Grantseekers:

Do I have to fill out the application each time I apply to a new foundation?

No.  We have divided the application into two separate sections: the organizational profile and the grant request.  The organizational profile makes up the majority of the application and only needs to be completed once.  It covers general information about your organizations mission, staff size, past history and an overview of programs.  This information can of course be updated if there are any changes but after it is initially completed time spent on this section will be minimal.  

The Grant Request section asks for information pertaining to the specific project or program that your are seeking funding for. Depending on your organization’s needs would depend on if you’d fill out multiple grant requests.  For example if you are a school and looking for funding for both a library and a playground you might consider filling out two different grant requests since some foundations might only give money to literary programs and others might only give money to recreation programs.  

What if foundations have specific requirements on their website that aren’t listed on Common Grants?

Some of the foundations in the system might have varying requirements.  However, these differences are only related to submission or might require a very brief addendum (i.e. one additional question, a certain number of copies that need to be submitted, etc..).  This information is highlighted in each foundation profile in our foundation library and requires minimal time to complete.

How do I know I will be matched with any foundations?

You can visit the Quick Match on the Participating Funders Page and on the left hand side there is a box that will ask you three questions about your organization.  Once you select your answers you can find out how many foundations in the system would fund your particular organization.  We are constantly adding new foundations to the system so this number will only increase.

Won’t this mass approach decrease my likelihood of being funded?

No, the system uses a patented algorithm to match you with foundations that are likely to fund you. Therefore the foundations you are applying to have been specifically targeted to match your organization.   In addition, our application has received numerous accolades from foundations who have specifically commented on its level of comprehensiveness and explicit focus on outcomes.

I’m a small nonprofit, will this work for me?

CommonGrants will work for any organization no matter what the size of your staff might be or what size budget you have.  All organizations will receive the same benefits of saving time both on finding grant opportunities and completing applications.

How do you determine funding eligibility?

CommonGrants uses a patent-pending algorithm to match your organization’s profile with foundations that are most likely to fund your project.  Organizations fill out a detailed profile of their organization which is then matched with foundation’s giving history.   At the heart of this is a list of sector wide outcomes that we pioneered to match nonprofits and foundations based on what they want to accomplish in addition to geography, population and entities served.    For more information about the Outcomes Project please visit 

http://www.urban.org/center/cnp/Projects/outcomeindicators.cfm.  

Who do I contact if I have a technical problem?

CommonGrants staff is available during business hours at 312.541.8001 for any technical problems you might have.  We will take care of any issues immediately and are happy to answer any questions that you might have.

What if I’m not matched with any foundations? 

Currently we have 400 foundations who accept our application.  These foundations represent a wide variety of geographic and programmatic guidelines and thus will fund a diverse group of organizations.  We are confident that there is ample funding in the system for all organizations no matter what your mission is or where your work is being done. 

How many foundations are a part of Common Grants? Will more be added in the future?

Currently we have 375 foundations who accept our applications and over 650 different grant programs represented.  More foundations will be added each month so stay tuned for increased funding opportunities.

Grantmakers:

Do we have to stop accepting our paper or online application if we adopt Common Grant’s applications?

It’s totally up to your foundation.  Some organizations have approached us about using our application as their sole application they accept while others have continued accepting their foundation specific application in addition to the CommonGrant Application.  

Will this increase the paper work and number of incomplete or irrelevant grant applications we receive? 

No, in fact it will do the opposite. CommonGrants uses a patent pending match technology that ensures that you will only receive applications that match your current grant guidelines. We have set these up in order to increase the quality of applicants that apply.

What if we change our grant application or requirements? How do we update your system?

Feel free to contact any CommonGrant staff member and we will update your foundation profile immediately. We also update all of our foundation information quarterly to ensure the accuracy of our data.

How do we receive the applications for our grants?

Applications can be emailed to you at your foundation’s email address or users can send a copy of their application via postal mail.