100%
0%
10 hours
Median
100%
0%
96%
4%
2017 Deadlines:
Types of Grants Awarded:
Geographic Focus:
For Fiscal Year
Total Assets:
Total Grants:
Change in Assets FY :
Amount of Grants to Minnesota Nonprofits:
Largest Grant:
Smallest Grant:
Average Grant:
Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
Understand its funding criteria and openly discuss them with ORAs team.
Positive leader in the field, Insightful, Friendly, Builds relationships, Openminded, Responsive
California
Grant currently pending
Funded for amount requested
2019
Good
Good
Continue doing it as you do it!
Open, accesible, thoghtful.
20
Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
It is a good idea to review their website and know how you fit in their criteria.
California
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2019
Good
Good
They are quite fast
8
Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
Focus on the investors value add to your business.
Positive leader in the field, Risk taker, Openminded
Alabama
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2019
Good
Good
Open Roads quick turnaround is very valuable. Haven't come across any other investor with the same speed of deciton.
Appreciated that we as entrepreneurs was part of the IC meeting.
5
Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
Talk to them first to see if you fit into their funding criteria, then there is a little back and forth on their application portal. After this is done, it is quite straight forward.
Risk taker, Friendly, Responsive
Washington
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2019
Good
Good
10
Reviewer 3682 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
Definitely arrange a call first to understand the issues the team needs clarity on first. The process is simple and clear, the team is accessible. Very quick timeline, extremely helpful.
Responsive
Delaware
Grant currently pending
Funded for amount requested
2019
Good
Good
The team is very proactive and gives feedback quickly. Quick decision making.
6
Reviewer 7717 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
To be very clear about the ask and the impact of the funded amount should have. That will smoothen the process tremendously and will make it easy for the funder and investee. Great and very pleasant team to work with.
Positive leader in the field, Risk taker, Culturally sensitive, Insightful, Friendly, Openminded, Responsive
Washington
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2019
Good
Good
no advise. for us everything went perfectly smooth.
N/A
Very clear about their process and supporting in the application process to align the narrative. Very lean and entrepreneurial friendly.
8
Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
In my view, ORA are the most professional funder in my company's space, which is the African energy access space. They are very fast; in our case, less than 1 month from the first contact to a decision. They are smart and well-organized. They do have a specific and narrow mandate and stick to that. But, as long as your funding need fits in their funding mandate, they are the best in the business!
Positive leader in the field, Risk taker, Insightful, Friendly, Responsive
District Of Columbia
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2019
Good
Good
Make sure your funding need fits in their funding mandate.
They are fast, because they are well-organized in a lean process, have a smart and pragmatic team, and they know what they are looking to fund.
20
Reviewer 6087 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
We started with a warm introduction to an Open Road investment officer. This really helped get the process moving quickly. The application process was quite straightforward and the investment officer is there to help you pull together the best application/proposal. Use their knowledge.
It became clear quickly that Open Road would be most interested in our plans were in best-case, worst-case, and likely case scenarios. I wasn't immediately prepared to propose terms for a loan, but the investment officer helped with that. I think thproposing to draw down on our loan in tranches based on financial risk milestones helped with our application's success.
Positive leader in the field, Risk taker, Friendly, "Gets" nonprofits and issues, Openminded, Responsive
Washington
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2019
Good
Very approachable and our investment office was highly responsive.
Good
Open Road is designed to help impact-focused organizations get through roadblocks, and I think they are achieving exactly that. Their criteria of the funding being catalytic and discrete - solving the roadblock for good - can be challenging, but forces you to plan for this to be a one-time solution. They are entrepreneur-friendly and in our experience fill a significant gap in the funding landscape for social enterprises and charities.
The application form was simple and straightforward. However I think some of the fields could be clarified, and new fields added. For example, in the section around describing the organization's structure, mission, business model, and so on, the investment officer suggested structuring the response differently than what was listed on the website. I think the investment officer had a good handle on what was required so the form could simply be updated. Also, it might be useful to provide more context as to the type of loan terms you might want the applicant to consider, and provide indication of whether or not to propose funding in tranches.
This organization walks their talk - their criteria are clear and straightforward, and the information materials they publish on their website seem to match how they evaluate funding opportunities.
Communication, flexibility, and responsiveness!
8
Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
Best to have a meeting prior to submission of the application and continue to engage with the funder
Risk taker, Insightful, Builds relationships, Openminded, Responsive
District Of Columbia
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2019
Good
Very impressed with how accessible the funder was
Good
Continued engagement with the funder will be key to helping them understand your mission and goal, and the impact of funding to help moving forward
Continued communication, ensures alignment of mission and goal, structures financing to business needs
24
Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
This is an invite only application and best to discuss with them beforehand your current need and situation.
Positive leader in the field, Insightful, "Gets" nonprofits and issues, Openminded, Responsive
Array
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2019
Good
Good
I think they could better prepare people for the final meeting with the financial team. Perhaps there is a standard sheet the could share with the steps of the call? It was a very intense call and because done on the phone, and not video, hard to gauge how the conversation and information landed. I questioned how deeply to go into depth on programming as I had been told grant committee were generalists and yet the questions were very specific. I would have appreciated knowing more about the scope of the call beforehand.
They worked with us on the application and really helped us shape it and prepare it-- that level of feedback was amazing.
40
