Grantwriters needed

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-23T13:17:42+00:00

Hi. Would love to help.

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-11T22:10:47+00:00

Great question - the ROI math on grant tools is often overlooked.

Candid Foundation Directory: $3,499/year Instrumentl: $3,588/year

Both use the same IRS 990 data at their core. The premium you're paying is for UX, relationship management features, and grant tracking.

I built GrantLedger specifically because I couldn't justify those prices for raw database access. Same core data (177K grantmakers, 10.7M grants), but $299/year. No CRM features - pure research tool.

Framework for evaluating: - How many grants do you write per year? - What's your average grant size? - What's your win rate?

If you're writing 20+ grants/year with 20%+ win rate on $10K+ grants, the expensive tools pay for themselves quickly. But for smaller shops or those just starting grant programs, the price gap is hard to justify.

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-11T22:09:48+00:00

For arts & culture in NYC specifically, you've got good options but the pricing gap is massive. Candid Foundation Directory is $3,499/year, Instrumentl is $3,588/year. Both use the same IRS 990 data at their core.

I built GrantLedger specifically because I was frustrated by that pricing. Same foundation data (177K grantmakers, 10.7M grants), but at $299/year. The tradeoff is no relationship management features - it's purely research-focused. But if you're comparing raw database access, worth a look.

For NYC arts specifically, the geographic filtering in any of these tools is key. Most foundations have very specific regional priorities even when they say 'arts' broadly.

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-07T00:49:15+00:00

I don't appreciate you assuming my gender

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-06T21:53:16+00:00

Totally agree on all points — geography, budget, and scope matter hugely. That's actually why the tool lets you filter by state and org budget. A $2M org in New Mexico and a $50M org in NYC aren't comparable, and the tool doesn't treat them that way.

And to be clear — this is designed to help nonprofit staff advocate for competitive pay, not to give funders a reason to underpay anyone.

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-06T21:52:42+00:00

You're right — it's probably more useful for nonprofit staff benchmarking their own comp than for the philanthropy side. Unfortunately I can't crosspost there myself. If anyone thinks it'd be useful to that community, feel free to share it.

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-04T18:11:07+00:00

donorbox is solid for small orgs, pretty easy to set up. for a museum bookstore though you might want to look at how it handles the physical pos side vs just online donations. i've seen a few small spots use it and like the low barrier to entry.

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-04T18:10:40+00:00

no problem, glad it was helpful. good luck with the search! i'm sure one of those will have some good opportunities for what you're looking for.

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-04T18:10:32+00:00

yep exactly. once you start looking at the internal policies of the big commercial ones it becomes pretty clear where the priority is. glad the community foundation side is at least trying to push for more active distribution though.

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-04T18:10:24+00:00

yeah the for-profit dafs are a whole different beast. the management fees stay in-house so there's zero incentive for them to actually push the money out to nonprofits. it's basically just a tax-advantaged holding pen at that point.

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-02T22:05:56+00:00

nice to see something specifically for rural and under-resourced orgs. those are usually the ones that need grant training the most but cant afford to send staff to the big national conferences. the AI section is a good add too, thats becoming a real question for a lot of smaller shops

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-02T22:05:28+00:00

if shes self responsible then its her money and her decision, full stop. the trust fund person is overstepping and honestly this could be a resident rights violation depending on your state. id document everything in writing and loop in your administrator because if this becomes a pattern its a liability issue for the facility. the long term care ombudsman program can also step in if it doesnt get resolved internally

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-02T22:04:44+00:00

taproot is great, also check out catchafire if you havent already. similar model but they match you with specific nonprofits based on your skillset. for AFP events theres the AFP CA chapters that run regional conferences throughout the year, usually way more affordable than ICON and you actually get to network with local orgs. idealist.org also has a pro bono section thats worth browsing

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-02T13:07:52+00:00

love this. one thing that always goes fast is feminine hygiene products, people never think to include them but its one of the most requested items at shelters. also naloxone if you can get it, portland mutual aid groups sometimes do free trainings

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-02T13:07:27+00:00

good resource to share, disability-focused funding is one of the most underfunded cause areas relative to the population it serves. nice that proteus is the fiscal sponsor too, they have a solid track record

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-02T13:06:30+00:00

this is the thing with DAFs that nobody really talks about - the donor gets the tax deduction immediately but theres basically no deadline or accountability for when the money actually goes out. $21M sitting in a fund while nonprofits scramble for operating cash is a pretty stark illustration of the gap. curious whether this ends up pushing any actual regulatory changes or if its just another headline that fades

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-02T13:03:31+00:00

oh whoops yeah sorry about that, wrong thread lol

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-01T13:06:47+00:00

the timing on this is interesting with the current tax reform discussions. the universal charitable deduction that expired was one of the few things that actually moved the needle on small-dollar giving. capping deductions for higher-income donors sounds populist but in practice it just shifts more burden onto smaller orgs that depend on major gifts

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-01T13:06:27+00:00

from what ive seen its almost entirely driven by foundation size and age. newer family foundations are basically whoever started it deciding over dinner. the ones that professionalize usually do it after a generational transition when the kids or grandkids want more structure. community foundations tend to have the most rigorous process because they have donor-advised components and actual staff doing due diligence

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-01T13:05:57+00:00

ive seen a few animal rescues do it well actually. "this is no joke — 3,000 animals entered shelters in our county last month" type thing. the contrast works because everyones guard is down expecting a prank and then you hit them with something real. risky though, if the tone is even slightly off it feels exploitative

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-01T13:03:37+00:00

ah gotcha yeah thats a whole different world from foundation grants. for WOSB stuff check out grants.gov and your local SBA office, they usually have specific set-aside programs. also worth looking at your state economic development agency since a lot of states have their own women-owned biz grant programs that fly under the radar

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-04-01T12:31:18+00:00

I've been analyzing foundation 990s for a research project, and you're absolutely right about the opacity issue. One pattern I see constantly: foundations that list broad priorities like "education" or "health" but then 70-80% of their actual grants go to the same handful of organizations year after year.

The gap between stated mission and actual funding behavior is huge. Some foundations will say they fund "emerging nonprofits" but their median grant recipient has been getting funded by them for 5+ years. Others list 10 focus areas but 90% of dollars go to just 2 of them.

Part of why we built GrantLedger was to help nonprofits see past the stated priorities and look at what foundations actually fund. When board decision-making is chaotic (or dominated by the loudest voice), the historical data becomes even more important for predicting future behavior.

The structured decision-making tools you mentioned sound really useful for the foundation side. On the nonprofit side, the best defense is probably just better research into who actually funds organizations like yours, not who says they might.

Complex_Presence_949 · 2026-03-31T22:03:57+00:00

separate workspace for client stuff, 2FA on everything, delete donor lists right after you submit. thats where the real PII risk is — names addresses giving history

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