How to Find and Approach the Right Trust Funders
Finding the right trust funders involves three steps: researching funder priorities to confirm alignment with your work, assessing eligibility criteria before investing time in an application, and identifying how to make contact appropriately. Here is how each one works.
Trust fundraising can feel like a minefield. With thousands of funders out there, each with different priorities, application processes, and restrictions, it can be hard to know where to start. How do you find the right funders? How do you assess whether they’re a good fit for your charity? And what’s the best way to approach them to maximise your chances of success?
The good news? You don’t have to figure it all out on your own.
The Challenge of Finding the Right Funders
Not every funder will be the right match for your charity, and applying to the wrong ones wastes time and effort. A successful trust fundraising strategy isn’t about sending out as many applications as possible—it’s about targeting the funders that align with your mission, values, and project needs.
A scattergun approach leads to more rejections, but a carefully researched, strategic approach ensures you’re investing your time where it counts. That’s why understanding how to research funders effectively is one of the most valuable skills a trust fundraiser can develop.
What You Need to Know Before Applying
Before you even start drafting an application, you need to assess whether a funder is the right fit. Here are some key questions to consider:
Does their funding focus align with your work? If you’re running a youth project, there’s no point applying to a funder that only supports elderly care.
Do they fund charities of your size and structure? Some funders exclude organisations over a certain income threshold or won’t fund CICs.
Is their grant size appropriate for your needs? If you need £100,000 but they only give £1,000 grants, they may not be the best fit.
Do they accept unsolicited applications? Many trusts won’t accept direct applications, so you need to explore alternative ways to engage with them.
What’s their application process? Understanding deadlines, eligibility criteria, and funder preferences is crucial before you start writing.
Why a Strategic Approach to Trust Research Matters
The most successful trust fundraisers don’t just focus on finding and applying to funders—they build relationships, tailor applications, and develop a structured approach. This means:
Having a clear funding priorities checklist to help you match funders to your charity’s needs.
Researching and identifying funders who are most likely to support your work.
Understanding when and how to make contact before applying.
Creating a system to track applications, deadlines, and outcomes for ongoing development
How to make first contact with a trust funder
Once you've confirmed a funder is a good fit, how you make contact matters as much as what you say.
Call or email first? Follow the funder’s own advice and guidance if they publish any. But otherwise, a good rule of thumb is that if they publish a phone number then you can call them but if they do not, then they probably do not welcome phone calls.
Think through what you want to say and ask during that call. Plan to listen more than talk. Definitely do not pitch. Ask about current priorities and process. You're checking fit before committing to a full application, and so are they.
If they are closed to unsolicited approaches then you’re looking at networks for your way to be noticed. Look at trustee lists on the Charity Commission register and ask your own board and supporters whether any names are familiar. Look them up on LinkedIn and connect with them. Observe where they show up online and make sure your organisation is (congruently) showing up there too.
Structure your research more effectively
Our free Proposal Matrix helps you assess funder fit and structure your case before you start writing. Used by fundraisers across the UK.