81%
3m Foundation - Saint Paul, MN - 20 Survey Respondents
"3M Foundation favors supporting organizations across different giving streams. We have a board member who works at 3M, and engage more employees in gr"
89%
Andersen Corporate Foundation - Bayport, MN - 11 Survey Respondents
"Reach to the foundation manager - very responsive and helpful."
100%
Allegany Franciscan Ministries - Palm Harbor, FL - 43 Survey Respondents
"The application questions were written very clearly and the staff was very helpful when addressing questions we had."
31%
Bank Of America Charitable Foundation Inc - Charlotte, NC - 18 Survey Respondents
"Like others have said, consider carefully before completing their onerous application process. The local contacts are great and open to meetings, but"
75%
Best Buy Foundation - Richfield, MN - 7 Survey Respondents
"Best Buy is no longer giving community grants. This is a disappointment. I do appreciate all they are doing nationally, especially for underserved you"
44%
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - Seattle, WA - 17 Survey Respondents
"My biggest criticism of this funder is that their grantmaking is opaque. They have a list of grantees they work with and if your organization is outsi"
100%
Blandin Foundation - Grand Rapids, MN - 19 Survey Respondents
"We have had a relationship with Blandin since May 2018. We were turned down from a grant but given access to much needed consultation. Since that ti"
100%
Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Minnesota Foundation - St Paul, MN - 8 Survey Respondents
"My relationship with the program officer is nothing but exceptional. I cannot compare the relationship that BCBS MN Foundation program officers have w"
0%
Boeing Company Charitable Trust - Chicago, IL - 7 Survey Respondents
"Boeing Seattle is a complete joke."
100%
Bothin Foundation - San Francisco, CA - 7 Survey Respondents
"We had a site visit from a board member and program officer. One hour tour and review of our application. Went really well, I think they were impresse"
63%
Bush Foundation - St Paul, MN - 32 Survey Respondents
"My perception about how Bush is approaching the community innovation grants is that they only want to fund innovation work AFTER you've done the e"
100%
Bingham Program - Augusta, ME - 9 Survey Respondents
"I have always had a call prior to applying. It was very helpful."
100%
California Community Foundation - Los Angeles, CA - 8 Survey Respondents
"Take the time to get to know their programs where your work matches, and to plan on several conversations with the staff there."
94%
Catholic Community Foundation Of Minnesota - Minnesota, MN - 22 Survey Respondents
"keep a good eye on deadlines and allow yourself enough time to search out the information required on a form, and then time to get your questions aske"
100%
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation - Pittsburgh, PA - 15 Survey Respondents
"The funder's healthcare Program Officer makes herself very accessible via email, cell phone and face to face meetings. Although she is very busy,"
100%
Community First Foundation - Arvada, CO - 61 Survey Respondents
"The online info sessions can be helpful. Be sure to reach out to ask questions if you have them."
71%
Community Foundation For Monterey County - Monterey, CA - 9 Survey Respondents
"Foundation staff are very approachable and helpful. Foundation has donor-advised funds as well as general funding opportunities, technical assistance"
100%
Community Foundation Of The Lowcountry Inc - Hilton Head, SC - 8 Survey Respondents
"Be sure you understand the gaps in service provision that exists in the community for which your project plans to address. Have clear goals and objec"
87%
Colocation America - Las Vegas, NV - 30 Survey Respondents
"Reach out and have a conversation with the team at Colocation America. They provided good insight as to what they are looking for."
100%
David And Lucile Packard Foundation - Los Altos, CA - 8 Survey Respondents
"I've had really positive experiences with all of the program officers I've worked with there (three for three different grants). They take a d"
86%
Denver Foundation - Denver, CO - 7 Survey Respondents
"Be ready to discuss racial equity in depth. It's a priority for them, and they will ask. Sadly, other forms of diversity and inclusion are barely"
100%
Doris & Victor Day Foundation Inc - Rock Island, IL - 19 Survey Respondents
"Requested to meet with ED to discuss proposal, found my requests went unanswered."
75%
Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation Inc - Duluth, MN - 8 Survey Respondents
"Volunteering for a WI public school in need of technology for students during the initial phase of COVID, I was asked to make contact with the program"
100%
Durfee Foundation - Santa Monica, CA - 21 Survey Respondents
"We were fortunate to receive funding as a Springboard recipient. Their support continued over the next 10 years where they still serve as my "gu"
100%
F B Heron Foundation - New York, NY - 9 Survey Respondents
"Though we did not get a grant, their response to our inquiry was prompt & courteous."
43%
Ford Foundation - New York, NY - 9 Survey Respondents
"Unless you have a good contact it's probably best not to apply. And I say this having received monies!"
