The State of Grantseeking

Key trends and insights from the largest annual survey of grantseekers.

The 2026 State of Grantseeking™ Report

 

The State of Grantseeking™ 2026 Report offers nonprofit leaders, grant professionals, and fundraisers practical benchmarks for navigating a complex and changing funding environment. Based on responses from 1,354 organizations that pursued grant funding in 2025, the report explores the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping grantseeking today. 

Because outcomes varied by annual budget, staffing, and mission focus, the report provides useful context for organizations seeking to evaluate and strengthen their grantseeking efforts.

Use the report to compare your organization’s experience with peers of similar size and mission, refine your strategy, set realistic expectations, and make better use of staff time. Pair it with GrantStation’s free Benchmarker tool for customized insights, and with GrantStation Membership for access to funder records, grant opportunities, and grantseeking resources.

The 2026 State of Grantseeking™ Report
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Free

Key Findings: The 2026 State of Grantseeking™ Report
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Free

The 2026 Benchmarker
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2026 Underwriters

Grant Professionals Association    Flywheel Strategic        DH Leonard Consulting    Campaign Counsel    TechSoup

Ellen Mowrer
Ellen Mowrer

Chief Executive Officer

Ellen is responsible for corporate administration and operations. In addition, she works with both clients and the GrantStation team in program adoption and management. She also produces the annual State of Grantseeking™ Survey and Reports. Contact Ellen to learn more about our business, programs, and surveys.
Alice Ruhnke
Alice Ruhnke

President of Education and Outreach

Alice is the President of Education and Outreach for GrantStation. She joined the team after 20 years of working in or with the nonprofit community. In the trenches, she raised over $45 million and worked with hundreds of organizations to help them increase their capacity to raise funds. Alice is the organization's content expert and is responsible for online education, partnership development, and working with the talented GrantStation staff to provide quality resources to help the nonprofit community secure funding.
Caitlin Kindig
Caitlin Kindig

Director of Content Operations

Caitlin Kindig's greatest joy is transforming complex ideas into thoughtful, digestible, and engaging stories. With several years of experience in tech journalism, she has pivoted toward freelance writing and editing, working for agencies, the Parliament of Canada, technology institutions, and universities. Cait has previously worked for Towards Data Science (Medium), Black Rose Books, CityNews Montreal, Investopedia, and The Tribune. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English – Cultural Studies and Communications from McGill University.