{
 "schema": "aiblocks-page/1",
 "id": "nonprofit-grant-funder-researcher",
 "type": "skill",
 "name": "Nonprofit grant funder researcher",
 "summary": "Find grant funders for your nonprofit program. Give your program, place and ask. You get a ranked funder shortlist, fit scores and a grant calendar.",
 "headline": "Nonprofit grant funder researcher",
 "subhead": "Give it your program, place, ask and who can apply. It checks each funder's rules and real past grants, then scores the fit. You get a ranked shortlist, funder briefs and a grant calendar. Rules and sources are mostly US.",
 "job": {
  "id": "research-topics",
  "name": "Research a topic properly"
 },
 "level": "intermediate",
 "thinking": "high",
 "tested": true,
 "updated": "2026-10-28",
 "first_published": "2026-10-25",
 "inputs": [
  {
   "type": "question",
   "required": true,
   "label": "Question",
   "what": "the problem, decision or piece of work you want help with, and what a good outcome looks like"
  },
  {
   "type": "document",
   "required": false,
   "label": "Document",
   "what": "a finished document, such as a Word file, a PDF or a page of notes"
  }
 ],
 "outputs": [
  {
   "type": "shortlist",
   "required": true,
   "label": "Shortlist",
   "what": "a ranked short list chosen from a larger set, with reasons"
  },
  {
   "type": "plan",
   "required": false,
   "label": "Plan",
   "what": "a dated plan: what to do, in what order, with a decision rule for each step"
  }
 ],
 "you_give": [
  "Your program area and what the money would pay for.",
  "Your requested amount range.",
  "Your service area, such as county, city or state.",
  "Your yearly budget size and how many years you have operated.",
  "Your 501(c)(3) status.",
  "Your current funders and renewal dates (optional)."
 ],
 "you_get": [
  "A ranked funder shortlist with a fit score and reasons for each.",
  "A short brief on each funder that passes, built from its real past grants.",
  "A grant calendar of letter, proposal, decision and report dates.",
  "A renewal tracker for funders you already have.",
  "A warning when deadlines pile up in the same weeks."
 ],
 "use_when": [
  "You need funders for a program and have no list yet.",
  "You want to know if one funder is a good fit before you spend time on it.",
  "You need one calendar of grant deadlines and renewals for the year.",
  "Several proposals are due close together and you need to see it early."
 ],
 "skip_when": [
  "You need to write the letter of inquiry or the proposal: use the nonprofit-grant-writing skill, then bring back the funder brief from here.",
  "You want company sponsorships or cause marketing deals: use the nonprofit-corporate-sponsorships skill, not a foundation grant search.",
  "Your program is outside the US: funder sources here are mostly US, so ask a local grants adviser or a regional funder list."
 ],
 "output_sample": {
  "input": [
   "Your program area and what the money would pay for",
   "Your requested amount range",
   "Your service area (county, city or state)",
   "Your budget size, years incorporated and 501(c)(3) status",
   "Your current funders and renewal dates (optional)"
  ],
  "prerequisites": [
   "An AI that can read current web pages, or your own funder lists and 990-PF pages pasted in",
   "Candid Foundation Directory is a paid subscription (optional); ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and grants.gov are free starting points"
  ],
  "output": [
   {
    "name": "Funder prospect list",
    "contains": "Each funder with type, typical grant range, priorities, location limits, how to apply, fit score and next deadline."
   },
   {
    "name": "Fit scores",
    "contains": "A score for each funder on mission, location, grant size, who can apply, timing and relationships."
   },
   {
    "name": "Funder profile brief",
    "contains": "Three years of real grants, current priorities, contacts, application rules and why the funder fits."
   },
   {
    "name": "Grant calendar",
    "contains": "A 12 to 18 month view of letter, proposal, decision and report dates, with clashes flagged."
   },
   {
    "name": "Renewal tracker",
    "contains": "Current funders with renewal dates, whether a report is due first, and grant size over time."
   }
  ]
 },
 "how_to_use": [
  "Gather the details listed under what you give. Write them as a short brief.",
  "Open your AI. Use one that can search the web, or paste in funder pages and 990-PF grant lists yourself.",
  "Paste the skill, then your brief. Ask it to find funders and score the fit.",
  "Check each funder's rules and dates on its own website before you act. Free starting points are ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and grants.gov.",
  "Ask for the grant calendar and funder briefs for the funders that pass.",
  "Pass the best matches and their briefs to the nonprofit-grant-writing skill."
 ],
 "checks": [],
 "next": [
  {
   "name": "Item-by-item researcher",
   "url": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/item-by-item-researcher",
   "why": "Item-by-item researcher"
  }
 ],
 "source": {
  "by": "Nonprofit Skills",
  "repo": "sector-skills/nonprofit-skills",
  "url": "https://github.com/sector-skills/nonprofit-skills/tree/7d8a2ca9d471fc975d0e9ccd02fcdd66520fd1c8/nonprofit-skills-library/skills/fundraising-development/nonprofit-grant-research",
  "licence": "MIT",
  "original_name": "nonprofit-grant-research",
  "commit": "7d8a2ca9d471fc975d0e9ccd02fcdd66520fd1c8"
 },
 "credits": [
  {
   "title": "nonprofit-grant-research skill",
   "by": "Nonprofit Skills",
   "url": "https://github.com/sector-skills/nonprofit-skills/tree/7d8a2ca9d471fc975d0e9ccd02fcdd66520fd1c8/nonprofit-skills-library/skills/fundraising-development/nonprofit-grant-research",
   "used": "Copied under the MIT licence. We gave it a plain name. We added Before you start and After this sections that link to other AI Blocks steps."
  },
  {
   "title": "Original author",
   "by": "Brendon Connelly",
   "url": "https://brendonconnelly.com",
   "used": "Wrote the skill; Nonprofit Skills shared it in their collection."
  }
 ],
 "files": [
  "LICENSE"
 ],
 "links": {
  "page": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/nonprofit-grant-funder-researcher",
  "markdown": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/nonprofit-grant-funder-researcher.md",
  "json": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/nonprofit-grant-funder-researcher.json",
  "instructions": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/nonprofit-grant-funder-researcher/SKILL.md",
  "download": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/nonprofit-grant-funder-researcher.zip",
  "api_item": "https://useaiblocks.com/api/v1/items/nonprofit-grant-funder-researcher",
  "api_document": "https://useaiblocks.com/api/v1/documents/skill/nonprofit-grant-funder-researcher",
  "mcp": "https://useaiblocks.com/mcp"
 }
}