For many nonprofits, planning for the coming year means pulling up last year’s Grants Calendar, updating deadlines, adding a few new opportunities, and calling it a day.
But before you start filling in those calendar cells, I’d encourage you to take a little time to reflect on what worked this year, what didn’t, and where you want to focus your efforts in 2027.
Consider these three categories as you decide which foundations to include in next year’s calendar.
1. Grants Awarded in 2026: Who Should You Approach Again?
First of all, well done! As we’ve discussed in previous articles, for most small nonprofits, the first year of pursuing grants is your “getting to know you” year. Expect plenty of declined applications, and use every opportunity to reach out to prospective foundation donors and start a conversation.
If you were awarded a grant in 2026, you’ll likely want to approach that foundation again in 2027 with an updated request (often called a “renewal”). Certain foundations require that you wait a specific period of time, usually 12 months but sometimes longer, before asking for funding again. Be sure you get the timing right.
One more word of caution on renewal requests: As you review your awarded grants, be absolutely certain that you’re aware of any outstanding reports or conditions of the award before simply slotting that foundation back into your 2027 Grants Calendar.
There’s no quicker relationship killer than a missed report deadline. Before asking for a renewal, make sure you’re up to date on all grant requirements. And if you aren’t sure, reach out to the foundation now and ask! Seeking clarification demonstrates that you take their investment in your organization seriously.
2. Grants Declined in 2026: Who Should You Keep Pursuing?
If your organization was declined for a grant in 2026, spend a few minutes reviewing that opportunity before deciding whether to include it in your 2027 Grants Calendar.
Ask yourself:
- How closely aligned is my organization with this funder’s mission and priorities?
- Does this funder care specifically about the population my organization serves?
- Does this funder support the town, city, or region where we work?
- Does this funder have a history of funding organizations similar to mine?
A loose mission, population, or geographic fit (or one you’ve had to shoehorn into place) combined with a declined application is a good reason to cut that prospect from your 2027 calendar. I err on the side of ruthlessness when it comes to chopping out prospects because your time is your most precious resource.
However, if you have strong alignment with a foundation and have successfully opened a line of communication, that’s an excellent reason to keep pursuing the relationship. Perhaps you reached out before submitting your application or followed up after a decline to request feedback.
Continue building rapport with foundations that encourage and welcome communication, and remember that it can take several tries before a grant is awarded. Even if you haven’t established direct contact yet, a foundation with exceptionally strong alignment and a history of funding similar organizations may still deserve another application.
When deciding who stays on your calendar, pay particular attention to two things: strong alignment and opportunities to build meaningful relationships.
And if the outreach piece sounds extra intimidating, see our step-by-step article, Outreach Is No Longer Optional , for practical advice on connecting with prospective foundation donors.
3. Brand-New Prospects: Who Should You Add?
Refreshing your prospect list is an important part of positioning your organization for success in foundation fundraising, and it doesn’t require 40 hours of research.
The single best thing you can do to find strong new prospects is to look at which foundations are already funding organizations similar to yours.
Start by identifying five to ten well-established nonprofits that serve similar populations, offer similar programs, or work in the same geographic area. Visit their websites and look for annual reports, donor lists, or other publicly available information about their foundation supporters.
As you review these organizations, make a list of foundations that appear repeatedly or that support programs similar to yours. These are excellent starting points for your own research because you already have evidence that they’re interested in funding work like yours.
From there, you can visit each foundation’s website to evaluate its mission, geographic priorities, funding history, and application process. The goal isn’t to generate a list of hundreds of prospects. It’s to identify a manageable number of foundations where your organization has a reasonable chance of receiving support.