Invite-Only Grants: How to Get Your Foot in the Door

But grant seeking is notoriously tricky. Identifying the right opportunities is the first major hurdle that nonprofits face during this process. Knowing where to find grants to seek and then determining whether or not you’ll be able to offer a competitive proposal is a challenge.

To complicate matters further, some funders even specifically ask not to be sent unsolicited proposals. These “invitation-only” or “closed door” policies can certainly be frustrating to grant seekers, but the good news is that organizations can gain the keys to unlock these doors and win this elusive funding.

Understanding Invitation-Only Grants

Invitation-only grants are open only to nonprofits that may have an established relationship with that funder and have been explicitly encouraged by the foundation to apply. When developing new grant opportunities, the funder will typically reach out to its network of nonprofit contacts to notify them and encourage them to submit a proposal. Any unsolicited proposals that the funder receives are then likely to be rejected.

Invite-only policies are often frustrating for nonprofits but serve a practical purpose for funders. The policies limit the number of applications to review and can automatically filter out any nonprofits whose missions, sectors, and/or geographic regions don’t align with the funder’s.

Remember that a shared focus on a particular issue or region is one of the best indicators that your nonprofit is right for a grant opportunity. In cases where your own mission isn’t aligned with that of the funder, these closed door policies can actually save your time by quickly showing you that the opportunity likely isn't a good fit.

But still, only roughly 28% of funders accept unsolicited proposals from nonprofits, meaning there are a lot of potential funding opportunities behind closed doors. What if an invite-only grant opportunity looks perfectly aligned with your own mission and programming goals?

If you see an invite-only grant that aligns with your mission and goals, you’ll need to begin building a relationship with that funder.

Strategies for Opening the Invite-Only Door

Here are a few tried and true ways to begin tackling invite-only grants right at the source: by building relationships with funders.

1. Make a connection.

It’s hard to start a new relationship with a funder out of thin air. For the best results, you’ll need an introduction from someone who already knows or has worked with them.

Start strategically by making a list of the invite-only funders whose missions and/or geographic areas align with your own. From there, compile a list of their trustees and high-level staff members through internet research and annual reports.

Then, share this list with your organization’s own board members, leaders, well-connected volunteers or major donors, or even nonprofit consultants who you’ve worked with closely for years. Do they recognize any names? Could they make an introduction? Have your own team compile what they know about the funders and gather for a strategy session to determine if, how, and when to set up introductions.

2. Make the most of your first call.

If you’re able to set up a call or meeting after completing the exercise, these meetings need to be worth both your time and the funder’s. Understand what you need to accomplish before entering the meeting. Your top goals for this conversation should be to:

• Explain your nonprofit’s mission and work
• Discuss how your own mission aligns with the funder’s
• Gauge the funder’s interest in learning more about your work

To achieve these goals, there’s some connection-building prep work you’ll need to complete:

• Do your research on the funder—its mission, history, and standard funding guidelines.
• Create a rough agenda or bullet list of main points to cover during the meeting, staying focused on your organizations’ common interests.
• If you discuss potential programming ideas, be prepared with several alternatives.

Lastly, take notes during or immediately after the meeting. The funder may give you more insight into the types of project they fund or even suggest other funders that’d be interested in your work.

If the meeting goes well, invite the funder to a site visit, and be sure to follow up with a brief “thank you” for their time. In some cases, the funder might expressly invite a proposal, but even if they didn’t (but were open to learning more), you can still send them more information about your work.

3. Keep crossing paths.

Next, reinforce your initial connection by staying on the funder’s radar. Look for ways to cross paths with the funders and organically discuss your nonprofit’s work.

For example, foundation leaders frequent industry conferences, seminars, and other events. Seek them out and introduce your organization if you haven’t yet met. Ask to keep in touch, but don’t go headlong into asking for a gift or permission to submit a proposal. You’ll have more time to keep building your relationship and make an ask. In the meantime, sharing studies, articles, and other literature can be a great way to reinforce your connection.

Aside from one-on-one introductions and meetings, there are additional steps you can take to more generally grow your nonprofit’s footprint and visibility. Advertising techniques, expanded donor acquisition through peer-to-peer fundraising, an active online presence, and co-hosted events with peer organizations can all be effective tools to make sure your nonprofit is recognizable to funders.

4. Invite and engage.

Review your nonprofit’s event and program calendar on a regular basis to find the best opportunities for funder networking. You may choose to host an occasional networking event specifically for funders, but simply inviting them to your existing events could be the best choice for laying the foundation for a proposal because it allows them to see your mission, fundraising, and regular programming in action.

Cross-reference your list of funders with your calendar. Do you see any opportunities that line up with each funder’s interests and missions? If so, invite them!

This exercise can be easily built into a regular board meeting each quarter, whether remote or in-person. Provide your list of funders and notes on your relationships with them in a shared document for your team to share ideas and lay out a networking plan.

When it’s time to send invitations to funders, consider how you were initially introduced or how the relationship has grown since then. If you were personally introduced by someone at your organization or if the funder has gotten to know one of your team members, have that person share the invite and add a personal note.

Finally, once a funder attends one of your events, asking for permission to submit a proposal would be a natural next step as you follow up to thank them for attending. Congrats! You’ve stewarded a coveted relationship with an invite-only funder all the way from identification to officially opening the door for funding.

Wrapping Up

Building relationships with invite-only funders requires careful thought and attention, but if their missions and interests align with your organization’s, it’s well worth the effort. As you get started, there are a few initial steps you can take:

• Ask for advice from any peer organizations that have received grants from invite-only funders. They may be able to share valuable information about how they established their connection with the funder.
• Make sure your leaders and board members are prepared to dive into funder relationship-building. Provide them with training and resources on nonprofit development and grant seeking.
• Consider working with grant seeking experts who have broader experience helping nonprofits pursue funding. They’ll not only be able to help handle the actual proposal writing process but can also offer relationship cultivation guidance.

And as your efforts take shape, keep an eye on the bigger picture. Funder relationship cultivation and management should be strategic priorities as part of your grant management process and ongoing funding efforts. Think of them as integral parts of grant seeking.

After all, with so many opportunities for your mission behind closed doors, dedicating time and energy to opening them makes sense. Best of luck!