4.1: Funding from Individual Donors
Individual donors provide a large share of potential grant funding: for example, the Foundation Center reported that individual donors gave 72 percent of the $303.1 billion awarded through private funding in 2012. In addition, individuals also donated eight percent of total private funding as part of a bequest (a person's will or legacy).
Read this overview of funding data from foundations in the United States. Useful infographics present data on different types of foundations, which issue areas receive the most money, and funding by geographical location.
As part of your search, consider cultivating a relationship with an individual in your community who might help fund your project or organization. It is worth looking for someone with appropriate financial resources who knows or can relate to the people who will benefit from your project. Watch this seminar, which describes a systematic process for engaging individual donors and building lasting relationships.