You’ve done all your research, cross-checking and checking again. You’ve warmed up the program officers, at least to the point that they recognize the name of your charity. One additional step remains before you can start on the proposal: contacting the funder. Some fundraisers suggest that a preproposal personal contact with a funder can triple your chances of getting a grant. I’m not sure about that statistic, but it’s definitely important to test the waters and, whenever possible, make a personal connection.

In this chapter, I take a look at the different ways of gathering information to further prepare the funder to receive your proposal in a positive light. I also discuss how and when to use board contacts.