Finding Funding

1. I have an idea for a project that seems appropriate for private or corporate foundation funding. What should I do next?

The first step is to speak with your department chairperson and your units' development officer about your ideas, to determine fit with department priorities, and how to carry the ideas forward. If the project is approved to move forward in the process, the next step is to download and complete CFR's Request for Assistance form and email it to cfr@Baylor.edu.

The appropriate CFR Officer will review your request and get back to you within 2 weeks with information on the level of help we can provide.

2. I am aware of a foundation that could be a good funding prospect; can the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations assist with vetting potential funders?

CFR is pleased to help you with this step. If you would like to request CFR's assistance, please start by completing the Prospect Research Request Form.

CFR's Foundation Researcher may contact you with follow up questions and information.
We will then share our analysis of your potential foundation in two to six weeks, depending on University priority and current prospect research volume.
The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations can advise you on strategies for approaching foundations and assist in the proposal development process.

3. What is a Request for Proposal (RFP)? How can I stay informed about RFPs offered by foundations?

A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a written solicitation/announcement, distributed by funders, that alerts grant seekers to the application and funding requirements of specific funding competitions. A good way to stay informed about RFPs is to subscribe to The Foundation Center's weekly RFP bulletin. Our office also monitors foundations for RFPs on an ongoing basis and distributes them to relevant units throughout the University.

4. I found a philanthropic RFP and would like to respond. What should I do?

Certain funding opportunities permit only one proposal submission per institution. In those cases, CFR partners with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR)which manages an internal review process and selects the submission that will go forward from the University. Limited submission programs have a campus deadline, earlier than the agency deadline. A link to the list of limited submission programs is available on the OVPR web site. A Baylor University user ID and password is required to log in. CFR can help you prepare materials to submit in a response to an RFP. In addition, when the number of applicants allowed by the sponsor is finite (i.e. a limited submission opportunity), CFR works with numerous university partners to coordinate the candidate selection process and assist the successful applicants in preparing their documents for submission. If you would like to respond to a philanthropic RFP, particularly a limited submission opportunity, please download, complete and submit our CFR's Request for Assistance form and email it to cfr@baylor.edu.

5. Is there a searchable database of external funding opportunities that I can access?

Funding Resources

A database of external funding opportunities is available for use by Baylor faculty, staff, and students. In addition to more general keyword searches, researchers can create a user profile to set up customized searches with e-mail alerts about new opportunities that match their search criteria. Click on the GrantForward logo below and sign up for an "institutional account" using your Baylor email address.