Before you even start to write a proposal, you will
have to do some research and find a foundation that will
be interested in helping you and makes grants of the type
you need.

Then, make a friendly call to the foundation.
Tell them what your organization does, and let
them know you admire what they are doing.

Ask them to send you their grant guidelines --
most foundations have them available. This will help
you enormously. You can tell them about yourself and
a *little* about your organization -- make the emphasis
on finding out what *they* are interested in funding now --
their priorities change from year to year, so it's good
to find out before you go through writing the proposal
if they are not going to fund your type of need this year.
They might even tell you what foundation would be more
amenable to your proposal.

If you are talking to a secretary or some other
non-powerful person, do not insist on talking
with the director or other powerful person if he/she
does not wish to put you through to that person.
It is often the secretary who reads what comes in
and decides what the higher-ups will see! Always
good to have a friend at any level. If you play your
cards right, your name will bring a smile to the face
of your contacts at the foundation when they see
your proposal come in.