The Start of a Beautiful Friendship: How to Make the Most of Your Phone Calls with the Funders

I have always believed that an attempt at relationship building with a funder should always come before applying for a grant. The best way to engage with a funder is almost always a phone call. At the very least, the funder learns there is a real human being, a beating heart, behind the non-profit's application. The funder needs to be reminded that a real person will be both sad and hurt if the application does not receive fair and thorough evaluation.

It is useful to remember that while grants may come from institutions, the proposals get reviewed by real people. As I like to say in my workshops the reviewers are people just like us. They are not any brighter than us, but not any dumber either.

One good piece of advice is to do your homework ahead of time by thoroughly reviewing information about the funder. This practice helps to prepare what you will say and understand what you are asking for. This call is about beginning a conversation and—we expect—a relationship. Inappropriate reasons to call a program officer might be to flat-out ask if the foundation will fund your request or to ask questions that are addressed in the funder’s guidelines. Although, I have succeeded by doing both.

Appropriate reasons to call could include addressing genuine uncertainty about your organization’s eligibility, clarifying a confusing aspect of the application process, or even requesting a face-to-face introductory meeting. Demonstrate your intention to build a relationship. For example, you could ask for a meeting by explaining: “I know your foundation is concerned about XYZ in the community. We’re concerned about that too and have a plan to address it. Could we meet to trade ideas? I’d like to hear your perspective.”

Finally, it is okay to have the funder tell you no. If you are not a fit in terms of eligibility, then it is better to find that out right away. There are plenty of other funders.