The King Foundation

Grant Research Links

The advent of the Internet has made it much easier for grantseekers to obtain information—most of it free—about possible funding sources.

First, a word of caution. A number of fraudulent schemes exist through which an unscrupulous company sells a directory of foundations, falsely claiming that the listed foundations give money to individuals to start businesses, meet living expenses, buy cars, and the like. The truth is that private foundations are prohibited from giving money to individuals except under very limited cirumstances, such as scholarships. If you have been victimized by one of these grant scams, please consider filing a complaint with both the Federal Trade Commission and the consumer protection division of your State Attorney General's Office.

The following sites may prove helpful to you in finding grant opportunities appropriate for your organization:

Donors Forum of Chicago
www.donorsforum.org
The Donors Forum is a well-respected funders’ collaborative. Although it is focused on Chicago, the Forum’s website includes a number of items of interest to grantseekers in other parts of the country, including an online tutorial about the grantseeking process, called the Grant Seekers Toolbox.

The Foundation Center
www.fdncenter.org
The Foundation Center, based in New York, is a national clearinghouse of information about grantmaking foundations. The Center offers a wide range of services and resources valuable to grantseekers. The following are just a few:

• Cooperating Collections
  The Foundation Center works with libraries and nonprofit management centers around the country to make available to the public especially deep collections of information about nonprofits and grantseeking. Cooperating Collections in Arkansas and Texas include the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library (Dallas), the Funding Information Center (Fort Worth), and the Main Library (Little Rock). Search the site for a complete state-by-state list of Cooperating Collections.
• Foundation Directory Online
  A web-based subscription service allowing you to search for grantmaking foundations. Available at different price levels for as little as one month.
• Foundation Finder
  Free foundation searching tool on the Foundation Center site.
• Foundation Grants to Individuals Online
  Another web-based subscription service, but designed for individuals seeking grants for scholarships, fellowships, artistic projects, or research.
• Grantmaker Website
  Provides links to grantmaker websites, including private foundations, corporate foundations, grantmaking public charities, and community foundations.
• Learning Lab/FAQ
  A virtual classroom that includes both free tutorials and fee-based courses on topics related to grantseeking.
• Philanthropy News Digest
  Free email summary of news relating to the philanthropic sector.
• Proposal Writing Short Course
  Free online instruction on the basics of proposal writing.
• RFP Bulletin
  Regular email bulletin of new requests for proposals (RFPs) issued by state and national funders.

The Grantsmanship Center
www.tgci.com
A Los Angeles-based center providing workshops and training in grantseeking and fundraising. The Center also publishes The Grantsmanship Center Magazine, the archives of which are searchable online, and a guide to state foundation directories.

Michigan State University Libraries
www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/index.htm
Compendium of research sources on grants and scholarships. The Grants for Nonprofits section is organized by subject. The Grants for Individuals section is organized by academic level, population group, and subject.

Take our Grant Eligibility Quiz and see if your organization qualifies for one of our grants.