Managing and Prioritizing
Original Publication Date:
September 17, 2014
Last Updated:
February 20, 2023
Estimated Read Time:
< 1 minute
by Anne Maertz, CVT Manager of Institutional Relations
Let’s say your initial research uncovered 25 foundation prospects, and you also learned about 3 local and state government calls for proposals. How do you keep track of them all? Depending on your needs and budget, you could use a Word document, a spreadsheet, a free online data base like CiviCRM, or a sophisticated, expensive program like the Raiser’s Edge. There are lots of user groups in LinkedIn where you can get advice of the pros and cons of each. Now, which ones should you approach first? There are obvious considerations, like: Is there a deadline? Other things to weigh are:
- Affinity with your work—do they prioritize funding to mental health or refugee programs?
- Personal relationships—do any of your trustees know any of their trustees?
- Type of funding—will they give you unrestricted support, or do they only want to build buildings?
- Ability—a foundation with $55 million in assets will make more and larger grants than one with $1 million in assets.