Nonprofits build a sustainable culture of grants by aligning organizational priorities, visualizing staff capacity on a shared grant calendar, and fostering team-wide storytelling. Many organizations treat grant seeking as an isolated, transactional task. However, shifting…
Browsing CategoryGrant Writing Tips and Best Practices
Don’t use the phrase “we have always done it this way”
The phrase “we have always done it this way” is like nails scraping on a chalkboard for me, whether we are talking about a grant process, a program design, or, well … anything. And that…
Manage the Data Visually: Using Scrum for Grant Reporting and Compliance
For many nonprofits, securing a grant is a moment of pure celebration, until the realities of complex compliance and reporting surface. Tracking deliverables, managing restricted funding, and collecting auditable metrics can place a heavy administrative…
Keep Boundaries
“When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated.” – Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection I have high standards and expectations. They absolutely apply to myself and…
Set Boundaries
“Boundaries are basically about providing structure, and structure is essential in building anything that thrives.” – Henry Cloud I’ll be the first to admit that setting and keeping boundaries are two distinct skills that…
How to Build Your Grant Writing Style Guide
Good writing within any organization should not reflect any one individual’s personality, even though some days we want to add a little flair just for fun. All your organization’s writing needs a united identity, a…
Are You Wearing the Burnout Badge?
There is only one type of badge I like to wear for work – a conference badge. Yes, the kind on a lanyard with the option to add pins to the lanyard and ribbons to…
Why Strategic Plans Are the Secret Weapon in Successful Grant Writing
Guest post by By Jodi Omear and Margaret Chapman, JaM Strategies Grant writing isn’t just about compelling narratives or clean budgets. It’s about proof. Funders want evidence that your organization knows where it’s going, how…
Is It Fun?
I joined the Rotary Club of Clayton this past summer. But before I formally joined, I attended numerous meetings as a guest to learn about the work of our local club and to see if…
The State of AI in Grantmaking: Adoption, Ambiguity, and the Urgent Need for Policy*
The conversation around Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the philanthropic sector has shifted from “if” to “how.” A recent survey the DH Leonard Consulting team conducted exploring the use of AI among grantmakers and grantseekers, reveals…