More and more foundations and corporations are accepting proposals online, and, in some cases, they restrict their application process to online requests only. Others take letters of inquiry over the Internet while still requiring a hard copy proposal.

To put your organization's request in the best possible position, we recommend strict adherence to a funder's application guidelines and procedures, so understanding how they want to receive the application is important. Some of the forms utilized for electronic submissions may have a fixed number of characters for various elements, so it's wise to prepare your thoughts in advance before entering your text.

When using Foundation Directory, look at the Applications section for information about how to approach the funder. The Contact section also provides web addresses, where available, so you can consult the funder's website for application information.

Use Foundation Directory for free at all Candid partner locations or subscribe to use Foundation Directory anywhere. Eligible nonprofits with revenue or expenses under $1M can also gain a free year of access to Foundation Directory Essential through our Go for Gold! promotion.

Dive in to this topic with our Online Proposal Writing Course:

Learn how to craft a complete and competitive proposal in 15 lessons, including Tailoring the Base Proposal: Online Applications.

See related Knowledge Base articles on this topic:

- How do I find grants for my nonprofit?
- Where can I find information on online fundraising?
- Where can I find Common Grant Application forms?

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