The Insider's Guide to Grantmaking: How Foundations Find, Fund, and Manage Effective Programs

Secrets of Successful Funding Documents

The greatest secret regarding the creation of successful funding documents is this: there is no secret. Most foundations have a format for composing funding documents: follow the format. Most have limitations on length: respect these limitations. All have a deadline for submitting copy: honor the deadline. Such glib advice is admittedly reminiscent of the recipe for making elephant soup—“Step one: Find elephant”—but it would surprise most people outside the foundation field to learn how often grantmakers violate these elementary rules. Funding documents are created that deviate from the approved format, go far beyond the prescribed length, and miss the stated deadline for submission. There is no secret ...