of 5— Open Claude and start a conversation

What you'll accomplish

By the end of this guide, you'll have a repeatable process for briefing yourself on any new potential funder in 15 minutes — their priorities, giving history, red flags, and how to position your organization — using Claude (free or Pro) instead of a 90-minute manual research session.

What you'll need

Claude free account at claude.ai (no subscription required for this guide)
The funder's name and, ideally, their website URL
Time needed: 15 minutes per funder
Cost: Free

How-To Guide: Research Any Funder in 15 Minutes with Claude

Step 1: Open Claude and start a conversation

Go to claude.ai and sign in (or create a free account). Click New conversation.

You'll be on the main chat interface — a text input at the bottom and Claude's responses above.

What you should see: An empty conversation with a text input box at the bottom.