Why Scan? Map the Funding Landscape

If you’re looking for a unique niche or an opportunity to align and collaborate with others, a scan can uncover who else is supporting work in a particular field or geographic area. But a scan can yield more than a census of funding sources. Scanning techniques can help get below the surface of other funders’ interests, build relationships, and sharpen your own ongoing strategy development.

Example: An education funder used a scan to get a more thorough picture of how private dollars were influencing the development of digital learning. “Private capital is part of the ecosystem,” she explained, “and it’s important to look at how capital of all kinds — foundation and private-sector — is flowing against our issue.” A philanthropic advisor working with family foundations scanned for public-private partnership opportunities that would leverage U.S. Department of Education funding. “Tools including Foundations for Education Excellence and the Foundation Registry i3 provided me with real-time information on potential grantees for my clients.”