# How to find foundation grants that accept applications

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/guides/how-to-find-foundation-grants/

> Start with foundations that give to your cause in your state, then keep only those whose IRS filing says they accept applications. Check each one's recent grants for organizations like yours and its typical grant size, and read its application instructions and deadlines before you write. Our foundation directory shows all of this from each foundation's Form 990-PF.

## Start where the money goes

Where a foundation is based says little about where it gives. One in New York may fund food banks in Ohio, and one in your town may give everything to a single university. Look at where its grants go and what they pay for. Our [foundations by cause](/foundations/causes/) pages rank foundations by their grants to recipients in each state, so you start with funders who already give where you work.

## Check whether it accepts applications

Every private foundation files Form 990-PF with the IRS each year. One box on it says whether the foundation only makes contributions to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Many foundations tick it. On our foundation pages this shows as "Preselected recipients only" or "Accepts applications".

## Read its recent grants

The same filing lists every grant the foundation paid that year, with the recipient, its city and the purpose. Read them. If a foundation funds organizations of your size and type for work like yours, it is a real prospect. If every grant goes to large institutions, it is probably not. The share of new grantees on our pages tells you how often a foundation funds organizations it has not funded before.

## Follow its instructions exactly

Foundations that accept applications describe what to send, to whom and by when, in their filing and often on their website. Many want a short letter of inquiry first. Send exactly what they ask for, in the requested format and before their deadline, and keep your request in line with their typical grant.

Federal grants are a separate source with their own rules; our [guide to applying for a federal grant](/guides/how-to-apply-for-a-federal-grant/) covers them.

## Questions people ask

### Can I apply to a foundation that only funds preselected organizations?

Usually not. Its IRS filing says it does not accept unsolicited requests. Some still respond to a short introduction, but most do not, so spend your time on foundations that invite applications.

### Where do foundations publish their deadlines?

On their websites when they have one, and in the application section of their annual IRS Form 990-PF, which our foundation pages quote as filed.

### Is a foundation's typical grant a good guide to what to ask for?

Yes. Asking for far more than a foundation usually gives is one of the most common reasons proposals fail. Look at its recent grants to organizations of your size.