Apr 2026
Philanthropy Pulse Check: April 2026
April 2026 Philanthropy Pulse Check
RESULTS
Few responses to question on accepting unsolicited proposals.
In our April Pulse Check question we asked, “Within your education portfolio, do you ever fund unsolicited proposals for specific projects, emergency response, or other purposes?” We received only nine responses, compared to the 28 responses we received in February to a question on cross-sector and cross-system collaboration.
Of those who responded, there was an even split between yes and no responses, with one respondent indicating that they were unsure. Among those that do accept unsolicited proposals, close alignment with existing grantmaking priorities and/or a deep connection with the grantseeking organization are important criteria for considering support. Yet, regardless of the factors considered, unsolicited support represents a small fraction of their education funding.
Why did so few of you respond to last month’s question? An analysis from Candid offers one explanation. Based on a review of IRS data, the researchers at Candid concluded that only about 29 percent of private foundations accept unsolicited funding requests. Even among larger foundations—defined as those having assets above $100 million—only 38 percent accepted any unsolicited proposals.
Through our monthly Pulse Check questions, we endeavor to highlight topics most salient to the interests of the education funding community. Even in months when our questions may miss the mark, we believe there is still something to learn.