Foundation Research Score Calculator

Score potential funders on mission alignment, geographic fit, funding range, relationship strength, and more to prioritize your grant prospecting.

Inputs

Mission Alignment (0-10)

Geographic Fit (0-10)

Funding Range Fit (0-10)

Past Giving Pattern (0-10)

Application Ease (0-10)

Relationship Strength (0-10)

Funding Cycle Match (0-10)

Planned Request Amount ($)

Estimated Success Rate (%)

Tab to move between fields

Results

Composite Alignment Score

62.5

Priority Tier (1-4)

Expected Value$10,000.00

Est. Preparation Hours49

Expected Value per Prep Hour$204.08

Mission Component21

Relationship Component4.5

Funding Fit Component10.5

How to Use This Calculator

Enter the foundation's alignment with your mission area and geographic focus.
Score grant size fit, application requirements complexity, and relationship history.
Enter the funder's average grant size and your program budget to assess fit.
Review the Foundation Research Score and Priority Tier classification.
Use the ranking to prioritize which funders to approach first in your development strategy.

How the result changes with Mission Alignment (0-10)

Mission Alignment (0-10)	Composite Alignment Score	Priority Tier (1-4)
1	44.5	3
3.5	52	3
6.5	61	2
9	68.5	2

What each input means

Mission Alignment (0-10): How well the funder's priorities match your mission. 10 = perfect fit.
Geographic Fit (0-10): Does the funder support your geographic area? 10 = exact match.
Funding Range Fit (0-10): How well your request fits their typical grant size. 10 = perfect range.
Past Giving Pattern (0-10): Evidence of funding similar organizations or programs. 10 = strong history.
Application Ease (0-10): How straightforward the application process is. 10 = very simple.
Relationship Strength (0-10): Existing relationship with funder staff or board. 10 = strong contact.
Funding Cycle Match (0-10): How well the funder's cycle matches your timeline. 10 = ideal timing.
Planned Request Amount ($): Amount you plan to request from this funder.
Estimated Success Rate (%): Your estimated probability of winning this grant.

What each result means

Composite Alignment Score: Weighted funder alignment score (0-100). 80+ = top priority.
Priority Tier (1-4): 1 = top priority, 4 = low priority based on composite score.
Expected Value: Request amount times success probability — your statistical expected award.
Est. Preparation Hours: Estimated staff hours to prepare the application.
Expected Value per Prep Hour: Expected value divided by preparation hours — higher is better.
Mission Component: Weighted contribution of mission alignment to composite score.
Relationship Component: Weighted contribution of relationship strength to composite score.
Funding Fit Component: Weighted contribution of funding range fit to composite score.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Mission Alignment (0-10) = 7, Geographic Fit (0-10) = 8, Funding Range Fit (0-10) = 7, Past Giving Pattern (0-10) = 6 = 9 input(s) provided
Calculate Composite Alignment Score
Composite Alignment Score = weightedScore * 10
62.5 = 62.5
Calculate Priority Tier
Priority Tier
2 = 2
Calculate Expected Value
Expected Value = requestAmount * (estimatedSuccessRate / 100)
10000 = $10,000
Calculate Est. Preparation Hours
Est. Preparation Hours = round(10 + (10 - applicationComplexity) * 7.78)
49 = 49

Engine last updated July 28, 2026.

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