8 Nonprofit RFP Databases for Grants

In this article, we’re going to walk you through two RFP (Request for Proposals) databases that can help make your grant search a breeze.

We’ll also outline six portals to find contracts for government projects you can bid for. They’re both RFP databases but offer very different opportunities.

Ready to dive in? Let’s go!

There are thousands of active grants out there, and trying to sort through them one-by-one to find the right fits for your nonprofit can be a challenging—if not impossible—task. Thankfully, there are dedicated RFP databases that you can use to quickly pinpoint open grant opportunities that align with your organization’s needs.

1. Instrumentl

Let’s dive into Instrumentl, a powerful resource for grant professionals.

With over 17,000 active RFPs (and hundreds of new opportunities added weekly), Instrumentl provides a comprehensive database of grants tailored for nonprofit organizations.

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Instrumentl’s database isn’t just robust, it’s also highly curated. All you have to do is tell the platform about your nonprofit’s area of focus, funding needs, and location, and Instrumentl will analyze its entire database to match you with the most relevant opportunities. It’s that easy!

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The good news doesn’t stop there! Instrumentl offers a 14-day free trial so that you can give the platform a try with no strings attached. You don’t even need a credit card to sign up!

As a grant professional who personally uses Instrumentl, I can attest to how powerful this platform is in streamlining my grant search efforts. And I’m not the only one who feels this way!

Maureen McGuire, Grants Manager at Habitat for Humanity DuPage, shared how her organization has used Instrumentl to find more grants to support affordable housing:
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“After the first two weeks, I was hooked. There was this whole other process I was going through to find potential funders. Now, Instrumentl made the whole job of prospecting a minor point.”

It’s pretty clear: Instrumentl is a great place to find RFPs and funding opportunities.

But we can admit that we are slightly biased—so, to do our due diligence, we’re going to walk you through another option as well. Let’s go!

2. Philanthropy News Digest

Philanthropy News Digest publishes RFPs and Notices of Awards (NOAs) as a free service for US-based nonprofits and grantmaking organizations.

This database is a valuable resource for grant professionals seeking funding opportunities. What sets it apart from many of its competitors is its simplicity and accessibility; this tool is user-friendly, and provides a straightforward interface that allows professionals of all levels of experience to navigate.

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Philanthropy News Digest’s RFP database offers basic search functionality based on keywords and categories, which makes it easy for you to find relevant opportunities. However, it lacks advanced filtering options that some other platforms offer, which means you may need to spend more time sifting through results to find good-fit matches.

One especially notable feature about this database is its focus on philanthropy-related educational resources and news updates. It is an excellent resource for grant professionals who are on the hunt for new opportunities, but also want to stay informed about industry trends and best practices.

If you’re an organization looking to bid on government contracts for projects, there are several databases available. We’ll unpack six below.

1. Non-profit RFPS at the Request for Proposal Listings and Exchange

Summary

The RFP Database (RFPdb) at the Request for Proposal Listing and Exchange offers users access to over 1,000 active RFPs across various sectors, including education, healthcare, environment, arts, and social services.

Features

What sets it apart is its focus on real-time updates and advanced filtering options. Users can customize their searches based on:

• Keywords
• Geographic locations
• Funding Agency
• Eligibility Criteria

This ensures that users can find the most relevant opportunities quickly and efficiently.

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The platform's intuitive interface and customized email alerts make it super user-friendly. You can even receive notifications directly in your inbox when a new opportunity that matches your interests is posted; this efficiency helps save time, and ensures that you never miss a new opportunity.

Here’s another cool thing about the RFPdb: The creators of this platform are committed to keeping costs low, which translates into a platform that is free of membership fees and commissions; the only cost you’ll encounter is a low per-project access fee.

2. GovSpend

Summary

GovSpend focuses on providing detailed information about government RFPS

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Features

The database offers a wide range of open and active government RFP opportunities from various federal, state, and local agencies across the United States.

Users can search the GovSpend database based on:

• Keywords
• Agencies
• Locations

This allows you to narrow down your search to find contracts that align with your current needs.

In addition to search criteria, you can narrow down your results by filtering. GovSpend offers advanced filtering options, such as:

• Contract value
• Contract type
• Status

Here’s a cool feature: You can save your search criteria for future reference, which further streamlines the process of finding new opportunities. You’re not starting from scratch each time!

3. BidsUSA

Summary

BidsUSA is a comprehensive database that specializes in providing information about government contracts and solicitations.

With its extensive coverage of bids from federal, state, and local agencies across the US, BidsUSA ensures that organizations can find opportunities relevant to their area of focus and location.

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Features

BidsUSA offers a wide range of open RFP opportunities and advanced search functionality, allowing users to search for bids based on:

• Keywords
• Agency names
• Locations

Lastly, BidsUSA provides a LOT of detail about each bid opportunity, including:

• Bid value
• Agency information
• Bid deadline

Perhaps the most impressive feature of this database is that you can set up email alerts based on your search criteria, so that you’re notified of new opportunities that are a good fit for you. This reduces the need for you to log back into the database and repeat the same search over and over again. What a time saver!

