For years, I kept my head down and did the work. I cranked out the grant applications. I followed the rules. I submitted reports on time. I sought permission, in writing, when changes were necessary…
Posts Published byFundraising HayDay
Your Org is Eligible, But Should You Write the Grant?
My most traumatic childhood memory is the day my sister almost drowned. We lived in Germany at the time, and some extended family was visiting from the U.S. My mom loaded up my younger sister…
Happy, Healthy Grant Pro
So many of us found ourselves in this line of work because we wanted to help people (or animals or the environment), and we wanted to leave this world better than we found it. It…
Ten High-Tech Grant Tools Used by My Favorite Grant Pros
About 10 years ago I was participating in #grantchat (an hour-long grant discussion on Twitter most Tuesdays at noon Eastern) when that week’s particular topic was centered around high-tech grant tools. Everyone was sharing helpful…
Even Professionals Need to Go Back to the Grant Basics
AKA Amanda and the horrible, no good, very bad grant writing week I have been a grant professional for 20 years, and for the past six years taught an introduction to grant writing course to…
Keep Asking: Lessons in Not Holding Back
On this week’s episode of the Fundraising HayDay Podcast (Season 4, Episode 14), Kimberly and I had the great fortune to chat with Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers of the popular podcast, Pantsuit Politics….
Five Ways Social Media Has Helped Me Grow as a Grant Professional
What’s your take on social media? Between doom scrolling, cyber bullying, and the time suck, it certainly has its low points. But on the flip side, it can connect friends and family, provide information, and…
Don’t Chase the Money: Do Your Grant Prospect Research
Picture this: Sicily. 1942. Just kidding, I do love me some Golden Girls, but this is a grant blog post. Let’s try again. Picture this: your boss hands you a federal grant proposal….
The Unicorn of Illinois: A Streamlined, State-Wide Grant System
In 2019 I attended my first National Grant Management Association Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. If federal grant management is one of your duties, then this is the conference for you. I submitted a workshop…
My Latest Grant Ethical Conundrum
A Louis Vuitton purse. An inflated salary and over-the-top office decor. Triple payment for the same work. What do these things have in common? If you guessed “lists of things no grant will fund”, you’d…