The Fund Finders® — home
Free roadmap

Funding education guides, from $10

Ready to do the funding work yourself? Start here. Each guide takes the questions we hear most and answers them in plain language. Buy online and your download is on its way.

Start & Fund a Nonprofit

From the go or no-go decision to a grant application funders take seriously.

New guide

"Go or No-Go" Nonprofit Feasibility Matrix — guide cover

"Go or No-Go" Nonprofit Feasibility Matrix

For founders deciding whether to launch a new 501(c)(3)

Starting a nonprofit is one of the most rewarding decisions you can make, but passion alone won't sustain it. Before you invest hundreds of dollars in filing fees and months of your time, use this proven matrix to determine whether launching a new 501(c)(3) is truly your fastest path to impact.

  • A scored matrix to test your idea before you pay filing fees
  • Answer each question honestly — no guesswork, no fluff
  • Assign yourself points based on the scoring guide
  • Total your score at the end to discover your recommended path forward
  • A clear go or no-go before you commit months of your time
  • Delivered as a PDF digital download
$10

New guide

How to Start a Nonprofit: Your Roadmap — guide cover

How to Start a Nonprofit: Your Roadmap

For founders ready to launch a nonprofit organization

A comprehensive step-by-step guide that walks you from your mission statement to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status — and the compliance habits that keep it.

  • Crafting your mission statement and comprehensive business plan
  • Choosing your legal structure and organization name
  • Assembling your board and drafting compliant bylaws
  • Filing Articles of Incorporation with required IRS language
  • Obtaining your EIN and applying for 501(c)(3) status
  • Navigating Form 1023 vs. Form 1023-EZ to avoid rejection
  • State tax exemptions and charitable solicitation registration
  • Nonprofit bank accounts, licenses, and permits
  • Diverse revenue strategies: donations, grants, events, earned income
  • Ongoing compliance with federal and state requirements
$10

Most popular

Are You Ready To Submit A Grant? — guide cover

Are You Ready To Submit A Grant?

For grant-seeking not-for-profit professionals

Tired of chasing grants with no success? Simplify your grant-seeking process with this checklist — your key to becoming the organized, prepared nonprofit that funders love to support.

  • Get grant-ready fast with 5 clear sections covering funders' most-requested documents
  • Present your nonprofit's story plus the proof of responsible stewardship funders want
  • Tap proven expertise: we've helped secure $84M+ in funding and share the strategies
  • Eliminates application delays and prepares you to scale up successfully
  • The insider edge — we've been grant makers, grant reviewers, and grant seekers
$10

Digital download

Top Business Grant Questions: and How to Answer Them — guide cover

Top Business Grant Questions: and How to Answer Them

For business owners applying for grants and wanting to stand out

Grants are competitive, and you must consider whether your time and effort are worth applying for a limited number of grants. This workbook provides the top questions being asked in 2024 — with a place to store your responses to grant applications and tips and pointers along the way.

  • Why to look for local and regional grants before national grants
  • How to understand the funder and what they care about before applying
  • The objective of a small business grant — using OPM to meet funder goals
  • The top questions being asked in 2024, updated annually
  • A location to store your responses to grant applications
  • Tips and pointers that save time and boost your success rate
  • Delivered as a PDF (8MB) digital download
$10

Funding Essentials

Know your options, get organized, and walk in ready before you ask for money.

Start here

Top 5 Ways to Find Business Funding — guide cover

Top 5 Ways to Find Business Funding

For small and mid-sized business owners

The five capital paths open to a growing business, what each one really requires, and how to tell in ten minutes which is worth your week.

  • Grants, SBA programs, and three paths owners overlook
  • What lenders and funders look at first
  • A simple way to rank options by effort and odds
$10

Digital download

5 Types of Funding for Startup Businesses — guide cover

5 Types of Funding for Startup Businesses

For startup owners confused about how to fund their business

Secure the funding your startup needs. This simplified guide breaks down 5 essential funding options with clear explanations on the best ways to fund your business, plus tips for success in each area.

  • Clear explanations of 5 essential startup funding options
  • Tips for success within each funding area
  • A range of diverse funding sources to find the right fit for your business
  • Plain-language guidance that takes the mystery out of startup capital
  • Delivered as a PDF digital download
$10

Digital download

22 Types of Business Funding — guide cover

22 Types of Business Funding

For owners who want the complete picture of funding options

When it comes to funding your business, most people only talk about cash, business credit, loans, and grants. Here we've compiled a list of 22 types of business funding to help you find the right fit for your business needs — written in simple, easy-to-read language designed to help you understand every option.

