A funder you counted on is not renewing
Our biggest funder is not renewing our grant. What do we do?
Ask why. Then replace the money from funders who already give to organizations like yours. Most non-renewals come from a change in the funder's own strategy or budget, so the conversation is worth having even when the answer is final. The fastest replacement list comes from peer organizations, whose foundation funders are public record.
Last reviewed October 2, 2026.
The first month
Ask why, and ask for one more year
Call the program officer and ask what changed. Funders leaving a field will often make one final tie-off grant to the organizations they backed, but usually only when someone asks for it. So ask.
Work out the real gap
Not every dollar of the lost grant needs replacing. Some of it paid for work you can trim, delay or move to another budget line, and the number left after that is the one you actually go out and raise.
Build a replacement list from your peers
Find ten to twenty organizations doing similar work at a similar size. The foundations funding them are your best prospects. Here is how to work backwards from funders.
Skip the funders who will not read you
Most private foundations never take applications. Spend your weeks on the 20,000+ that do.
Who asks this most
The answer above is the same whoever you are. What Quillify does about it is not.
Related
- Reusing a proposal without it showingCan I reuse a grant proposal for a different funder?
- Start from the funder, not the opportunityHow do I find funders who would actually fund my organization?
- Most foundations will never read your proposalDo foundations accept unsolicited grant proposals?
- Ask for the reviewer commentsCan I find out why my grant application was rejected?
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