Research Grants For Nonprofits: How to Find Them Fast

Is your nonprofit looking for funding that is specifically for research or training? Academics and scientists are not the only groups interested in research grants. 

Many Nonprofit organizations also pursue funding for research and/or training for their organization or in their community.

After reading this article, you’ll walk away with…

• An understanding of what research grants are and why they are important to nonprofits
• Strategies for finding and securing research grants
• A detailed walk-through on using Instrumentl to locate grants that align with your mission
• Insights on how to improve your success rate in securing research grants

Let’s get started.

The word “research” is actually a pretty broad term when it comes to defining what research grants are for nonprofits. This is because research grants fund research in numerous fields - many think of grants fo science and academia, but these grants can also fund the following:

• Community programs
• New research projects
• Initiatives in the arts and humanities, engineering, and the social sciences

In short, research grants are financial awards provided by government agencies, foundations, or other funding entities to support research projects conducted by individuals, organizations, or institutions.

Where Do Research Grants Come From?

Research grants usually come from three different entities:

• Foundation grants
• Corporate grants
• Government grants

Most nonprofits believe that they only have opportunities with the government, and it is true that knowing how to find federal research grants is key to allocating funds (we even have a webinar about how to secure government grants!). 

But, the American Association for the Advancement of Science actually found that businesses in 2019 funded research and development more than three times as much as government funding. 

Other foundations also fund research that aligns with their mission and goals.

What Can You Use Research Grants For? 

Nonprofits can use research grants to fund new research projects, research new programs, or other initiatives. As noted above, they can be used for a variety of things:

• Specific research projects
• Research programs and initiatives
• Training and career development
• Collaboration with other researchers
• Industry-sponsored research

The monies themselves can then be used for staff salaries, travel, equipment, supplies, and other related expenses.

Research grants are crucial for nonprofit organizations looking to initiate new programs or projects in various fields. 

Oftentimes, the research cannot be done without these funds, which is why they are so competitive. So many nonprofit organizations want them.

Nonprofits that are researching a new program or project should learn how to find grants for research because these funds can be lucrative for your organization. 

Here's how it works: When your nonprofit obtains funding for research within its areas of interest, it can fuel the development of strategic programs and initiatives that your organization can later provide to your community. 

These grants enable you to invest in the necessary research to make a positive impact on your community in the future.

Now that you know what research grants are and why they are important to your nonprofit, it’s time to dive in and start finding them. Here’s how you do it.

• Create a free Instrumentl account so you can use the platform to learn how to find available research grants for 14 days. 
• There are more than 400,000 funders on Instrumentl and we match you with the ones that are relevant to your nonprofit.
• Instrumentl simplifies the process of finding research grants because we have the most comprehensive database of active funding opportunities in the U.S.
• Use Instrumentl’s grant management platform for FREE for 14 days!

This section will guide you through the five-step process of how to find research grants using Instrumentl.

To begin learning how to find research grants, you’ll first need to create your free trial account with Instrumentl. This free trial gives you the opportunity to start finding grants for free.

After you’re in Instrumentl, you will need to start creating your new research project. You’ll have three steps to complete to determine how to find available research grants:

1. Share details about your organization and its location.
2. Create a project name.
3. Set up your grant research.

You will start determining how to find available research grants by entering your organization’s information.

Fill In Details On Your Organization

In the “1. Organization” section, you’ll fill in details on your nonprofit, such as your location and fiscal year. 

You can choose your state, along with the specific counties that your nonprofit serves. 

This will help filter out grants that aren’t relevant to the area you serve. You can also choose “Both inside and outside the United States,” which is beneficial to larger nonprofits that may have a global base.

Click “Save and Continue” to complete this first section.

Provide An Overview Of Your Project

In the next section, “2. Overview,” you’ll create a project. Your project in Instrumentl is similar to a “saved search.”

We titled our project “Research grants” because that is what we are specifically looking for in this search example.

