You can feel it in your inbox. Fewer invitations. Slower replies. More “hit pause for now.” In moments like this, corporate and foundation partners tend to retreat to known relationships, reduce new commitments, and tighten the aperture on priorities. That doesn’t mean your pipeline is doomed. It means the game shifts from speed to steadiness.
Here’s the reality check. Many foundations said their 2025 giving would stay about the same as 2024, with 37.3% planning to increase and 8.8% expecting to decrease. In other words, stability with a side of unpredictability.
At the same time, nonprofits are under pressure. In the latest State of the Nonprofit Sector survey, 85% expect demand to rise in 2025, more than half ended 2024 strained by inflation, and 52% have three months or less of cash on hand. Funders loosened some restrictions, but nearly half of respondents saw shrinking grant sizes. That’s a squeeze you can’t ignore.
So what do you do when funders circle the wagons? You build continuity. You make every touchpoint feel easy, relevant, and worth repeating.
Read the moment, then adjust your stance
In uncertain cycles, funders often favor current grantees, lean into clearer outcomes, and slow the addition of new partners. The post-2020 shift toward trust-based practices continues at many institutions, yet the adoption is uneven and not always paired with multi-year, flexible dollars. Your strategy should reflect both the progress and the gaps.
Here’s how we recommend you recalibrate:
- Prioritize relationship continuity over net-new introductions. Keep your best-fit partners close with a cadence they can count on.
- Package certainty. Offer crisp outcomes, short reporting, and easy site access. Lowering the lift is an advantage right now.
- Match their language. If a corporate partner says “workforce pathways,” don’t counter with “career readiness.” Mirroring shows alignment.
Want a stewardship rhythm you can run week after week without extra headcount? Teach your team The Smart Steward Method and let it anchor your touchpoints.
“In cautious climates, the winner is the fundraiser who’s easiest to help.”
The continuity touchpoints that work when you hear “not now”
When a program officer or CSR lead says timing is tough, your job is to keep them close without creating homework. Here's how:
Quarterly “executive postcard.”
One screen, no scroll. Lead with one outcome, one story, one next milestone.
- Subject: “60-second update: [program] impact and what’s next”
- Body: 2 sentences on outcomes, a 2-line story, a single date-driven milestone, and a small photo
Funder-language one-pagers.
Translate your work into their priorities. Two options, two price points, both tied to the same outcome. Then invite a 15-minute call to choose.
Standing 20-minute check-ins.
Offer a light calendar anchor. Promise a one-slide agenda and keep it. Make it easy to cancel without guilt, and follow with a crisp recap if they skip.
Program lead access.
Invite funders to a short impact huddle with the staff closest to the work. Real voices beat glossy decks.
Frictionless stewardship.
Thank within 24 hours, report at 30 and 90 days with one number and one story, then offer an optional follow-on. If you need a simple pattern, use Moves Management for Small Teams and close every loop.
Why this approach fits the moment: funders are balancing volatility with obligation. Many are maintaining or modestly increasing giving, but they want confidence that dollars move outcomes with low administrative drag. Your clear, lightweight touchpoints reduce decision friction.
Reframe your grant strategy for a conservative climate
You don’t need more proposals. You need proposals funders can say yes to without committee fatigue.
- Right-size the ask. In a year when grant sizes may shrink, scope your options so a partner can fund something complete at a lower tier and add later. Name the deliverable and the date.
- Lead with flexible outcomes when appropriate. Trust-based trends support more flexible dollars at some institutions. Ask for general operating or multi-year support if the funder’s norms allow, and be ready with a plan B that’s outcome-specific and easy to verify.
- Align to corporate impact levers. Corporate programs still allocate cash, in-kind, and volunteer time to issues aligned with business strategy. Bring a package that uses all three where it makes sense. The latest CECP “Giving in Numbers” emphasizes the tie between purpose and performance, which keeps corporate giving durable even as priorities shift.
- Offer bridge options. If a partner’s cycle is locked, propose a small bridge grant or sponsorship that keeps momentum and buys time.
If your team struggles to keep language and follow-ups consistent, carve out protected time using the 15-Hour Focus Framework. Three donor-first hours per day will do more for your grants than a week of inbox triage.
A 90-day continuity plan your small team can actually run
This plan assumes you have a lean shop and a live portfolio of institutional partners. Customize the volume to your capacity.
Weeks 1–4: stabilize the portfolio
- Map your top 20 institutional relationships by renewal date and strategic fit.
- Send four executive postcards.
- Convert two in-progress proposals into two-option briefs with a 15-minute decision invite.
- Book one program huddle with each priority funder, even if it’s 20 minutes.
Weeks 5–8: advance 6 relationships one stage
- For six partners, move from “interested” to “decision-ready” with an updated one-pager and a budget-labeled timeline.
- Host a micro site visit or virtual walkthrough. Keep it under 30 minutes and record the demo for those who skip.
- If a partner defers, offer a bridge option and a date to revisit. Close the loop every time.
Weeks 9–12: convert and steward fast
- Ask cleanly on short calls. Summarize scope, amount, timing, and reporting cadence in writing within the hour.
- Deliver a 30-day update with one number and one story.
- Queue a 90-day follow-up that previews what you’ll measure next.
Under the hood, track four metrics that matter: meaningful conversations, decision calls scheduled, proposals sent, and days from first hello to yes. Your CRM should keep the memory work off your plate. If you need a nudge system, DonorDock’s automations help you send the right update at the right time so partners feel known without extra admin.
“Activity is not the goal. Momentum with the right partners is.”
Straight talk for new prospecting in a cautious year
New relationships aren’t off the table, they’re just slower. Anchor your outreach in funder timing and language.
- Scan 10 priority funders’ newsletters for shifts in focus, then mirror the terms you see.
- Lead with a relevance line, not a biography: “Two ways we can advance your workforce pathways goal in Q2.”
- Keep the first ask tiny: a 15-minute fit check, not a full proposal.
- Document the breadcrumb trail and schedule your next two touchpoints up front. Clean data turns small signals into timely follow-ups, so keep your records fresh. If you need a quick tune-up, start here: How to Keep Your Donor Data Clean.
Why this works: Many institutional funders are holding patterns and looking for clarity and fit before committing. Your tight, low-lift approach respects their reality and keeps you top of mind when budgets open.
The bottom line
Uncertainty rewards clarity, consistency, and care. You don’t have to chase 100 new foundations. You need to steward the right 20 with a cadence that makes you the easiest partner on their list. The broader landscape is mixed, but not bleak. Many foundations are steady or up modestly, and nonprofits that reduce friction for funders are the ones that keep momentum. Use a continuity plan, simplify your touchpoints, and let your tools surface the next best action.
Next step: Turn on a 90-day continuity plan and let DonorDock handle the nudges and notes so you can focus on conversations.
