You're doing grant research. You find a foundation that looks like a strong fit - their giving priorities align with your mission, they give to organizations like yours, the geography matches. And then you see it: invitation only or we only support preselected charitable organizations.

Do you move on?

Not so fast. That "invitation only" label doesn't always mean what you think it means and skipping those foundations without a second look could mean you're missing grant funds.

What “Invitation-Only” or “Pre-Selected” Means on a 990

When you're researching foundations, you'll often come across this language on a Form 990-PF. The 990-PF is a specific tax form that private foundations are required to file with the IRS. Part XIV, Line 2 includes a checkbox that reads: "Check here if the foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

When a foundation checks that box, they're also released from completing Lines 2a through 2d - the fields where they would list their contact information, application format, and any restrictions on giving. So when you see a foundation with no application guidelines listed on their 990-PF, that checkbox is usually why.

Sometimes, checking that box genuinely reflects their grants policy and the only give to "pre-selected charitable organizations" or otherwise, invitation-only. Some foundations have a curated list of organizations they support each year or want to choose their own organizations through an internal process.

So a 990 is not necessarily a fully accurate overview of how a foundation gives. Foundations change. A foundation may just have simply never updated their filing to reflect how they currently operate. Their website may tell a different story than their 990.

Start Your Research in Grant Frog Before Anything Else

Before you give up on a foundation, check Grant Frog's funder database first.

With 200,000+ foundations, Grant Frog often has the grant guideline details, giving history, focus areas, and contact information you need all in one place. Finding an actual program officer or foundation director name and direct contact is one of the most valuable things you can do at this stage. A call or email addressed to a specific person could change it all.

Once you've pulled up the foundation in Grant Frog, you can save them directly to your funders list, log notes about what you found, and start building that funder record from day one even before you've made first contact. That way nothing gets lost as you work through your outreach.

Step 1: Check Their Website

With the foundation pulled up and contact info in hand, go look at their website next.

A foundation's website (if they have one! we'll talk about that next.) can tell you more about how they actually operate than their 990-PF will. Look for language like:

• "We do not accept unsolicited applications"
• "By invitation only"
• "Contact us to learn more"
• "Applications accepted [specific timeframe]"

You may find that what the 990-PF says and what the website says are two completely different things. And if they don't have a website, see the next best thing you can do...

Step 2: Make a Phone Call

If you've found a contact name, call them.

This is the step most grant seekers skip, and it's the one that can open the most doors.

Here's what to say: "Hi, my name is [Your Name] from [Organization Name]. We do [brief description of your mission]. Based on what we've seen about your foundation's giving priorities, we think there could be a connection with what you support. I wanted to reach out and ask what your grants process is."

That's it. Keep it simple and specific. You're asking a question and starting a conversation.

Some foundations who list themselves as invitation only are just trying to avoid getting buried in hundreds of applications they don't have capacity to review from organizations who aren't a fit for them. They want to know the organization before they engage. A phone call does this - it lets them know who you are and whether it's worth a longer conversation.

I've reached out to foundations this way and moved from an open contact to an actual grant. I've connected with a foundation that wanted to stay completely low-profile. I called and told them about our organization and what we were doing and they invited us to submit a grant request. We received that grant. That conversation would never have happened if I had not reached out.

Step 3: Send an Email or Find on LinkedIn

Not every foundation is easy to track down by phone. If you can't get someone on the line, try to find an email address or LinkedIn contact.

Introduce yourself this way. Keep it brief with a few sentences on how you fit their grant priorities. (I want to note that if they say they exclusively fund animal organizations and you're an arts organization, don't waste their time if it's truly not a fit) Introduce your organization and mission, explain why you believe there's a connection to be made, and ask whether they'd be open to learning more or receiving a grant request.

You're not sending a full proposal. You're opening the door and seeing if they'll invite you in. This is also a great early step in building a funder relationship even if they're not ready to fund you yet.

Log the outreach in Grant Frog as a Task on the funder record so you have a full history of when you reached out and what happened. When you circle back in a few months, you'll have that context ready.

Why This Matters for Your Grant Research Process

When you're building your funders list, it can be tempting to only pursue foundations where the path to applying is completely clear. It's understandable as grant research takes time, and you want to focus your energy where it's most likely to pay off.

But not reaching out to invitation-only foundations with a quick conversation means potentially cutting yourself off from funders who could be a genuine fit.

Here's how to build this into your grant research process without it becoming a time sink:

• When you find a potentially strong-fit foundation that says invitation only, flag it
• Spend 10 minutes checking their website and any guidelines you can find
• If they still look like a fit, add them to an outreach list and batch your calls or emails weekly or monthly
• Log every contact you make in Grant Frog so nothing falls through the cracks

Consistent, organized outreach can build real funder relationships over time.

What to Do If They Really Are Invitation Only

If you reach out and the foundation confirms they are truly invitation only, accept it and move on. Thank them for their time. Ask if it would be appropriate to reconnect in the future.

Update their record in Grant Frog with a note about the conversation and set a follow-up reminder to check back in down the road.

The Bottom Line on Invitation-Only Foundations

Don't rule out a foundation just because their 990 says they only support preselected organizations.

Look them up in Grant Frog. Find a contact name, check the website, and make a call. Find out what "invitation only" actually means for that specific foundation. A 10-minute phone call can sometimes unlock a funder relationship that supports your organization for years.

Take a look at Grant Frog to research foundations, track your outreach, and manage your entire grants program from first contact to final report.

Ready to see every funder, every deadline, every grant — in one place? Get a free demo of Grant Frog.