How To Have Conversations with Foundation Program Officers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0YmTZkbkTE&list=PL7KMjiEftADzyVpEkrucjWNLYIrDquGlj&index=5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you a social-justice focused or community-serving nonprofit looking for grant support? Let’s Connect! Schedule your free grant consultation.