The Money Is Still Out There: Where to Find Funding When Federal Dollars Feel Uncertain

If you're a nonprofit leader right now, chances are you've felt the anxiety creeping in. Federal funding is shifting. Budgets are uncertain. And it can feel like the rug is being pulled out from under the work you've spent years building.

But here's what I want you to hear: the money is still out there. It just might not be coming from the places you've been looking.

Before we dive into the sources, I want to name something important: many of the organizations I work with are worried about funding — but they aren't asking.

Fundraising isn't about tricking anyone into giving you money. It's about inviting people to support mission-driven work that matters. If they believe in what you're doing, they'll give. If they don't, they'll find another cause that speaks to them — and that's okay. What's not okay is staying silent.

"Fundraising is not about trying to trick people into giving you money. It is about inviting people to the table — inviting people to support your mission."

One of my clients, Susan, , was needing help because her team wasn't bringing in enough revenue. When she took over fundraising, she started simply by sending letters asking for support. Dollars started coming in. The work was good. People believed in it. The dollars followed the ask.

Now let's talk about where to look.

1. Individual Donors: Your Most Resilient Source

Individuals are the long game and also the greatest pool of philanthropic funding in the country. According to Giving USA research, more than 80% of philanthropic giving in the U.S. comes from individuals, year after year. Individual giving is resilient in ways that government and institutional funding simply aren't.

The strategy is consistent, relationship-driven communication: share your successes, communicate your needs, and keep showing up. Building individual donor relationships takes time, but the payoff — in both sustainability and unrestricted funds — is worth every investment.

2. Foundations: More Options Than You Think

If you haven't done a funding scan recently, now is the time. A quick search on Candid (formerly GuideStar), Grant Station or Google will reveal foundations you may never have considered.

There's been a surge in small family foundations in the $3–$10M asset range, driven by baby boomers retiring, entrepreneurs selling businesses, and individuals creating donor-advised funds or private foundations after taxable wealth events.

Don't overlook the full landscape of foundation types:

Community foundations in your geographic area
Individual and family foundations
Corporate foundations
Healthcare conversion foundations (hospitals and health systems that converted assets into grant-making entities)

3. Corporate Giving: Look Beyond the Event Sponsorship

Yes, corporate giving is down overall but there are still many buckets of corporate dollars available. The key is getting in the door, building a relationship, and then working through the different channels strategically.

Corporate giving can look like:

Employee giving circles and payroll deduction programs
Matching gift funds
Done-in-a-Day volunteer projects (painting, building, landscaping)
In-kind donations of products or services
Donations from C-suite executives with discretionary budgets
Corporate foundations
Program Partnerships - this is huge now! Corporations fund your program instead of a chicken dinner.

A note on event sponsorships: these dollars almost always come from marketing budgets, not philanthropy budgets. When you approach a corporate sponsor, make your pitch about their goals — what audience can you deliver? What visibility can you offer? Even a niche, specialized audience can be exactly what a company is looking for.

4. Local Businesses: Small Asks, Real Impact

Don't assume local businesses can't give because they're stretched thin. Even small businesses can collect change at the register, donate tips from a shift, contribute in-kind products, or raise awareness among their customers. Remember: it's an invitation, not a demand. Show them what you're doing, who you're serving, and how supporting your mission helps build their business through community goodwill.

5. Service Groups and Associations: Still Strong, Still Generous

Rotary Clubs. Lions Clubs. Kiwanis. Knights of Columbus. These organizations exist precisely to make charitable investments in their communities and they're still thriving. If you're not making the rounds with local service groups, you're leaving money on the table. Every chapter has both a networking function and a service mission. TIP: you can apply to every chapter in your geographic service area! Get in front of them and show them the impact you're making.

6. Faith Communities: An Untapped Partner

Many churches are financially careful right now but many are also deeply philanthropic. Larger congregations (Episcopal, Catholic, UCC, and some nondenominational mega-churches) often have significant capacity and a strong culture of service. Consider asking to speak to a congregation about your work, or partnering with a church on a specific project (coat drives, food collections, etc.). Sometimes a community of faith will "adopt" a cause and bring both volunteers and donations. Ask your Board and staff for introductions, or better yet, call congregations in your neighborhood!

7. Government & Community Funding: Get Creative

Federal funding may be uncertain, but there are still many public funding streams worth pursuing. Think beyond federal grants:

COVID relief funds may still being spent down in many communities
Prosecutor's office grant programs
City council discretionary funds
County commissioner pockets of funding
State-level initiatives (in Ohio, for example, the Office on Faith-Based Affairs recently opened applications for funding)
Governor's office programs

These pockets of public funding often go uncontested simply because nonprofits don't know to look for them. Reach out to your council person, mayor’s office and state representatives. Even if they don’t have dollars they can definitely tell you who does!

8. Giving Circles: Community Philanthropy in Action

Giving circles are groups of individuals — often contributing $50–$100 each — who pool their resources and collectively decide where to invest. These aren't just happening inside corporations; there are regional and national giving circles actively looking for nonprofits to fund.

Organizations to explore:

Grapevine
The Awesome Foundation
100 Who Care Alliance
100 Black Men
100 Women Who Care

You can find a lists of circles in your area at https://philanthropytogether.org/directory/ and www.100whocarealliance.org.

The Bottom Line: Get Creative, Ask, and Don't Stop

The organizations that weather uncertainty are the ones that don't depend on any single funding source. Every dollar I've helped raise for the organizations I've worked with came from diversifying from building relationships across all of these channels, not just the obvious ones.

The funding is still out there. Your job is to find it, build the relationship, and invite people in. That's not a burden — it's an opportunity to share the incredible work you're doing with people who are actively looking to make a difference.

So take a breath. Then go make the ask.