The business in one offer
Who it serves
Executive directors of nonprofits with annual budgets under about $1 million, such as food pantries, youth arts programs or neighborhood health clinics, who have a strong program but no development staff. They pay because they know grants exist but cannot spare the hours to sort real fits from long lists of names.
What to sell first
A grant prospect report for one program: a 60-minute intake call, research across foundation databases, public tax filings and government listings, and a report of 15 vetted prospects with stated priorities, geographic limits, application method, recent award ranges from public records, and next deadline. Includes a 12-month deadline calendar. Excluded: writing or submitting proposals, contacting funders on the client's behalf, and any fee based on awards won.
Limiting the search to one program keeps the fit criteria sharp and the report readable. A fixed prospect count gives the client a clear deliverable to judge, and research on regional funders carries over to the next client in the same area, so later reports take less time without losing quality.
What could it cost to start?
This is an original example budget for the limited pilot described above. It is not a researched market average or a complete quote for every location.
| Item to price | Example allowance |
|---|---|
| Foundation database subscription, three months | $540.00 |
| Report template design and branded PDF tools | $120.00 |
| Video calls, scheduling and document storage, three months | $90.00 |
| Professional liability quote allowance | $400.00 |
| Registration for a regional nonprofit association conference | $200.00 |
| Website and sample report page | $150.00 |
| Example total | $1,500.00 |
What this assumes—and excludes
Assumes research and writing skills, some familiarity with how nonprofits operate, and your own computer. Some public libraries offer free database access, which could replace the subscription line. Excludes owner pay, proposal-writing software, travel and local license fees. Check current database prices directly, since tiers change.
Collect actual supplier, insurance and local-authority information. Add a reserve for delays and unexpected costs; the example total is not a funding recommendation.
How the unit economics work
At an assumed $750.00 per prospect report and $50.00 in direct costs, contribution is $700.00 before monthly fixed costs, owner pay and taxes. With 10 all-in working hours per unit, that is $70.00 per delivery hour before those deductions. These inputs illustrate the arithmetic; they do not establish a market price or expected earnings.
The example also allows $160.00 in monthly fixed costs. Include unpaid acquisition and administrative time when deciding whether the offer is worthwhile.
Try your own numbers
These are editable planning assumptions, not prices we have verified. Calculations stay in your browser.
Operating result = (price − direct cost) × units − monthly fixed costs. Before owner pay, taxes, financing and startup recovery. At these inputs, delivery requires 100 hours per month, plus any work not included in your per-unit estimate. Sales volume is a scenario, not a forecast.
How to find the first customers
Test a small offer before scaling traffic. Record the source of each enquiry, whether it fits the offer, and whether the buyer pays.
- Volunteer to build a short prospect list for one nonprofit you already support, with permission to show the anonymized format. Use it as your sample when talking to other directors.
- Ask a community foundation or nonprofit resource center whether they keep a list of consultants for small organizations. Request the steps to be added and follow their vendor guidelines.
- Present a free session on reading funder guidelines and tax filings at a nonprofit association meeting. Collect sign-ups only from attendees who want to hear about your service.
- Partner with freelance grant writers who prefer writing to researching. Agree that they refer research-only clients to you and you refer writing work back, with any fee disclosed to the nonprofit.
What to validate before spending more
- Build a report for a test program and track hours by step. If database searching and filing reviews take more than about ten hours for 15 prospects, cut the count or raise the price before selling.
- Before paying for a subscription, try your library's free database access and check whether its coverage of regional funders is enough for your area.
- Ask three nonprofit directors what they would actually do with a 15-prospect report and whether a deadline calendar matters more than more names. Adjust the deliverable to match.
- Read the ethics guidance published by grant professional associations about commission-based compensation, and write your flat-fee policy into your agreement.
The operational catch
Many foundations state that they do not accept unsolicited proposals. They still show up in database searches, and a report full of them looks thorough while being mostly useless. Flag invitation-only funders separately, explain that they require a relationship first, and count only open-application funders toward your 15.
A practical way to fund the first step
Charge half the fee when the intake call is booked and half on delivery. Start with library database access and pay for a subscription only after two or three paid reports. A related service, such as updating an existing prospect list each quarter, can cover subscription costs in slow months.
Separate cash already available from money still to earn. Count only proceeds after direct expenses, and do not spend customer funds needed to fulfill their existing orders.
Questions before you start
Can I charge a percentage of grants the client wins?
Avoid it. Many funders do not allow grant money to pay commissions, and professional codes of ethics in the grant field discourage contingency pay. A flat fee for research keeps your incentives aligned with honest fit, not volume.
Do I need to know the nonprofit's field deeply?
Knowing the field helps, but a structured intake can cover gaps. Ask for the program's budget, population served, outcomes tracked and geography. Those four facts drive most funder fit decisions.
How often should prospects be refreshed?
Funder priorities and deadlines move every year. Offer an annual refresh at a lower price that rechecks the existing list and adds new funders, which also gives you repeat work.
Source-backed checks
These references support the specific checks below. They do not endorse this business idea or substantiate the example prices, costs or demand.
The FTC advises that advertising claims must be truthful and not misleading, and that businesses need evidence to back up objective claims. Federal Trade Commission: Advertising FAQ's: A Guide for Small Business.
The IRS explains that taxpayers who use part of their home regularly and exclusively for business may qualify for a home office deduction. Internal Revenue Service: Home office deduction.
- Advertising FAQ's: A Guide for Small BusinessFederal Trade Commission · Reference checked September 8, 2026
- Home office deductionInternal Revenue Service · Reference checked September 8, 2026
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