  • A comprehensive list of 22 types of business funding
  • Plain-language explanations so you understand each option
  • A wide range of funding sources to match your unique business needs
  • The insider view from The Fund Finders® in Orlando, Florida
  • Delivered as a PDF (13MB) digital download
$10

Digital download

Are You Ready For Funding: A Checklist for Small Business Owners — guide cover

Are You Ready For Funding: A Checklist for Small Business Owners

For small business owners ready to secure the capital they need to thrive

Congratulations on taking charge of your business's financial future! This essential checklist is your key to securing the capital you need — clarifying funding lingo, organizing the documentation lenders and investors want to see, and following a proven roadmap backed by $85M+ in funding expertise.

  • Clarity on funding lingo: demystify complex terms and confidently navigate the funding landscape
  • Get organized, gain confidence: start preparing essential documentation lenders and investors want to see
  • Proven roadmap included: tap into our $85M+ funding expertise for a clear path to success
  • Opens doors to new revenue possibilities, lucrative contracts, and financial freedom
  • Delivered as a PDF digital download
$10

Banking & Business Credit

Build the banking relationships and credit profile that open doors to capital.

Capital readiness

Beyond Bootstrapping: Introduction to Business Credit — guide cover

Beyond Bootstrapping: Introduction to Business Credit

For owners preparing to borrow

How business credit is built, scored, and read by a lender — and the sequence to follow so your first application is not your practice run.

  • The accounts and filings that establish business credit
  • What underwriters check and in what order
  • A 90-day readiness sequence
$10

Digital download

Banks for Small Businesses Handout — guide cover

Banks for Small Businesses Handout

For owners who need the right banking partner to fund growth

Running a small business is tough — and you need funding top of mind so you can focus on what really matters: growing your business. This handout gives you access to a range of banks that can fund your business.

  • Which banks provide online banking and mobile banking
  • The most competitive interest rates for business lending
  • Other services that help you get the best deal possible
  • A quick reference to start taking control of your finances
  • Delivered as a PDF (4MB) digital download
$10

Digital download

Get to Know Your Banker Workbook — guide cover

Get to Know Your Banker Workbook

For owners who want a strong, trustworthy relationship with their banker

Does contacting a bank about money make you nervous? This workbook walks you through effective communication techniques, the financial services banks offer, and the exact questions to ask when you call your business banker.

  • Easy-to-follow prompts for managing an existing or new business bank account
  • Effective communication techniques for working with your banker
  • A better understanding of the financial services banks offer
  • The exact questions to ask when you call your business banker
  • Tips and tricks to overcome potential roadblocks along the way
  • Delivered as a PDF (4MB) digital download
$10

Digital download

Business Credit Guide: How to Establish Credit Quickly — guide cover

Business Credit Guide: How to Establish Credit Quickly

For owners ready to build a solid financial foundation for their business

Establish a solid financial foundation for your business with the Business Credit Guide! This comprehensive resource walks you through the essential steps of building business credit quickly and responsibly — so you can unlock access to better financing options and position your business for long-term growth.

  • Choose the right business structure to set up credit the right way
  • Secure the right credit lines for your stage of growth
  • Manage payments strategically to build a strong credit profile
  • Monitor your credit score and keep it on track
  • Unlock access to better financing options for long-term growth
  • Delivered as a PDF digital download
$10

Construction & Contracting

Bonding basics for construction businesses ready to bid on bigger work.

New guide

Construction Bonds 101: Your Essential Guide to Project Success — guide cover

Construction Bonds 101: Your Essential Guide to Project Success

For construction business owners navigating the bonding process

Running a construction business comes with a lot of moving parts, and securing the right bonds is one of the most important. Think of this as your go-to resource for construction bonding — from the basics of each bond type to tips on applying smoothly and managing costs.

  • The basics of each construction bond type and what it protects
  • Step-by-step guidance to apply smoothly and avoid common obstacles
  • Tips for managing bonding costs and building trust with clients
  • Checklists, examples, and straightforward advice throughout
  • How bonds open doors to new projects and opportunities
  • Delivered as a PDF digital download
$10

Free financial planning tool

Get the free Small Business Financial Roadmap

You cannot fund a number you have never seen. Here are 25 costs nobody warned you about.