| According to Giving USA, Foundations gave $41.21 | | | | foundation restricts support to biomedical research). |
| Billion in grants in 2008. In this article, you will discover | | | | - Some are eager to share information about |
| important giving facts as well as tips that will assist you | | | | themselves; others take a very constrained approach |
| in your grant writing. | | | | to information dissemination. |
| Giving Facts | | | | Writing Tips |
| - In 2008, the Foundation Center claims that there | | | | - Network. Pay special attention to those people who |
| were 75,187 grantmaking U.S. foundations. | | | | mention board memberships or friends on boards. |
| - Although the figures vary slightly from year to year, | | | | - Consider how your idea fits into the mostly |
| the 4,000 largest ones have 90 percent of the assets | | | | commonly funded areas (i.e., education, health, human |
| and make 80 percent of the awards. | | | | services, public/society benefit, arts and culture, |
| - By federal law, they must give away 5 percent of | | | | international affairs, religion, environment and animals). |
| the market value assets or interest income each year, | | | | - Contact staff. Less than 8% have staff who are |
| whichever is greater. This law means, for example, | | | | employed to manage their granting programs. Many |
| that the W.K. Kellogg Foundation with over $8.4 billion in | | | | required contact by letter. |
| market assets must award at least $420 million | | | | - Use directories, websites (which may be months or |
| annually. | | | | even a year or two outdated), electronic retrieval, and |
| - They must follow the 5 percent rule or risk losing | | | | database searches. These can be done online or at |
| their tax-exempt status. | | | | your local Free Funding Information Center. |
| - They vary considerably in market assets, staff size, | | | | - Use 990-PF tax returns. This IRS information is public; |
| funding priorities, review protocols, geographic giving | | | | it contains assets, grants paid or committed for future |
| patterns, and preferred approach. | | | | payments, and managers. |
| - The five primary types are national (i.e., Ford | | | | - Collect three important pieces of information: 1) net |
| Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation), community, | | | | assets, 2) list of key personnel (staff, officers, etc.), and |
| corporate, family, or special purpose (i.e., the Whitaker | | | | 3) list of recipients of grants for previous year. |