Does your organization have more grant opportunities than it can pursue? Or you’re coming up empty in your search for a matching funder? Getting a more extensive scope of the grant-making space might help! In this episode, Katie talks to Gauri Manglik of Instrumentl about the ins and outs of grant searches and finding the right match. 

Use a system to hone in on the right-fit grant opportunities.

Gauri advises nonprofits to find alignment in the stated areas like the mission, geography, and other stated eligibility. As tempting as it might be, it’s usually not worth pursuing grants that are a “stretch” concerning any stated criteria or objectives. Ultimately, you’ll be wasting your time as well as potentially diminishing your reputation with the funder. 

Reading between the lines: Implicity eligibility for grant opportunities.

Have you ever pursued a grant opportunity where you met ALL the stated criteria but were still passed over for an award? Gauri advises us to look at the implicit eligibility in grants to find the best matches. The implicit eligibility criteria are unstated items reflected in a foundation’s preferences and giving patterns. How do you find a foundation’s implicit biases and preferences? Through data! A platform like Instrumentl or Foundation Directory Online (FDO) can give you a detailed look at who, what, when, where, and why foundations have previously funded. If you’re not in the market for a database, using Google to research past grant awards can also help. 

Learn tips for creating powerful grant proposals and more in the full interview!

Ready to go a step further with your grant pursuits? Instrumentl is providing listeners with $50 off their first month of Instrumentl subscription when they use the code NPHUBPOD50 at https://www.instrumentl.com/r/DoMoreGood

Meet Gauri Manglik

Gauri has dedicated her career to building intuitive and delightful user experiences. Seeing the opportunity to force multiply the nonprofit sector’s ability to create impact through software led her to work at Instrumentl. As CEO and a co-founder, she has led Instrumentl to serve over 2,000 nonprofits today, making it a favorite tool among grant seekers for bringing grant prospecting, tracking, and management to one place.

Before Instrumentl, Gauri was CEO and co-founder of Fondu, an online community for sharing bite-sized restaurant reviews. After Airbnb acquired Fondu, Gauri led their mobile and special projects teams.