Specifying your project name will help you delineate which project you’re working on when you have multiple searches in Instrumentl. 

Next, you will select “Matches & Tracking” because doing so will provide you with both a tracker and funding opportunity matches. You will want to select this type of project if you are seeking out new funding opportunities. 

Choosing “Tracking” is only best if you already have grants and you just want to track grants in Instrumentl.

Once done, click “Save and Continue.”

Specify The Types of Grants You’re Looking For

In this last section, “3. Matches Setup,” you’ll specify the following:

• The type of nonprofit you are (most commonly, just “Nonprofit,” although there are other entities that determine how to find research grants, such as a “College/University.”)
• If you’re a faith-based nonprofit and only want to see grants specifically for that purpose.
• The geographical areas you serve.
• Your fields of work.
• The grant size you’re looking for.
• What you intend to use the funding for (projects, programs, operating expenses, etc.).

In our example, we chose “Nonprofit,” “No” for grants from faith-based organizations, and the entire state of Pennsylvania. You can also choose specific counties here if you want to specify grants even more by location.

You will also need to narrow down your research grant search by selecting the fields of work you are operating in and selecting 2-3 fields for a wide enough scope. 

We clicked “+Select fields of work,” and then we chose food-related fields for our research example.

How much funding do you want? We chose a minimum of $500 and no maximum because we will take the most we can get! 

We also included “General Operating Expense” in addition to our other choices for what we will use the funds for because this will show us research grants that are restricted and unrestricted, meaning you can use it however you’d like (within reason). 

The last choice here will be to choose “Research.”

You will also want to specify what kind of funders you want grants from. In our example, we’ll take grants from any kind of funder, whether an association, a corporate foundation, a government entity, or a private funder.

Then, click “Save and Exit” to start seeing the grants you are matched with. 

Invite Your Team Members

Grant management isn’t done in isolation. You can invite your team members who will help manage your grants within Instrumentl by simply providing their names and email address. 

That way, they can also see your potential funding opportunities.

After you’ve completed these steps, Instrumentl will show you all of your best matches. 

That way, you can prioritize what research grants support your cause. In our case, Instrumentl found more than 400 grants that matched our nonprofit’s needs!

You’ll see that your research grants are divided into three categories:

• Foundation grants
• Corporate grants
• Government grants

When you first start reviewing your matches, you’ll notice that Instrumentl resembles an email inbox. All of your matches are shown on the left, and when you click on one, the details will show on the right. 

You will also see that on the left, Instrumentl shows the “Funding Opportunity Matches,” which are individual active grants, and “Funder Matches,” which are funders who match your search criteria.

Find Research Grants Only

Since we are interested in research grants, we want to choose “Filter” and then, from the dropdown menu, click “Research.” 

This narrows our search down to 123 research grants.

As a result, you will now only see research grants that match your criteria. 

The platform also allows you to filter by geographic region, funding amount, and more.

Now that you have filtered your results only to see research grants, you can dig deeper into each potential research grant. 

By clicking on each profile, you can quickly review the relevant information in the “FUNDER OPPORTUNITY” and “FUNDER 990 REPORT” tabs.

These sections contain crucial details that will help you assess the alignment of a research grant opportunity with your nonprofit objectives. 

For example, the “FUNDER OPPORTUNITY” tab provides a snapshot of the organization. Here you’ll see relevant information such as the grant’s focus area, type of support, and priority funding areas.

If you also want to see the 990 reports, click on “FUNDER 990 REPORT” to view a summary of data from the organization’s 990 filings with the RIS. This data offers invaluable insights, such as:

• Average giving
• The number of grants awarded
• The organizations it has previously funded
• The geographic focus
• Its openness to new grantees
• The causes it supports

For example, this funder gave nearly the same amount in 2021 to new grantees and repeat grantees, which bodes well for our research grant needs.