4. BidSearch

Summary

BidSearch is another valuable resource. This platform collects government bids and RFPs for all industries from federal, state, local, and educational organizations across the US, and delivers them right to your inbox!

With over 100,000 open government bids from across 1,500 federal agencies, this platform is super comprehensive compared to some of its competitors.

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Features

BidSearch aggregates government opportunities from various federal, local, and state agencies across the US into one centralized platform, which allows you to access a huge range of RFPs and contracts from different sources in a single location.

This platform also allows you to filter by category and keyword to narrow down your search results to only those opportunities that are a great fit for your organization's needs.

Even better—BidSearch offers a Lists feature that lets you save and organize bids, making them easier to track, organize, and share with your team.

5. The OPEN MINDS Government RFP & Contract Database

Summary

The OPEN MINDS Government RFP & Contract Database is a specialized resource offering comprehensive access to government RFPs and contract opportunities in the behavioral health and human services sectors.

Unlike its more general-focused counterparts, OPEN MINDS focuses specifically on opportunities within these sectors, providing tailored resources for organizations operating in mental health, addiction treatment, and social services.

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Features

In addition to its specialized focus and comprehensive database, OPEN MINDS has several other features that are worth noting.

This platform offers advanced search filters, including:

• Date Posted (All-Time, Last Week, Last Month, Last 3 Months)
• Publication Types (Executive Briefings, Management Newsletters, Market Intelligence Reports, Government RFPs, etc.)
• Markets (Mental Health & Addiction, Children & Family Services, Social Services, Chronic Disease Management)

The OPEN MINDS database provides extensive details for each RFP and contract opportunity, including all the information you could possibly need to determine if an opportunity is a good match for you. This includes:

• Eligibility criteria
• Submission deadlines
• Issuing Agency

6. BidPrime

Summary

BidPrime was created to help users discover federal, state, and local contracting and RFP opportunities as soon as they are announced. The BidPrime database is constantly updated; in fact, the company performs an exhaustive, daily sweep of all the places where new RFPs might be announced to ensure that their database is always the most up-to-date.

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Features

BidPrime offers access to government opportunities from federal, state and local agencies across the US. The platform covers a variety of industries, including:

• Construction
• Technology
• Healthcare
• Transportation

In addition to a super comprehensive database, BidPrime boasts advanced search capabilities, allowing you to filter your search based on things like:

• Keywords
• Industry
• Contract value
• Location

One of the more unique features that BidPrime offers is customized alerts, which allow users to receive notifications when new bids matching their specific search criteria are posted. This ensures that you stay informed about new opportunities in real time and never miss a new RFP!

Before you spend your valuable time and energy drafting and submitting a grant application, it’s critically important to ensure that your organization is grant-ready.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed—don’t panic! We have a great resource that can help you out. Instrumentl’s Grant Readiness Checklist walks you through 12 key questions that you and your team should ask yourselves to make sure that your nonprofit is ready to begin applying for and receiving grants.

These questions range from things like:

Eligibility: All grants have requirements that your organization must meet in order to be eligible to apply. If you aren’t eligible, you’ll end up wasting time on a proposal that won’t get funded.

Financial stability: Before accepting grant funds, you and your team need to ensure that your nonprofit has well-maintained finance records and practices, such as an accounting system, a dedicated bank account, and an organizational budget.

Senior Grant Writer Arnold King explains why having your finances in order is so important:
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“Their finances have to be in the best shape possible. Funders look at financial statements first. If a grantor finds their finances in the best shape possible and it fits what they’re looking for, the funder will go further.”

Impactful Programs: Funders want to see that your organization is making a difference in your community. You need to be able to demonstrate how your programs have a measurable impact on the community and those you serve.

Once you determine that your organization is indeed ready to successfully receive grant funds, you’re one step closer to hitting “submit”!

However, you want to be absolutely sure that you are spending your time and energy only on those opportunities that yield the highest possible Return on Investment (ROI) for you. This means ensuring the opportunities you apply for are a good fit—both for you and for the funder.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help determine if an opportunity is worth pursuing:

1. Mission Alignment: Does the grant opportunity align with your nonprofit’s mission and goals?
2. Geographic Location: Does the funder support projects that are located in the area in which your nonprofit is located or where you operate programs?
3. Past Giving HIstory: Has the funder historically supported organizations with similar focus areas to yours?

If you’re not sure where to find this information, don’t panic: Instrumentl can help. Instrumentl pulls all of this data from a funder’s Form 990—which can be tough to read—and compiles into one, easily-digestible report for you.

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In this article, we explored a variety of tools and resources designed to help you quickly and efficiently identify RFPs for your organization. From comprehensive grant databases to bid platforms, there’s no shortage of options available for your every need and preference.

And don’t forget to sign up for a 14-day free Instrumentl trial to experience an immediate transformation in your grant prospecting process.