What is the Difference Between Solicited and Unsolicited Requests?

You’ve been researching prospective funders, and a few of them state on their websites that they do not accept unsolicited grant applications. What does this mean? 

• Solicited means the funder has invited you to apply for a grant. A grant application must still be submitted, but only after being invited.
• Unsolicited is basically a cold call. The grant application adheres to specific grant guidelines. This is sometimes referred to as an “Open RFP” or “Open Request for Proposals,” which are available based on available grant criteria and eligibility.

Why do some funders not allow unsolicited applications or do “invitation-only” grants?

Funders don’t invite grantseekers to apply for a grant for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the funder has no staff or very little staff to field requests. Other funders might have a clear-cut take on the types of grants it wants to fund, so they take a proactive approach to funding grants and research who to approach for grant opportunities. This approach to grantmaking reflects limitations on a funder’s time and resources more than it reflects on their funding generosity.

• Too many successfully funded projects. Sometimes funders’ grantmaking has been so successful that their work has received media attention, which has increased the volume of grant requests. In this case, funders receive more requests for funding than they can vet given the administrative and funding resources they may have.
• Focus on hyper-specific areas of interest. A funder may have increased funding for particularly successful programs or focus areas that they want to invest more in going forwards.
• Consistent multi-year funding interests. A funder might be laser-focused on investing in particular interest areas, projects or specific grantees year-over-year. This means that they have less resources that they can extend to new grantseekers because their funds are tied up in previous or current grantees.
• Spending-down. For foundations that are spending-down assets, there is no wiggle room. These funders are investing in the grantees they’ve already promised support to and are not making any new grants since they will not operate in perpetuity.

How do you get invited to apply for a grant?

Make your work stand out.

Many foundations have staff members—often called program officers—who are experts in the issue areas they fund. Their expertise may be academic, or they may have prior experience in the nonprofit world or community organizations, or all of the above. They often have relationships in the field, and will identify and reach out to potential grantees whose work seems to align with the foundation’s mission and priorities, soliciting grant applications or starting conversations that eventually lead to grants. To stand out, hopeful nonprofits should publish research about their work on their website and across social media channels. Make sure other organizations in your field know about your organization’s work.

Do great work.

The best ways to get attention from these organizations are to do great work and to make sure funders know about it. Investing in research and evidence-based practices, as well as other measures to make your work more sustainable, scalable, and have a greater impact are more likely to help you stand out. Publish impact reports and financial reports that not only increase your organization’s transparency, but also communicate value and impact.

Networking is huge.

Going to conferences, attending the events of regional associations of grantmakers, and building relationships with other nonprofits that work in your field or do complementary work are good ways to get on the radar of funders. And if a funder does accept unsolicited LOIs, that’s a direct way to introduce your organization and ask if you can submit a solicited grant request. Consider reaching out to a funder’s previous grantees to learn more about how they got on a funder’s radar as well.

Research funders thoroughly.

Many foundations that don’t accept unsolicited applications may also be low-profile, meaning they don’t have a significant public presence. This means grantseekers will have to dig much deeper than available 990s that what most grant management tools are limited to.

How to research funders beyond 990s? Use Inside Philanthropy’s Grant Finder to get your foot through the door

Whatever the reasons, “invite-only” requests for applications are not always the end of the line. To know whether you stand a chance at funding, it’s important that grantseekers do some digging to learn how to get through the door. You are more likely to build a relationship with a funder if you have researched them thoroughly.

Inside Philanthropy’s grant research product, Grant Finder, helps grantseekers pull the curtain back on funding priorities and how to get their foot through. With the Grant Finder Search Tool, IP members can learn more about how to navigate specific funders with information not available in 990s and other grant management tools, especially for low-profile funders that lack a web presence.

Inside Philanthropy’s Grant Finder goes beyond 990s: analyzing grant priorities, grantmaking patterns, recent grantees and giving ranges.

You might also want to check out:

What is a letter of inquiry (LOI)?

How do foundations make grantmaking decisions?

Check out Inside Philanthropy’s grant research tool, Grant Finder.