Saturday is international & global development day on The Grant Brief.

Both of these grants fund frontline work in vulnerable communities, but each has a gatekeeper built into the design: one requires a sponsor from the financial services industry, the other requires a Dutch or Belgian fundraising partner. Knowing who holds the key matters more than the dollar amount.

What we know: MDRT Foundation made 72 grants totaling $1.5M in its most recent year, with a median award of $10,000. Human services organizations received the most grants, followed by higher education and international affairs groups. Illinois, Tennessee, and California account for about 37% of recipients. One worth flagging: despite the program advertising as global, our 990-derived data shows zero direct grants to foreign organizations in recent years — meaning MDRT's "global" funding likely flows through US 501(c)(3) partners operating abroad rather than direct foreign awards. Letters to Strangers received $288,470 and All Hands and Hearts received $159,677, together representing roughly 30% of total lifetime giving, so the typical outside grant is closer to $10,000 to $20,000. The real eligibility gate here is the MDRT member connection — your organization needs a current member of the Million Dollar Round Table (a financial advisors' association) to endorse your application with a letter of recommendation.

Realistic fit: small to midsize direct-service nonprofits that already have a relationship with a financial advisor who is an MDRT member.

What we know: Wilde Ganzen is a Dutch foundation, not a US 990 filer, so we don't have detailed grant history. The program funds poverty reduction projects across education, healthcare, food security, water/sanitation, and climate justice. Wilde Ganzen typically covers one-third of a project budget, with partners raising the rest. First-time collaborations start with a small grant (up to €6,000) before scaling. Assessment takes about six weeks after both partners submit completed forms.

Realistic fit: community-based organizations in Global South countries that already work with (or can find) a Dutch or Belgian fundraising partner willing to co-apply and raise matching funds.

The common thread here: neither grant rewards cold applications. Both are relationship-first programs. If you don't already have the right sponsor or partner connection, building that relationship is step one, not filling out the LOI.

#GlobalDevelopment #NonprofitFunding #GrantWriting #InternationalDev