FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Does FGG find grants for individuals or companies that do not have a 501(c)(3) status?

No, We only work for nonprofits with a 501(c)(3) status.

 

What companies and foundations have your clients received funding from?

With over $100,000,000.00 in grants and donations secured for our clients, this link will answer your question:

www.fostergrantsandgiving.org/successfully-funded-grants 

 

Will you work with a nonprofit for free?

No, Unfortunately, we have budgets for one-person-run nonprofits to larger nonprofits with multi-million dollar budgets. This link will give you options: www.fostergrantsandgiving.org/grantwriting

 

Are your nonprofit programs the same thing as your grant writing services?

No, Our Fostering Higher Education for All Program and our community engagement programs are a separate function of Foster Grants and Giving Inc. Click this link for more information  www.fostergrantsandgiving.org/programs

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How do I start a nonprofit?

Click this link: www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/form-nonprofit-eight-steps-29484.html

 

Can Private schools apply for grants?

Yes, as long as they have a 501(c)(3) status. 

 

Can churches apply for grants?

Yes, because they have a 501(c)(3) status. 

 

Does Foster Grants and Giving Inc. apply for Federal grants?

We tend to stick to corporate/foundational grants, but we will do Federal grants on a case-by-case basis.

 

Do you work for new nonprofit organizations?

 Generally No for the following reasons:  

  • Most brand new organizations are not likely to immediately be competitive for grant funding.

  • Grantors typically want to see some evidence that your organization is making an impact.

  • They also want to see how effectively you are building a strong and active board of directors, creating and managing budgets, carrying out quality control, and more.

  • This process can take at least a year to demonstrate.  

 

What are the reasons most foundations reject proposals?

  • They do not have enough funds to accept every request.

  • The request falls outside of the funder's giving interests.

  • The applicant did not follow application guidelines.

  • One simple piece of advice we often give is, "If you do not qualify, do not apply."

 

How quickly can you write a proposal? 

It Varies:

  • Established nonprofits – Seven to Ten days.

  • Newer organizations or first-time grant Seekers – Up to Two Weeks.

 

What do most grantors require? 

  • Financial statements, such as an annual budget, year-end financial statements, and year-to-date financial statements.

  • Questions related to your business plan.

  • Your three-five-year strategic plan.

  • Your long-term fundraising plan.

  • How will you measure the success of your proposal?

  • What are typical Grant Deadlines and Responses?

  • Each funder establishes deadlines for proposals, and may only have one or two deadlines per year.

  • Most funders take about three to five months to respond to a grant request.

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STATISTICS:​

Key Fundraising Statistics:

  • Overall giving grew 4.1% over the past year, the 6th consecutive year of growth.

  • Online giving grew by 12.1% over the past year.

  • 45% of worldwide donors are enrolled in a monthly giving program.

  • 41% of worldwide donors give in response to natural disasters.

  • Missions related to international affairs experienced a 19.2% increase in overall donations over the past year. Environmental issues and medical research were the next most prevalent causes of donors.

  • 31% of offline-only first-time donors are retained for over a year, versus 25% of online-only first-time donors.

 

Demographic Fundraising Statistics:

  • The average donor in the United States is 64 years old and makes two charitable gifts a year.

  • 31% of worldwide donors give to organizations located outside of their country of residence.

  • Female donors are more likely to donate because of social media marketing, while male donors are more likely to give because of email messages.

  • Generational differences between donors can have considerable impacts, as well, as evidenced in the findings to the right.

  • 67% of worldwide donors also choose to volunteer locally in their communities, and 56% regularly attend fundraising events.

 

Corporate Philanthropy Statistics:

  • Between 2017 and 2020, giving increased by more than 15% for 6 out of 10 companies.

  • Corporations gave over $20 billion to nonprofit organizations last year.

  • The top 10 most generous corporations donate over $2 billion annually to nonprofits, much of it through employee matching gift programs.

  • 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grant programs.

  • 65% of companies surveyed provided employees with paid-release time volunteer programs in 2020.

  • Microsoft is the largest contributor to corporate philanthropy funds, with a 65% employee participation rate for annual giving campaigns.

 

Online Fundraising Statistics:

  • Overall online revenue increased by 23% over the past year, up from 15%.

  • Online donations to environmental and human rights-related missions grew the most, 34% and 37%, respectively.

  • 38% of online donors who made a gift in 2020 made another gift to that nonprofit the next year.

  • Revenue from individual online gifts grew by 19% over the past year.

  • Online monthly giving revenue grew by 40% as recurring donation options become increasingly popular with online donors.

 

Mobile Fundraising Statistics:

  • Online donation pages had an average conversion rate of 8% on mobile devices last year, but the number of transactions completed through mobile devices increased by 50%.

  • The number of donations completed through desktop browsers decreased by 10%.

  • Half of all nonprofit website traffic last year came from mobile and tablet users. The share of desktop-based traffic decreased by 9% over the previous year.

  • The average gift by mobile users is $79, while tablet users give $96, and desktop users give $118.

 

Nonprofit Marketing Statistics:

  • On average, nonprofits post to Facebook and Twitter once a day and to Instagram twice a week.

  • Nonprofits send an average of two print newsletters and three print donation appeals per year.

  • Self-reported “effective” marketing strategies created roughly 9.4 short-form blog articles, 2.1 mid-form articles, a one long-form article per month; nonprofits dissatisfied with their own marketing results typically produced fewer pieces of digital content overall. 

  • For every 1,000 email addresses, the average organization has 474 Facebook fans, 186 Twitter followers, and 41 Instagram followers.

  • Instagram was the fastest-growing social media platform for nonprofits in 2020, with a 44% increase in followers.

 

Email Fundraising Statistics:

  • Email-based marketing and promotional campaigns generated 28% of all online nonprofit revenue in 2020.

  • Nonprofits send an average of three email newsletters and two donation appeals monthly.

  • For every 1,000 fundraising emails sent to subscribers, nonprofits raised an average of $42, with small organizations (fewer than 100,000 subscribers) receiving the most donation revenue per email. However, large nonprofits have seen an increase in revenue per message since 2020.

  • Fundraising email response rates have seen a 9% decline, and click-through rates fell to .42% in 2020.

  • Cultural missions have seen a decline in donation revenue from email marketing, while international-focused organizations have seen the most massive increase. The graph below illustrates the trends for other categories of nonprofits.