100%
Foundations Community Partnership Inc - Doylestown, PA - 18 Survey Respondents
"FCP is committed to supporting our nonprofit community in Bucks County."
100%
Frey Foundation - Minneapolis, MN - 6 Survey Respondents
"This proposal takes longer than it looks. Plan enough time."
55%
Greater Twin Cities United Way - Minneapolis, MN - 12 Survey Respondents
"they have simplified grant processes and are very responsive during application."
100%
Gilroy Foundation - Gilroy, CA - 32 Survey Respondents
"If you apply, make sure you are requesting funding for something really needed and that will truly make a difference for your organization. They don&"
100%
Headwaters Foundation For Justice - Minneapolis, MN - 8 Survey Respondents
"Check out Headwaters website. They offer webinars and in person grant info sessions. Take advantage of those. You get a chance at better understanding"
100%
Hrk Foundation - Saint Paul, MN - 7 Survey Respondents
"HRK Foundation is one of our organization's favorite funders. They take the time to understand the needs of our organization. They have a simplifi"
100%
Hugh J Andersen Foundation - Bayport, MN - 12 Survey Respondents
"Their director was very approachable--definitely call or email first. They have been very transparent throughout the process."
10%
Jacobs Center For Neighborhood Innovation - San Diego, CA - 10 Survey Respondents
"I work with a grant-making organization that made a grant to JCNI that was to be used for a particular purpose, within a particular time frame, and th"
62%
James Irvine Foundation - San Francisco, CA - 14 Survey Respondents
"They may say that they're working towards racial, social, economic equity but in reality--that's not reflected in their funding (it's a o"
80%
John D & Catherine T Macarthur Foundation - Chicago, IL - 7 Survey Respondents
"If you are successful expect a lot of supervision, not to say micromanaging by the foundation, and be prepared to file frequent reports. It’s clear"
100%
Kendeda Fund - Wilmington, DE - 28 Survey Respondents
"It's best to look at the website and see the kinds of giving they've been doing."
100%
Kenneth King Foundation - Denver, CO - 21 Survey Respondents
"Kenneth King Foundation staff have pre-application discussions to identify whether programs/organizations are a fit with their funding priority. This"
89%
M J Murdock Charitable Trust - Vancouver, WA - 90 Survey Respondents
"I very much appreciated how responsive the people at the Trust were from our first call all the way through the process. It is an in-depth process, bu"
67%
Marbrook Foundation - Minneapolis, MN - 6 Survey Respondents
"They are difficult to reach. We got an email response back about 4 days before the proposal deadline."
100%
Mardag Foundation - Saint Paul, MN - 8 Survey Respondents
"Reach out to staff before beginning your request. I have had success with capital requests and general operating requests for Duluth organizations, bo"
14%
Margaret A Cargill Foundation - Eden Prairie, MN - 13 Survey Respondents
"A collective groan went up when this foundation was mentioned in a Dec. 2018 gathering of several hundred Twin Cities grantseekers. And given their l"
100%
Medica Foundation - Minnetonka, MN - 13 Survey Respondents
"Medica Foundation has a wonderful video for grant seekers to watch which lays out their foundation priorities and tips for applying. This was INCREDI"
100%
Medina Foundation - Seattle, WA - 11 Survey Respondents
"We have never applied this is our first time because we were told too by FESS. We find the application dates confuse us if we applied to the correct p"
60%
Medtronic Communities Foundation - Fridley, MN - 7 Survey Respondents
"Grant application does not allow you to share your story. Many questions cannot be answered as no profits are able to collect such data."
67%
Meyer Memorial Trust - Portland, OR - 11 Survey Respondents
"Meyer takes grant requirements extremely seriously. If your project does not align exactly with their terms it’s not likely to be funded. It does"
100%
Minneapolis Foundation - Minneapolis, MN - 13 Survey Respondents
"The foundation is fine - their RFPs are pretty clear about what they want, and if you connect with staff beforehand you get a good sense of whether it"
100%
Morris And Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation - Washington, DC - 39 Survey Respondents
"I highly recommend reaching out to the Cafritz Foundation program staff for any questions related to the application process. The Cafritz team is cons"
100%
Mary’s Pence - Saint Paul, MN - 36 Survey Respondents
"Clear communication, timely and appropriate follow up questions and turnaround for getting answers back."
