Traveling remains one of the most formative experiences of my life. The privilege of seeing how others live, eat and communicate—experiencing another point of view, another culture has a priceless value. It was worth every…
Browsing CategoryFundraising HayDay
Grant Management 101: 10 Steps to Getting It Done Right
They lie. They steal. They cheat. Search the internet and you’ll find stories abound of individuals employed by universities, local governments, and nonprofits using grant funding for personal gain. What about organizations that break grant…
Measuring Our True Impact: Five Questions Your Grant Objectives Should Answer
If you follow the Fundraising HayDay podcast and our social media accounts, you know that I am obsessed with the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. Mostly, I’m floored by the number of people who…
How to Write and Win More Grants with the Rule of Three
When Aladdin rubbed the magic lamp, a genie granted him three wishes. “Click your heels together three times and say ‘There’s no place like home’” is straight from the iconic movie classic, “The Wizard of Oz.”…
How to Win More Grants: Get a Good Mentor
Growing up, my sister and I LOVED hearing stories from our parents’ childhoods. One story involved friendless siblings Scott and Laura. Dad said they would roam the neighborhood streets, holding hands, skipping, and chanting, “We…
There is More to Grant Work Than Grant Work
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…
Better Grants Start with Better Decisions
It’s not the dog’s fault. The one that starts barking around 3 a.m. some nights and doesn’t stop until five or so. But still, I blame that dog barking just loud enough to invade my…
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…
Listen More to Win More Grants and Donors
They’re everywhere. Whether you’re on staff at a nonprofit racing for those year-end donations, a grant writer chasing deadlines, or a consultant marketing yourself, there’s always a message, a video, an email, or a text…
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…