A grantseeker is looking for the PIRL of great price. Grantseekers delve into funding directories in search of PIRLS: Priorities, Interests, Requirements, and Limitations of each prospect..
- Priorities are the major initiative of the funder: aging, AIDS, children, families, housing, minorities, youth, etc. For example, the major priority of the Retirement Research Foundation in Chicago is "aging".
- Interests are the program areas of concern to a funder: AIDS care, historic preservation, legal assistance, religious welfare, social research, etc. For example, while the Retirement Reseach Foundation's major priority is aging, it is mainly interested in independent living and intergenerational projects, or social research on aging.
- Requirements are funding prerequisites established by the funder: These requirements range from the type of nonprofit that can apply -- to the application process. For example, a requirement of some funders is that the grantseeker be an official Catholic-affiliated project listed in the Kennedy Directory (like the Raskob Foundation). The funder may require the grantseeker to be in the midst of a full-scale capital campaign and have a percentage of the funds in-hand (like the Kresge Foundation). Some funders may require multiple copies of a letter proposal while others have application forms that must be completed. All of these requirements need to be noted in your research.
- Limitations are the restrictions that funders place on who can apply for a grant. Some funders do not give to United Way agencies or religious organizations. Some funderrs limit funding to a geographic area (city, state, or region). Most funders restrict the types of grants they will award. The most common restrictions are for debt reduction, loans, and individual grants. When scanning the directories, always read the limitations section first to check for these limiations, particularly the disappointing ones that say "proposals not accepted" or "only gives to pre-selected charities".
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Jon Harrison
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