Donor mapping: finding funders that fit your mission
How to run a donor mapping exercise in six steps: set your funding needs, build a long list, research each funder, score fit and plan next actions.
Short answer
Donor mapping is a simple, living table of possible funders, ranked by how well they fit your mission, size, location and timing. Start from your funding needs, build a long list, research each donor on the same columns, score the fit, and turn the top names into an action plan with owners and dates. Update it often. A donor map shows where to spend your limited time.
Key points
- Start with your own funding needs, not with a list of donors.
- Use one table and the same columns for every donor.
- Score fit: theme, geography, size, eligibility and timing.
- Mapping gives the wide view. Research gives the detail for top prospects.
- Every priority donor needs a next action, an owner and a date.
What is donor mapping?
Donor mapping is a way to see who might fund your work and which funders deserve your time. One guide for NGOs puts it simply: for NGOs, time is money. Mapping helps you decide where to put effort, instead of sending proposals to funders that were never going to say yes.
The same guide separates two jobs. Donor mapping shows the breadth of your prospect pool. Donor research then helps you understand chosen prospects in depth. Do the mapping first.
Why does it matter for a local NGO?
Small teams cannot write twenty proposals a month. HelpAge guidance on donor scoping says NGOs often send grant requests to organisations that do not provide grants at all, or ignore size, timing and eligibility. A donor map helps you avoid this. It shows:
- which donors are high, medium or low priority,
- which calls need attention now,
- how your short-term and long-term funding plan fits together.
If you work in Myanmar, add practical filters: Does the donor fund in Myanmar? Does it accept local organisations directly or only through partners? Does it need registration documents or banking channels you cannot provide? Check these before you invest time.
How do you build a donor map in six steps?
- Define what you are mapping for. Choose a programme, a portfolio or a time period, such as "livelihoods work for the next 12 months". A map with no scope is only a list.
- Build a long list. Include bilateral and multilateral donors, private and family foundations, corporate funders, pooled funds, networks and diaspora groups. Check the funders of similar organisations in annual reports. Ask partners and current donors for ideas.
- Record each donor on the same columns. Use a table like the one below.
- Research the details. For each donor, find the themes, countries, grant sizes, rules, timelines and contacts.
- Score and rank. Give each donor a simple score for fit. Rank by score, not by enthusiasm.
- Turn the top names into a plan. Each priority prospect needs an objective, a relationship owner, a next action and a date.
What columns should the map have?
| Column | What to record |
|---|---|
| Donor name | Institution and the specific programme or window |
| Type | Bilateral, multilateral, foundation, corporate, pooled fund, individual |
| Themes | What they fund |
| Geography | Where they fund, including Myanmar |
| Typical grant size | From past awards, if known |
| Who can apply | Local NGO, international NGO, consortium only |
| Calendar | When calls open and close |
| Relationship | Existing contact, who knows them |
| Fit score | 1 to 5 on theme, geography, size, eligibility, timing |
| Next action | What, who and by when |
The Wiego donor research guide describes a "four Cs" approach: coherence (matching theme, geography and type of support), capacity (past grant sizes), calendar (timelines) and checkboxes of eligibility. You can use these as your scoring points.
How should you research each donor?
Open the donor's website, annual report, call documents and past grant lists. Look at who they funded, how much, and for what. Note the language they use. HelpAge guidance suggests checking whether the donor:
- has funds for NGOs at all,
- is interested in your country and programme area,
- funds organisations of your size,
- has money available when you need it,
- funds for the period you need.
Also check the donor's credibility before you share any information. HelpAge includes a section on donor due diligence and avoiding scams. If a funder asks you for fees before giving a grant, treat it as a warning.
How do you keep the map alive?
A donor map is a system, not a document. Assign one owner. Review it monthly. Remove closed calls, add new ones and update scores after each contact. Add a column for "lessons" after every submission, whether you win or not. Link your map to a proposal pipeline and calendar so that you can plan writing time around real deadlines.
Match funders to your funding mix too. If most of your income is from one donor, see how small NGOs can diversify their funding. If you work with humanitarian pooled funds, read how pooled humanitarian funds work for local partners.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Starting with the donor list, not your strategy. Your mission and funding need should lead the map.
- Applying for funding that does not fit, just because it exists.
- A map nobody updates.
- No next actions. A prospect with no action is only decoration.
- Ignoring relationships. Many donors fund organisations they already know. Network with partners, attend coordination meetings and share short updates.
How EMPO can help
EMPO is a trusted training and consultancy provider and one of Myanmar's leading names in practical NGO training, with 1,200+ people trained and 15 partner organisations. Our Yangon team offers proposal writing training and organisational development support, online or in person across Myanmar, in English and Burmese. See our services or contact us.
Sources
- How to Research and Identify New Donors for your NGO — fundsforNGOs, hosted by WIEGO
- Module 4: Donor scoping and donor engagement — HelpAge International, 2023
Questions people ask
What is the difference between donor mapping and donor research?
Mapping gives the breadth of possible funders and helps you rank them. Research studies the top prospects in depth, including their history, priorities and application process.
How many donors should be on the map?
Start with a long list, then focus. A map is only useful if you rank it. A small team can usually work on a handful of top prospects at once.
What tool should we use?
A shared spreadsheet is enough if someone updates it on a set schedule.