3 Things Funders are Quietly Asking Themselves as They Read Your Donation Request

Read time: 3-4 minutes

Feel like you’re hitting a wall with your grant funding requests?

Even organizations with the most overtly compelling missions get rejection letters.

It might not be about the quality of your writing. Sometimes it comes down to the answers to a few key questions funders are asking themselves as they read your request.

…And once you get a handle on these questions, you can start building your answers and strengthen your fundability right away.

In this week's Changemaker Mondays ☀️ ☕ 🌍, I'm sharing 3 questions funders are thinking about as they read your funding request, and what you can do to make sure your organization has a compelling answer to each one.

1. "If we funded your organization, what would actually change?"

This is the first thing funders want to know. What would actually be different in your community if they invested in your cause right now?

Funders want clarity on two things: where your organization is headed, and which specific investments would make the biggest difference in getting there. When you can answer that clearly, it reduces their risk and builds their confidence in your organization.

Here's a simple way to start building your answer:

• Write a one-sentence goal describing what change you want to create in the next year. For example: "By December, we will help 50 unemployed adults secure living wage jobs by expanding our employer partnerships."
• Identify 2-3 investments that would make that goal possible. Think staffing, program capacity, technology, or partnerships.
• Turn it into a simple If-Then statement: "If we invest $50,000 in our job placement program, then we can serve 50 more adults and increase income stability in our community."

When funders can see exactly what their investment would unlock, they're much more likely to say yes.

2. "How will you measure your success?"

Funders don't expect perfection. But they do want to know that you have a system in place to track whether your programs are working, and that you're willing to learn and adjust if they're not.

Think of measurement less as a report card and more as a learning tool. Funders want to see that you're paying attention to your results and using that information to get better over time.

You don't need expensive evaluation software to do this well. Here’s how to keep it simple:

• Pick 3-5 meaningful outcomes you can actually track. For example, the percentage of participants who complete the program, who improve, or who remain housed.
• Add one or two simple feedback loops. Even a 3-question participant survey or a quarterly check-in call with a partner can go a long way.

I've seen newer organizations win funding when they could say: 'Here's what we tr

3. "Are we the right funder fit for this organization?"

Let me share something that changed the way I think about fundraising. Not every funder is the right funder for you, and chasing the wrong ones can cost you months of time and energy.

Some funders love innovative new approaches. Others only fund proven programs with measurable outcomes. Some fund advocacy and systems change. Others won't touch it.

Your fundability increases when you can say: "This funder funds the type of work we do, and here's exactly how we fit."

Here's how to start identifying your right-fit funders:

• Build a list of 10-15 potential funders and note what issues they care about, where they fund, and what types of projects they support.
• Prepare two versions of your funding pitch. One focused on your outcomes for evidence-focused funders, and one focused on your capacity-building needs for funders who love to invest in infrastructure.

When I started thinking about funding through the lens of funder fit, everything changed. A "no" stopped feeling like rejection and started feeling like filtering.

🎥 Want more insights about the questions funders are thinking about? Watch my full YouTube video: Is Your Nonprofit “Fundable”? 5 Questions Funders Ask​

3 more ways I can help you

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2. Need extra support to build or grow a nonprofit or social enterprise? Check out my Changemaker Accelerator membership or my Zero to $100,000 Fundraising Starter Toolkit.
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