Although the nonprofit Foundation Center tends to be the preferred database because of the size of its grant maker and grant-making collection, you can use other online funding resources. Here’s a brief list of other great databases, free and subscription-based:
- eCivis.com: The eCivis.com database, designed for units of municipal government, is the an all-in-one database with extensive profiles for federal, state, foundation, and corporate grant makers. Fees are quoted on requesting a demonstration via their online link.
- Fundsnet Services: Fundsnet Services is the blue-light special approach to online grant seeking. When you pull up the Fundsnet Services homepage, you find so many useful links that you may just have a dizzy spell. It’s a virtual flea market with a plethora of information. Some of the links are tremendously helpful for Arts & Culture Grants, Disability Grants, Education Grants, Environment & Conservation Grants, Foundation Directory, Community Foundations, Women Grants, and Computers & Technology. Each of the links on this website is topic-specific and includes click-through features to send you to a funder’s website to read about grant opportunities firsthand.
The downside of this site is that there are a lot of advertising links.
- Fortune 500: This free website is full of news about the corporate world. You can use the Fortune 500 lists to quickly find financially healthy potential corporate grant makers out of the top 500 US-based corporations. You can choose to view the entire list of Fortune 500 corporations and view financials and company information, including the name of the CEO. This is a two-step research process: (1) Find out about the financial health of the potential funders and (2) Research if they have a foundation.
If you’re looking for multinational companies that may award grants, visit Fortune’s Global 500 list, which provides access to a full list of the global corporate rankings and the search options of the Fortune 500 list.
- Christian Volunteering: This website has a free online directory for churches, ministries, and other grant seekers looking for monies to start or expand religiously affiliated programs and projects. This site lists more than 10,000 church and ministry grant makers that fund a range of programs, including building projects, program support, equipment, renovations, youth programs, capital campaigns, outreach ministries, general operating support, mission trips, and seed money.
