Welcome to Day 6 of the 30-Day Grant Readiness Challenge!

You’ve assessed your organization, checked your registrations, centralized your passwords, audited your attachments, and identified your team. That checklist represents a lot of heavy lifting for one week.

• Day 1: Take the GRASP Tool
• Day 2: Centralize Government Registrations
• Day 3: Centralize Application Passwords
• Day 4: Check Your Grant Attachments
• Day 5: Assess & Engage Your Grant Team

Today is a Strategic Rest Day.

Why Rest Is Part of Grant Readiness

In the nonprofit world, some folks “wear” burnout like a badge of honor. But a burnt-out grant professional is a liability, not an asset. Grant-writer burnout leads to typos, missed deadlines, and uninspired narratives.

To be truly grant ready, you must be mentally sharp and physically refreshed. Taking a pause today ensures that you have the enthusiasm to finish the remaining 24 days of this challenge and the many deadlines that lie ahead.

Your Task for Day 6:

• Unplug: Close your grant-tracking spreadsheet for at least four hours.
• Celebrate: Look back at the progress you made from Day 1 to Day 5.
• Reflect: Which of the items from this week felt the most challenging?

Resources for a Sustainable Career

Check out these supportive resources on maintaining your wellness in a high-pressure industry:

• Read: Are You Wearing the Burnout Badge? – Diane Leonard, GPC, RST, talks about the badges worn and celebrated, often after a so-called “heroic effort” has been completed in service of achieving the organization’s mission.
• Watch: The Burnout Badge Is a Heroic Effort, Not a Plan – Diane discusses how to move away from the “busy” trap and toward sustainable success.
• Watch: Creating a Sustainable Culture of Grants – Maggie Perry, GPC, RPO, guides you through creating a culture of grants to secure more funding.
• Catch Up: If you missed an earlier day in this 30-Day Challenge, use this time to revisit the GRASP Tool or our Grant Readiness Resources Hub.

Join the Discussion

We want to hear from you! How do you recharge during a busy grant season? Do you have a favorite way to unplug from the office?

Leave a note in the comments below and share your favorite self-care tip for grant professionals!