Funder Research

Compares a foundation's stated priorities and giving history against your program to score fit and flag mismatches before you invest time in a full proposal. Use it before adding a funder to your pipeline or before a letter of inquiry.

## Context
You are helping a nonprofit development professional evaluate whether a specific foundation is worth pursuing. The organization is [ORGANIZATION NAME], a [ORGANIZATION TYPE] that serves [POPULATION SERVED] in [GEOGRAPHIC AREA]. The program being assessed for fit is [PROGRAM NAME], which aims to [PROGRAM GOAL]. The development staff member will use this analysis to decide whether to invest time in a proposal or letter of inquiry.

## Task
Analyze the fit between [ORGANIZATION NAME]'s program and [FUNDER NAME] using the information provided below.

Funder information (guidelines, past grants, website language):
[FUNDER INFORMATION]

Program description and budget summary:
[PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND BUDGET]

Produce:
1. A fit score on a simple three-level scale: Strong Fit, Possible Fit, or Poor Fit. State it in the first sentence.
2. The three strongest alignment points, each in one sentence, tied to specific funder language.
3. The two or three clearest mismatches or gaps, stated plainly.
4. A verdict on whether to pursue, and at what priority level, in two sentences.
5. One specific thing to learn before making a final go or no-go decision.

## Standards
- Under 400 words. Structured with the sub-heads above.
- Cite specific funder language when naming alignment points. Use quotation marks.
- Do not invent grant history, stated priorities, asset figures, or giving ranges. Work only from the information provided.
- Flag any gap where the funder information was silent on something relevant.
- Tone is direct. This is a decision tool, not a cheerleading document.
- Do not promise the program will receive funding. A strong fit means it is worth pursuing, nothing more.
- If any key piece of funder information is missing or ambiguous, ask before completing the analysis.

Sample output. Generated by AI from sample inputs:

**Fit score: Possible Fit**

The Hartfield Foundation's current cycle offers real alignment on population and geography, but the program budget sits above their typical range and one eligibility question needs an answer before this is worth a full proposal investment.

**Three strongest alignment points**
1. Hartfield's guidelines state they prioritize "workforce preparation for adults with barriers to employment" - exactly the population Riverside Youth Coalition's Bridge to Work program serves.
2. Their recent grants page shows three awards in the $40,000 to $60,000 range to workforce programs in Crestwood County, which is your service area.
3. Their 2024 guidelines specifically call out "earned credential attainment" as a desired outcome. Your program includes industry certifications as a graduation requirement.

**Mismatches and gaps**
1. Your requested amount of $85,000 exceeds every workforce grant visible in their recent history. Their largest recent workforce award was $62,000.
2. Hartfield's guidelines require applicants to have received at least one prior grant from a local community foundation. It is unclear whether your 2022 Crestwood Community Foundation award meets this requirement.
3. The guidelines are silent on whether they fund direct service staff salaries. Your budget is 68% personnel. This is a real risk.

**Verdict**
This funder is worth one more research step, not a full proposal yet. The population and geographic alignment are genuine, but the budget gap and the salary question could disqualify the application before it is read.

**One thing to learn first**
Call or email the Hartfield program officer to confirm whether the prior community foundation grant requirement is met by your 2022 award, and ask directly whether they fund staff salaries.

Drafts a short statement connecting your mission to a specific funder's priorities, in their language, for use across outreach. Use it when preparing a letter of inquiry, a cold email, or the opening paragraph of a proposal.

## Context
You are helping a grant writer or development director at [ORGANIZATION NAME] draft a funder alignment statement. The organization's mission is [MISSION SUMMARY]. The target funder is [FUNDER NAME], whose stated priorities are [FUNDER PRIORITIES]. This statement will appear at the start of a letter of inquiry, email, or proposal introduction. It must show the funder that the writer has read their guidelines, not that they used a template.

## Task
Draft a funder alignment statement of 100 to 150 words that:
1. Opens by naming one specific priority from [FUNDER PRIORITIES] in the funder's own language.
2. Connects that priority directly to [ORGANIZATION NAME]'s work, with a concrete detail about who the organization serves or what it does.
3. States why [SPECIFIC PROGRAM OR PROJECT] is the right fit for this funder at this time, in one sentence.
4. Closes with a natural transition into the ask or the next paragraph.

Do not write the full letter. Write only this alignment statement.

## Standards
- 100 to 150 words, one paragraph.
- Use the funder's language for their priorities, not synonyms. If they say 'food security,' do not write 'hunger relief.'
- Ground the connection in specific facts about the organization's work, drawn from [PROGRAM DETAILS].
- Do not invent statistics, program outcomes, dollar amounts, or prior funder relationships.
- Do not make promises about what the program will achieve. State what it does.
- Tone should be confident and direct, not grateful or deferential.
- If a specific named input is missing or ambiguous, ask before drafting.

Sample output. Generated by AI from sample inputs:

The Hartfield Foundation's commitment to youth economic mobility in rural communities matches the work Riverside Youth Coalition has done in Grant County for the past six years. Our workforce readiness program serves young adults ages 16 to 24 who have left school without a credential, the exact population your 2024 strategic plan identifies as underserved by existing workforce systems. The Trades Entry Program, which we are seeking to expand to a second county site, prepares participants for certified apprenticeships in construction and electrical trades through a 14-week cohort model. Graduates enter apprenticeships at a rate we track and report publicly each year. We are requesting $75,000 in general operating support to extend this model to Caldwell County, where the youth unemployment rate runs nearly double the state average.