How One Nonprofit First Contacts Grant Makers

When the YWCA of the National Capital Area identifies a foundation that may be a good prospect for a grant, the next step is making a personal connection.

That outreach can go a long way, says Shana Heilbron, chief development and communications officer at the organization. She usually sends an introductory email in which she asks to schedule a short phone call. In most cases, Ms. Heilbron makes the call herself, but sometimes she involves the organization’s chief executive.

The goal of that first conversation is to better understand a foundation’s grant-making priorities.

“You can get a lot of this from their websites, but that first phone call is really just to make it more personal,” Ms. Heilbron says. “Program officers are very busy people, but if you can get five minutes to just get them to even know your name, even better.”

From there, she’s able to better assess whether the organization is a good fit for funding.

The YWCA chapter generally brings in $150,000 to $200,000 of its $4-million budget in grants from family or national foundations.

Ms. Heilbron shared a template of her introductory email message to grant makers.