Raindrops on roses,
And whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
Brown paper packages tied up with strings,
These are a few of my favorite things….
Ok maybe we’re not in the Sound of Music, but if you joined us for our #Sweet16 celebration week, you’ll know that our team shared a few of our favorite GRANT things.
We compiled those things into this blog so we can continue singing. We mean sharing to help you in your grant strategy.
1.Maggie Perry:
Grant Writing for Dummies by Dr. Beverly A. Browning
“This was the first book I purchased when I became interested in grant writing and I still have that same copy on my desk today, 15 years later (heavily highlighted and very worn at this point). This book remains an excellent resource when I am having a bit of writers’ block or staring at a blank logic model wondering where to get started.“
You can purchase this resource here, but of course, we always suggest checking your local independent book store or library first!
2. Julie Paynotta:
“Great source for training; something for everyone – beginners through advanced. I have used this to help subcontracted writers in my consulting practice to strengthen their skills or understand an aspect of grant writing better. Lots of free and reasonably priced training resources. Check out her blog too! Maryn Boess is excellent – a bright sunny personality with a you-can-do-it attitude.”
Our team loves the diversity of the styles and ways in which the Approved Trainers of the Grant Professionals Association approach providing education and training on the competencies that the Grant Professionals Certification Institute focuses on. Whether it is the punny jokes that help you learn (yup, you know that is part of my style) or the unique approach a trainer takes to talking about gathering information from colleagues in an organization (like Cheryl Kester does with “MSU” in her #LearnGrants Online Summit session or Stacy Fitzsimmons does in her session on using decision matrixes), it is up to you to find the right style of trainer and delivery method of the material to help ensure your best learning experience.
3. Aidan Frazier
Adian also chose a book to share as our day three resource to help strengthen your grant writing.
The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
“Though this book is geared towards creative writing, I’ve found it to be extremely helpful in regards to my writing grants. The book explores common faults in language and how to hook a reader into the words you are writing.”
You can purchase it here but of course, we always suggest checking your local independent book store or library first!
4. Bethany Planton:
This may be a known resource for many of you, but our team agrees with Bethany Planton, GPC that this 100% deserves a shout-out of a go-to resource to help you with your grant writing professional development, and networking.
Grant Professional Association
“It is THE place for grant professionals. This is where I network with other grant professionals. There is generally someone who has experienced what I am currently going through. This is also where I do most of my professional development through webinars, blog posts, chapter meetings, regional and annual conferences, etc. “
DH Leonard Consulting is proud to be in our third year as a GPC Business Alliance Member and we also have 4 GPA Approved Trainers on our team (and two in training!).
5. Beth Archer:
Maybe reading isn’t your preferred way to learn, and you prefer video resources. One of our newest team members, Beth Archer suggests a TedTalk.
“The content is not specific to grant writing but this is what got me interested in fundraising, and specifically in becoming a grant professional. There are a lot of misconceptions about nonprofits and what they truly need in order to make a difference in the causes they are fighting for. The more we, as grant professionals, understand what they are up against, the better we can support them. I love using my writing skills to tell an organization’s story and obtain funding for some of the less “flashy” things like general operating support.”
(Really love videos for your learning? Don’t forget to check out our Don’t Let Grants Stress You Out YouTube channel if you haven’t already done so!)
6. Jasmine Markanday:
This next resource is a public and FREE resource, and it may take some fair time to digest, but is something to always have bookmarked for reference. Last year we doubled down on the type of training we provided for federal grants and launched our Grant Writing Boot Camp in collaboration with MyFedTrainer.com. So it comes as no surprise, given our team’s passion for helping to take the stress out of federal grant seeking, that our team member Jasmine Markandaychose the Code of Federal Regulations as her go-to resource.
“It provides the guidelines for all federal grants.“
It’s complex, it takes time to understand, but it is a key resource for EACH and EVERY federal grant you might consider applying for.
7. Jane Nelson:
And last BUT certainly not least is Jane Nelson‘s suggestion: The Official Guide to APA Style
This book provides guidelines for clear, precise, and organized writing. It has sections for punctuation, capitalization, reference citations, presentations of statistics, bias-free language, table and figure presentation, and much more! APA’s publication manual, concise guide, and website are all great resources.
What are some of YOUR favorite things? Comment below as we would LOVE to hear!
