Invitation Only: What To Do When You're Not On The Guest List
Let’s be honest. There’s nothing worse than finding the perfect grant opportunity, only to realize it’s invitation-only.
No guidelines. No open call. No way in.
And here’s the kicker: This isn’t the exception anymore. It’s becoming the norm.
Foundations across the U.S. are quietly shifting to funder-curated, invite-only models, where the list is made before the opportunity is ever announced - if it’s announced at all. For newer organizations, BIPOC-led nonprofits, and anyone outside a funder’s existing network, this shift is more than frustrating. It’s creating a two-tiered system of philanthropy: one for those already inside… and one for everyone else.
This week’s Ray of Wisdom breaks down a growing trend that’s reshaping how nonprofits get funded - and who gets left out. So let’s map the invite-only grant landscape and talk about how to navigate it without burning out or selling out.
🗺️ Here’s The Situation
Foundations across the country, especially large private ones, are shifting toward funder-curated, invite-only grantmaking. These aren’t your average "closed submission" opportunities. In many cases, there’s no RFP at all. The funder identifies a shortlist behind the scenes, sends out quiet invitations, and the rest of the sector never hears about it.
This shift isn’t anecdotal. According to Peak Proposals, the rise of invitation-only processes has been steadily accelerating since 2019 - and it’s now so prevalent that researchers have trouble identifying which funders still use fully open calls.
Yet here’s the twist: foundations aren’t giving less. Among 496 funders surveyed, total grant dollars actually increased by 1.7% between 2022 and 2023, from $25.8B to $26.2B (Candid). The money’s still flowing, but access to it is getting narrower.
So why the shift? Foundations cite a mix of practical and strategic reasons:
Application overload is straining review teams
Strategic alignment is easier to manage when they handpick who applies
Efficiency allows staff to focus on the most “promising” proposals
But increasingly, these closed processes are being framed as an extension of trust-based philanthropy - a movement that encourages funders to reduce nonprofit burden, streamline paperwork, and invest in long-term relationships. According to Catalyst 2030, a leading voice in this space, trust-based grantmaking should center on "transformative relationships, multi-year unrestricted funding, and simplified application processes."
In theory, a curated grant process checks some of those boxes - less burden, faster turnaround, more strategic alignment. But here’s the problem: that model only works if you're already on the inside. As a result, most emerging organizations - especially those led by people of color or rooted in grassroots community work - aren’t even given a chance to be seen.
So yes, trust-based philanthropy can be liberating, but when "simplified" means "closed," and "relationship-based" means "already in our network"? The impact looks a lot more like gatekeeping.
Which brings us to the next problem: Just because a funder says an opportunity is open… doesn’t mean it actually is.
🚧 The Illusion of Access
Let’s talk about one of the most frustrating parts of this whole system - grants that pretend to be open but aren't.
You click through the funder’s beautifully designed website, skim through the list of "funding priorities," read the glowing testimonials from past grantees... There’s even an “Apply Now” button. But when you dig deeper?
There’s no actual deadline - just a generic form.
Your category is listed… but marked “by invitation only.”
The LOI portal is open - but you never hear back.
Every grantee they’ve ever funded has been around for decades.
This is philanthropic smoke and mirrors, and for many new and grassroots nonprofits, it wastes time, energy, and limited capacity. You’re chasing something that was never on the table in the first place, and while foundations say they want to be more transparent, the numbers tell a different story.
According to Fidelity Charitable, nonprofits led by BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women, and disabled leaders are still significantly underfunded - even though these organizations are often closest to the work and best positioned to drive impact.
Meanwhile, a 2019 report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy found that foundation CEOs do care about transparency. In fact, they named "grantees and potential grantees" as their number one audience for it. But here’s the disconnect: if you're not already in the network, you may never see the invitation, let alone the actual grant.
This isn’t just an access issue. It’s an equity issue.
It’s a visibility issue.
And it’s a time-suck issue - especially for small teams juggling fundraising, programming, and everything in between.