93%
McKnight Foundation - Minneapolis, MN - 17 Survey Respondents
"In 2021, there were many unique questions just to move to the second phase - which is full proposal. Then, four more full questions were introduced,"
83%
Northland Foundation - Duluth, MN - 6 Survey Respondents
"The Director of Grantmaking makes snap judgments about potential grantee organizations based on assumptions that are inaccurate, without nuance and ig"
33%
Northwest Area Foundation - Saint Paul, MN - 8 Survey Respondents
"It's literally impossible to email this foundation. I've tried sending emails from both my work account and personal gmail account multiple ti"
100%
Northwest Fund For The Environment - Seattle, WA - 8 Survey Respondents
"NW Fund has some of the most informed and inquisitive program managers and trustees of any of our Foundation funders. Be ready to answer tough questi"
99%
Nellie Mae Education Foundation - Quincy, MA - 127 Survey Respondents
"Definitely try to connect with a Foundation contact if you can. The person we talked to was super helpful in explaining the guidelines and where our o"
97%
NextFifty Initiative - Denver, CO - 37 Survey Respondents
"Definitely schedule a "Discovery Call" with a Next50 staff person, They offer many appointment times and it is easy to sign up. Regardless o"
82%
Otto Bremer Trust - Saint Paul, MN - 46 Survey Respondents
"We were encouraged to apply and our initial conversation with the foundation was positive. The site visit was brutal - the officer laughed at an item"
100%
Open Road Alliance - Washington, DC - 68 Survey Respondents
"This funder does something very specific and wonderful - provide bridge grants and bridge loans when organizations hit roadblocks or unexpected opport"
100%
Patrick & Aimee Butler Family Foundation - Saint Paul, MN - 8 Survey Respondents
"Program staff is great, they provide good guidance for what they'll fund, and they take time to learn from their grantees. Plus they show up at ev"
100%
Paul M Angell Family Foundation - Chicago, IL - 14 Survey Respondents
"Have all financial reports ready including current and last year year. Application was clear and easy to enter information."
97%
Peery Foundation - Palo Alto, CA - 35 Survey Respondents
"While I have had a tremendously positive experience working with the Peery Foundation to date, I am concerned that they have recently let go all of th"
86%
Petco Foundation - San Antonio, TX - 8 Survey Respondents
"Petco has a high emphasis on grantees promoting them. Your grant award is directly proportional to how many times you use their hashtags on social med"
100%
Peter & Elizabeth C Tower Foundation Tr - Getzville, NY - 13 Survey Respondents
"The Tower Foundation is professional, transparent and caring in its process to apply and in its engagement with grantees. They ask great questions an"
100%
Philanthropic Ventures Foundation - Oakland, CA - 6 Survey Respondents
"Quirky and frequently unpredictable. Many of the grants are made for specific individual donors, so there aren't consistent priorities or processe"
100%
Pierce Family Foundation - Chicago, IL - 7 Survey Respondents
"Pierce focused its giving on organizations that serve the homeless community. Foundation staff are responsive and give honest assessments of its givin"
100%
Pohlad Family Foundation - Minneapolis, MN - 14 Survey Respondents
"The Pohlad Family Foundation is a rare jewel among funders. They seek to find out your true needs and trust their grantees. The grants and reporting p"
85%
Pollination Project Foundation - Berkeley, CA - 16 Survey Respondents
"I would not recommend applying to this funder. They make you do way too much for a small grant, and then won't fund you again after the $1000 they"
100%
Racine Community Foundation Inc - Racine, WI - 36 Survey Respondents
"They are very responsive and willing to assist in giving guidance on the grant application if needed. The application is very straightforward and doe"
100%
Rasmuson Foundation - Anchorage, AK - 6 Survey Respondents
"We have found the program staff at the Rasmuson Foundation to be extremely approachable and helpful. We have been working with them for many years and"
89%
Richard M Schulze Family Foundation - Minneapolis, MN - 21 Survey Respondents
"They're a direct and accessible funder. They've grown rapidly in a relatively short amount of time and have scaled up their staffing and clari"
60%
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Princeton, NJ - 7 Survey Respondents
"Our experience with RWJF was fantastic. We received funding for a three-year project, with the project officer always available for questions and ann"
100%
Rock Island Community Foundation - Rock Island, IL - 19 Survey Respondents
"The Executive Director is very helpful if you have any questions and the grant application is straightforward and easy to fill out."
91%
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation - Saint Paul, MN - 11 Survey Respondents
"I love working with St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation. They are very in tune with the nonprofits they fund and continually work to make a positive impac"
100%
Samuel S Fels Fund - Philadelphia, PA - 19 Survey Respondents
"Fels staff is very approachable. If you are just starting and have any questions about your application process/eligibility, they will make sure to pr"
30%
San Francisco Foundation - San Francisco, CA - 12 Survey Respondents
"This was when they were of the fiscal sponsor for the East Bay foundation on aging. I am very glad that you spray foundation has left SFF because whe"
75%
Satterberg Foundation - Seattle, WA - 10 Survey Respondents
"Schism between young, woke staff and board. Getting over the first hump puts your application in peril with the second."
