What you get
- Letters of inquiry and full proposals written to each funder's guidelines and stated priorities.
- Portal applications fitted to the funder's character limits without losing the argument.
- A program budget and organizational budget that match the narrative line for line.
- A reusable case for support: need statement, program description, outcomes and organizational history.
- A submission checklist of attachments: determination letter, board list, financials and audit.
Nonprofit grant writing services prepare grant applications for 501(c)(3) organizations: letters of inquiry, full foundation proposals, corporate giving and community foundation applications, and the budgets and attachments that go with them. We write them for you, to each funder's guidelines, and build the reusable material your organization needs so every later application starts from a strong base rather than a blank page.
This page covers private, corporate and community foundation funding. For federal and state applications, which work very differently, see federal grant writing.
How foundation funding works, and what that means for the writing
Fit decides most outcomes. Foundations fund within stated priorities, geographies and grant sizes, and their past grants, published on their Form 990-PF, often show a narrower focus than their website. A beautifully written proposal to the wrong funder fails. We read the funder's guidelines and recent giving before drafting, and if fit is weak we say so.
Many funders start with a letter of inquiry. One to three pages that make the case briefly and ask permission to submit. A strong letter of inquiry is harder to write than a long proposal, because every sentence has to work. See our guide to the letter of inquiry.
Some do not accept unsolicited proposals at all. Invitation-only funders need a relationship first, usually through the program officer or a board connection. We flag them so you do not spend effort on applications no one will read.
Program officers are readers, not reviewers. Foundation proposals are usually read by a program officer who then advocates for you to a board. The writing has to give that person the words to make your case.
Portals impose their own shape. Many foundations use online forms with character limits per question. Fitting a coherent argument into ten 1,500-character boxes is its own skill.
What we write
Letters of inquiry tailored to each funder's stated interests.
Full proposals: the statement of need, program design, goals and measurable outcomes, evaluation approach, organizational background and capacity, sustainability, and the request itself.
Budgets: the program budget and budget narrative, aligned with the organizational budget the funder will compare against, and with in-kind support shown where it strengthens the case.
General operating support requests, which make the case for the organization as a whole rather than a single program, when a funder offers them.
A reusable case for support: a master document with the need statement, program descriptions, outcomes, history and staff bios, kept current so each new proposal is adaptation rather than reinvention.
What you provide
Your mission and program information, the outcomes data you collect, the current organizational budget and last year's financials or audit, your IRS determination letter, and a board list. Program staff are the best source of the detail that makes a proposal specific: who you serve, what changes for them, and how you know. We interview them, then write.
New organizations without their own determination letter can often apply through a fiscal sponsor; our guide to grants for nonprofit startups explains how. If you are unsure whether the basics are in place, our grant readiness assessment checks before you apply.
One proposal, or a year of them
Some organizations need one important proposal. Others need a steady pipeline: a calendar of aligned funders, applications spaced through the year, and reports filed on time so renewals come easier. We do both. Pipeline work pairs with ongoing funder research, which builds and keeps the list of aligned funders current, and our walkthrough of the nonprofit grant process shows how organizations build that rhythm.
Timing depends on the funder: a letter of inquiry can be written in days, while a full proposal with a new budget usually needs two to four weeks. Drafting begins once the engagement is confirmed and paid. No one can promise a grant, because the funder decides; what we deliver is a proposal built on real fit.
