Basic Information.  Grant maker name, address, and contact information; background of key people (officers, donors, staff, trustees)

Grantmaking Philosophy/Program Emphasis. Grant maker history; mission; program interests, population focus, geographic focus, and types of support provided; recent grants.

Financial Information. Assets/market value; contributions reported in past years; range of grants and typical grant size.

Application Process.  Application guidelines; application forms/common proposal format; initial approach; deadlines; meeting dates.

A prospect worksheet, like the one available from the Foundation Center or one you develop on your own, can help you keep track of the information you gather.

2. Sources of Information About Individual Grant Makers

Information about an individual grant maker in the AGM Grant Makers Directory can vary greatly depending on the level of detail the grant maker has provided.  In any case, it is important to read the entire entry and not just rely on the categories under which the grant maker is indexed. The same is true of other grant maker directories, as well.

Even for those grant makers that provide a lot of detail, the directory entry should only be considered as a starting point for your research.  The following sources are good places to look for more in-depth information:

AGM Grant Maker Annual Report Files. The AGM Resource Center for Philanthropy maintains vertical files on more than 600 grant making organizations.  Information in these files varies, but can include annual reports, newsletters, brochures, applications guidelines & forms, lists of grants, and news articles.  The AGM Grant Makers Directory and the AGM Grant Makers Database indicate when information about a funder is in these files.  There is also an electronic catalog of the Annual Report files available at AGM or (for Members and Associate or Fellow Partners) via the Internet.

Grant Maker Web Sites.  Not all grant makers have Web sites, and those that do can vary greatly in the amount of information they provide.  But Web sites, when they do exist, can be a source of many of the kinds of information you will want to collect about a potential funder.  The following sources can help you locate grant maker Web sites:

IRS Form 990s. Foundations are required to file annual tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service.  (Form 990-PF for individual, family, and corporate foundations; Form 990 for community and public foundations).  Electronic copies of these forms (although not always the most recent filings) can be found at the following places:

News Articles. Articles about a particular funder may appear from time to time in local or national media, in the nonprofit or philanthropic press, or in press releases sent to news services.  Some of these articles may be available on the Internet, but many more can be found by using news databases available in your local library.  Anyone with a Massachusetts library card can also use their card number to log in to extensive databases of newspaper and magazine articles via the Internet.  To access these databases, visit the login page from the Massachusetts Library and Information Network.

Contacting Grant Makers Directly for Information.  Many (though not all) grant makers will send detailed information, including application guidelines, annual reports, forms, and/or other resources, to grantseekers upon request.  Check the listings in the AGM Grant Makers Directory and other directories to see whether this information is available and how to send for it.