67%
Securian Foundation - St Paul, MN - 10 Survey Respondents
"Your application is a shot in the dark. Don't count on the foundation to communicate with you."
30%
Silicon Valley Community Foundation - Mountain View, CA - 12 Survey Respondents
"They like to claim they're the biggest foundation in the US, and they're committed to addressing issues like the affordable housing crisis, bu"
100%
Siouxland Community Foundation - Sioux City, IA - 7 Survey Respondents
"To get started I went on-line and got their phone number. I gave them a call and told them what we had in mind and they encouraged me to apply. Ques"
100%
Sobrato Family Foundation - Cupertino, CA - 9 Survey Respondents
"they will understand your needs."
100%
Solano Community Foundation - Fairfield, CA - 20 Survey Respondents
"Process to apply was easy."
37%
Target Foundation - Minneapolis, MN - 9 Survey Respondents
"I wouldn't know where to tell them to start because other than the guidelines, Target Foundation has no accessible information or staff."
40%
Telligen Community Initiative - West Des Moines, IA - 7 Survey Respondents
"It's best to have a discussion before proposal development."
100%
The Ahmanson Foundation - Beverly Hills, CA - 8 Survey Respondents
"Love that this foundation is willing to step up and support capital or technology projects that others won't touch - They aren't worried about"
56%
The California Endowment - Los Angeles, CA - 25 Survey Respondents
"The website is filled with marketing information, but there it has NO sustenance. I tried to contact the Foundation four times, to no avail. For point"
86%
The California Wellness Foundation - Los Angeles, CA - 10 Survey Respondents
"Be aware of their funding priorities. If you are uncertain, call them."
50%
Tipping Point Community - San Francisco, CA - 8 Survey Respondents
"This funder tends to overshadow others with their high profile, and "expertise." They spend a lot of effort raising money, which in effect ta"
100%
Tustin Community Foundation - Tustin, CA - 7 Survey Respondents
"The Executive Director is so sweet and tries to help in anyway she can. She makes the entire process enjoyable."
100%
The Effing Foundation for Sex-Positivity - Somerville, MA - 6 Survey Respondents
"Feel free to ask questions or for clarifications from Effing: they’re very helpful!"
100%
U S Bancorp Foundation - Milwaukee, WI - 8 Survey Respondents
"As a corporation funding from its headquarters, it is important to have the local branch manager knowledgeable on your organization and aware of the g"
97%
United Way Of Washtenaw County - Ann Arbor, MI - 33 Survey Respondents
"Please, inform the residents of Washtenaw County about these grants or funds when they call or visit this site in Washtenaw or the 211/the 1-800 numbe"
0%
W K Kellogg Foundation - Battle Creek, MI - 8 Survey Respondents
"Kellogg Foundation claims that it will fund only sustainable projects; not true. In fact, it will fund projects that are not sustainable and unproven"
0%
Wal-mart Foundation - Bentonville, AR - 12 Survey Respondents
"Never hear anything. They generally either instantly decline or let the computer auto-decline grants. Grants should not be decided by store managers."
100%
Walter And Elise Haas Fund - San Francisco, CA - 45 Survey Respondents
"The Haas Fund made time to have a phone call with us before we submitted our application, so I would recommend that all colleagues reach out to have a"
100%
Washington Womens Foundation - Seattle, WA - 12 Survey Respondents
"I'm not sure if they are open for change or improvement. It is their money, and they seem to believe they are free to do whatever they like. Maybe"
86%
Weingart Foundation - Los Angeles, CA - 15 Survey Respondents
"Weingart Foundation professes to be forward-thinking, but isn't. Moving into an invitation-only model, dropping recent grantees without explanati"
100%
Weitz Family Foundation - Omaha, NE - 33 Survey Respondents
"Applications are open to all that feel their organization is a match and clearly posted."
79%
Wells Fargo Foundation - Minneapolis, MN - 26 Survey Respondents
"You will not be able to receive funding without having a conversation with the grant officer in the Foundation beforehand. During our conversations th"
69%
William & Flora Hewlett Foundation - Menlo Park, CA - 13 Survey Respondents
"Keep in mind that this funder is almost always in a state of strategic planning and will regularly shift the funding focus of smaller grants to suit t"
100%
We Raise Foundation - Itasca, IL - 11 Survey Respondents
"We Raise is very open and friendly. They understand the power dynamics as a funder and seek to level the playing field as much as possible to understa"
100%
Williamsburg Community Foundation - Williamsburg, VA - 10 Survey Respondents
"This is a Foundation that knows it’s community and it’s needs. Their staff is very accessible ad knowledgeable."