All proposals to government agencies and allied organizations go through Cornell's Office of Sponsored Programs, and are coordinated by Ed Weissman. Each type of funding program has a unique set of criteria for proposal submissions and contact. Foundations are most likely to fund projects where a congenial relationship between the foundation and the submitting individual or institution has been established over time. Foundations generally provide statements on their fields of funding interest. Proposals to foundations typically have few formally defined guidelines.
Submissions are on a recurring annual cycle with multiple deadlines.
To be successful with corporate giving, library staff must be prepared to spend extensive time courting corporate sponsorships. The Library hopes to expand its ability to attract funding from individual donors. The University Librarian encourages librarians throughout the system to think creatively about possible constituents or contacts they may have who could help accomplish library goals. This is how the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities and most other state and federal agencies make their funding opportunities known to the public. Government guidelines and applications can be lengthy documents with detailed criteria and guidelines.