They are willing to be flexible about amounts if they have confidence in the organization. Personal contact is an important, often essential, part of the process. Be prepared at the outset for a lot of rejection. If you get a rejection letter, contact the foundation to ask what was wrong with the proposal. Often it may be a question of correcting only one aspect and resubmitting it.
Most applicants receive a rejection the first time they apply to a foundation.
More win the second time than the first. Be responsive to the program officer's comments. Even if you win the grant, the program officer may want you to make some changes. Unless you feel suggested changes would seriously harm the project's chances for success, you should accept the program officer's recommendations.