The 10/20 Rule for Grants

It’s an unspoken rule, but an important one. Funders prefer that you apply for no more than 10% of your organization’s budget and no more than 20% of any program or project budget. For example, if your agency operates on a budget of $100,000 annually, you should not request more than $10,000 for any grant. You may need $75,000 for a new program. So, although you could reasonably request $15,000 (20%) for that program, your organization’s budget would have to be at least $150,000 in order for you to do so.