Because here’s the truth no one likes to say out loud: Many funders know exactly who they plan to support before they ever open their “application process," and if your name’s not on that internal list? You’re not getting in, no matter how well your mission aligns.
So if you can’t rely on a public call, and you can’t afford to waste time chasing invisible opportunities… What can you actually do?
🧭 You Have A Few Options...
Here’s the good news:
You don’t have to break the door down. You just have to make sure funders know that you’re standing outside - and worth letting in.
✅ Get on the radar before the RFP drops
By the time an invitation goes out, it’s often already too late. Foundations rarely add new grantees mid-cycle; they’ve been watching, vetting, and shortlisting long before anything becomes official. That means your real job is to show up before the funding cycle begins.
How?
Watch for signals: new strategic plans, recent hires, or emerging initiatives
Join funder-hosted webinars, town halls, or feedback sessions
Reach out with insight or appreciation when they publish reports or case studies
The goal isn’t to pitch. It’s to build recognition. Familiarity breeds opportunity.
✅ Think like a bridge, not a bullhorn
The cold “Do you have any grants we can apply for?” email? It’s not the move.
Instead, offer something meaningful:
Share a short update on your impact - especially if it aligns with their focus
Respond thoughtfully to something they’ve published
Stay consistent - relationships are a slow burn, not a one-off ask
The programs that get invited aren’t always the biggest. They’re often the ones that feel like a known quantity.
✅ Leverage your ecosystem
You don’t have to do this alone, and honestly, you shouldn’t.
Fiscal sponsors. Local funder collaboratives. Grantmakers’ affinity groups. Consultants like me. These aren’t just middlemen. They’re connectors.
They can help you:
Spot when a "public" RFP is actually a formality
Understand which funders really support new organizations
Build a strategy that centers relationships, not just deadlines
A good grants consultant isn’t just a writer. We’re a strategist, a translator, and occasionally, a door-opener.
✅ Make your digital presence funder-ready
If a foundation is even considering adding you to their invite list, they’re doing homework first. Here’s what they’re looking for:
Clear, consistent messaging across your website and materials
Evidence of impact (even if small-scale)
Strong leadership bios and board representation
Partnerships, collaboration, and community trust
They’re not looking for perfection. They’re looking for credibility, clarity, and alignment.
✅ Redefine your idea of "grant strategy"
The days of "just find a good fit and apply" are behind us. Modern grant strategy is more like chess than checkers. Think long game:
Know where you sit in the funding ecosystem
Position your org through storytelling and visibility
Build relationships that lead to invitations before the opportunity ever drops
Because grants are no longer just about applications. They’re about relationships - and reputation.
🧾 What Does This Look Like In Real Life?
A while back, I worked with a nonprofit that landed a major grant without ever seeing an RFP.
There was no announcement, no guidelines - just a phone call between the founder and someone on the funder’s board. The funder had to distribute a large amount of money before their fiscal year closed, and they were moving fast. "We're open to reviewing whatever you put in front of us as long as it's in by Sunday."
I had three days.
Because we already had a strong program in place and a clear understanding of what the funder valued, we were able to craft a tailored proposal - and it got funded.
To this day, the grant can’t be publicly acknowledged. It funded high-impact work for dozens of participants, and it only happened because we were ready to act when the door cracked open.
📍 One Final Thought
Invite-only funding isn't going anywhere. It's efficient, strategic, and yes - sometimes it's genuinely values-driven. But if we're being real with each other, we both know that when access depends on existing relationships, that's not really trust. That's gatekeeping dressed up as “strategy.”
You don't need to chase every opportunity - and frankly, you shouldn't - but you do need to understand how decisions are made, especially when they aren’t written down. Funder-determined invitations don't always go to the biggest name or the best pitch. More often, they go to the organization that's already done the work to be seen, known, and trusted before the door ever opens.
But when it does open? You'll want to be the one they already had in mind.