Leveraging these features on Instrumentl provides an in-depth analysis of potential research grants for nonprofits. Reviewing them ensures they align with your mission and strategic goals before you start the application process.

Once you’ve gone through the research grant matches thoroughly, you can save the ones that catch your attention. 

By doing so, you can easily revisit the grants at a later time in your Grant Tracker, where you can keep track of which you’ve decided to pursue with a letter of intent, or a full proposal.

Save Grants in Tracker

To save your research grants, simply click the big red “Save” button located at the bottom of the screen. 

Once you click on it, a pop-up window will appear where you can write any Opportunity Notes about the research grant that you would like to revisit later.

Instrumentl also allows you to organize your saved grants by marking them as “Researching.” This feature helps segment your grant opportunities according to your progress.

The Instrumentl Grant Tracker serves as a reliable and efficient tool for managing your pool of saved research grants. 

The Grant Tracker functions as a personal database for your prospective research grants, keeping all of your selected opportunities in one place for easy access and organization.

The Grant Tracker allows you to update and monitor the status of your research grant applications.

Each grant saved in your Tracker can have its status updated as you progress through the application process. To change a grant’s status, simply click on the grant within your Tracker.

You’ll find a “Status” dropdown where you can select the appropriate status for your grant. You can choose from various options, including “Researching,” “Planned,” “In Progress,” or “Submitted.” 

This is a great way for your medium-to-large nonprofit can stay organized as you research and apply for future grants.

This section will address some common questions to help nonprofits navigate the sometimes complex world of research grants.

What types of research projects are eligible for grant funding?

Research grant monies are allocated either for research projects or research training and can fund a broad spectrum of projects and initiatives. The specific type and size of funding largely depends on the foundation’s purpose and primary focus areas. However, research grants will cover the research itself, in addition to any or all of the following:

• Salaries for the staff involved
• Travel and training expenses
• Career development
• Supplies and equipment needed for the project

What is the typical application process for a research grant?

Each research grant will have its own specific criteria and application process. You will see the application deadlines prominently displayed in the Tracker section of Instrumentl and can filter your saved grants based on those deadlines. A general outline of the application process for a research grant will include the following:

• Online Application: Most research grants will be accepted online, and this application will detail your project and how it aligns with the funder’s mission.
• Additional Documents: Depending on the research grant, you may need to provide financial documents, letters of recommendation, and tax documentation illustrating 501(c)(3) status.
• Research Grant Proposal: You will need to prepare a detailed grant proposal that outlines your project, its goals, and how you plan to use the funding.
• Follow-Up: After you submit your application, you should follow up with the funder periodically to check on the status of your request.

If you are interested in knowing how to find federal research grants, the first aspect to understand is that they will have three main application phases:

• Pre-Award: This is when the federal agency first announces the research grant. This is usually called an RFP or RFA (Request for Proposals or Request for Applications). This is when you apply for the federal research grant.
• Award: The federal agency will notify you during this phase if you received the funding.
• Post-Award: Your nonprofit will now be able to implement your research program.

Are research grants big or small?

Research grants can be both big or small, depending on the project. For example, we found a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture that has a funding range of $20,000 to $750,000.

Some research grants may be much smaller - in the thousands - while others could be up to $1 million or more, depending on the funding agency and project. 

Are there usually restrictions on what you can spend a research grant on?

The research grant funder will usually specify any restrictions on what you can spend a research grant on if you are awarded the monies. 

How hard is it to get research funding?

Research grants are usually competitive, which is why we suggest you review the 990 reports in Instrumentl to see how many new applicants receive funding from grant opportunities. 

Finding research grants using traditional search outlets like Google can be a time-consuming and overwhelming process. This is why using tools like Instrumentl can make the search process easier, faster, and more efficient. And, you can sign up for a 14-day free trial so that the process is also risk-free!

Once you find some potential research grant opportunities through Instrumentl, you can learn how to craft effective grant proposals so that you know the right tips and tricks to set your proposal apart from the rest.