Which funding actually fits you?

Most funding searches fail before they start — chasing grants that never fund that kind of organization, or that kind of expense. Answer six questions and GrantFit scores seven funding channels against your reality, tells you where your odds are real, and what to do first.

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Describe your organizationType, age, and what you need the money for — six taps, no typing required.
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Get your fit scoresSeven channels — federal, state, foundations, SBIR, corporate, lending, community — ranked for you.
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Work the top channelsWhy each fits, what to watch out for, and the first moves — then go find live postings.
⭐ Pro — $19 one-timeAll 7 funding channels (free shows 3) · every channel’s full playbook · grant-readiness checklist
Pawtucket Makers Alliance — a two-year-old Rhode Island nonprofit seeking $25k–$100k for workforce programs. See where its real odds are — then tap your own answers; they replace it instantly.
Minority/Women/Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, veteran-owned, and federal small-business certifications open set-aside doors.

Educational guidance from general program patterns — not a guarantee of funding or eligibility. Programs change; verify with each funder. Nothing you enter leaves this device.

Questions GrantFit answers

Plain answers to what people ask before they run a funding search.

How do I know which grants my organization actually qualifies for?
Eligibility is decided by four things: your entity type, where you operate, your annual budget, and whether the funder is chartered to pay for what you want to do. Most rejections are a mismatch on one of those four, not a weak application. GrantFit checks all four before you spend time reading a NOFO.
Are federal grants worth pursuing for a small nonprofit or business?
Sometimes, and less often than people assume. Federal awards are large but carry audit, reporting and match requirements that a two-person organization often cannot absorb. State programs, community foundations and CDFI lending are usually the higher-odds first move. GrantFit scores all seven channels side by side rather than assuming federal is the goal.
What is the difference between a grant, an SBIR award, and a CDFI loan?
A grant is money you do not repay but must spend as promised. SBIR is federal R&D funding for technical development, awarded in phases, and it is competitive on the science rather than the need. A CDFI loan is repayable capital from a mission lender, usually faster and far less contested than either.
How long does grant funding actually take to arrive?
Plan on three to nine months from application to money in the account for most federal and state programs, and six to twelve weeks for foundations. Grants rarely solve a cash problem you have this quarter. If the need is immediate, lending channels are the realistic answer.

GrantFit is free to run in your browser with no account, and it installs — see below to put it on your phone or desktop. Pro is a one-time $19 unlock that adds the printable exhibit, editing and depth — owned forever, not a subscription. Built by NESO, an advisory and tools practice for business and real estate. Questions: send them here.