“Cold Calling” Versus Responding to RFPs
Remember, there are two basic approaches to seeking grants: responding to requests for proposals or “cold calling” on foundations. In the former instance, you receive a request for proposals that clearly outlines the types of projects the funder is seeking and the requirements for each project. Then you work with your employer or client either to develop a new program that responds to the requirements or to modify an existing program to meet the requirements in the RFP.
Most often, the programs described in the RFP are those that have been found to work in other communities or that the funder wants to explore through several demonstration projects because they show great promise for systemic change. In these cases, you must design a program that is similar to or exactly like the one the RFP describes; the goals of your program and the goals of the funder must be the same.
A “cold call” is when you go to a foundation, either in person or in a letter of inquiry, describe the need you've identified in the community that is not being met by another agency, and tell what your organization would like to do about it.
A cold call is the only way that you will seek funding from a foundation that does not issue RFPs — in other words, from most foundations. It is also an opportunity for you to educate local foundations about a new need in your community, and to position your client as a responsive, engaged participant in coalition building and program activities.
When you cold call, you can create a program that responds to an identified need in your community. For instance, let's say data indicate that a large number of Polish immigrants have moved to your community recently. To help them resettle, you decide to call together an established refugee settlement organization, a Polish society hall, the Red Cross, a communityeducation program which teaches English as a Second Language (ESL), and several other local organizations to establish a comprehensive resettlement program. You want it to include English-language tutors, housing assistance, furniture and clothing banks, job-skill development, job-placement services, and other assistance needed by new residents.
The chance that an RFP comes out that exactly describes this sort of program is very slim. You might find a couple of them seeking to fund resettlement programs in general, but they probably wouldn't include Polish refugees as a target population; so, the best way to launch a program that responds to this specific need is to cold-call foundations.
You'll find that area foundations are keenly interested in learning about new needs in their geographic areas, and in responsive, creative programs that can help meet those needs. Cold-call grants can be extremely successful, and you'll feel great that you helped launch a program that's sure to be positively evaluated.
