Have you ever heard a Jock Jams song (Jock Jams were compilation albums released between 1995 and 1999)? Maybe a single song like “I Like to Move It?” Jock Jams – I Like to…
Browsing CategoryGrant Writing Tips and Best Practices
Educating Up to Streamline the Grant Writing Process
Most people fall into grant writing almost by chance. Maybe someone recognized your writing skills and voila! You were “voluntold.” Perhaps you were coordinating a community program or project for a nonprofit or local government…
Re-“View”ing How to Win BIL Grants
My Fundraising HayDay podcast co-host and dear friend Amanda Day experienced a new way of looking at things during a recent vacation. While the new ice cream flavors and beautiful seascapes she discovered along the…
What Does True Collaboration Look Like?
Collaboration is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot, especially in the grant world. We all like to think we collaborate with our fellow nonprofits, local governments, and other neighbors, but do…
Summer Reading and Federal RFPs
One of my favorite things about the summer is the free time. I do not have to cart my kids around to practice, help with homework, or stick to the school year’s schedule. That extra…
The Right Time to Apply for a Grant
The check-in meeting had already run an hour over. Together, we navigated the choppy seas of registration through login.gov, sam.gov, and grants.gov for the executive director (ED) and the chief development officer. I was discussing…
5 Daily Habits of a Grant Writer
As a grant writer (or grant professional, as members of our team prefer), your job is to write compelling grant applications to secure funding for your organization. It requires a unique set of skills, including…
What is a Mock Review?
The process of writing and submitting a large grant proposal can be daunting and stressful, but one way our team takes some of the stress out of the submission process, and increases our confidence is…
Perfection is the Enemy of Successful Grant Writing
Back in the aughts, I was a newly hired manager of corporate and foundation relations at a food bank with the directive to aggressively grow grant funding—by at least 25% in my first year. The…
Where in the Organization Chart Does Your Grant Professional Belong?
Where do you belong in your organization? Who do you report to? And does your boss even understand the world of grants? The answers vary with every grant professional. We bring in funding for…