Don't Let Grants Stress You Out
Which do you like first, the good news or the bad news? But before you answer, what if I told you that the good news is also the bad news? How you or your clients handle this good, bad news or this bad, good news will affect the sustainability of your nonprofit agency. Baby Boomer wealth transfer forms the glass half-empty or half-full…
When it comes to making an impact on the communities and issues they have prioritized as a philanthropic body, grant funders live vicariously through their awardees. So it makes sense that they would want to know how the work of applicant organizations is making a difference in those same communities and how it is impacting the issues about which the funder is passionate. Questions…
After years of pandemics, civil unrest, natural disasters, and economic uncertainty, what red-blooded grant writer or fundraiser wouldn’t want to curl up on a comfy couch and scroll away for a few minutes to escape the stress and practice some self-care? You deserve it. After all, you’re probably being told to write more, ask more, and work more with less time, money, and fewer…
My family has a cake recipe that we have passed around for years now. We were introduced to it when my sister made my wedding cake, and it is now used for birthday cupcakes, anniversary celebrations, holidays, etc. No one can quite remember where it came from, and the only existing documentation of the recipe is a text message with the ingredients – no instructions….
Every time I meet a new grant professional and hear about their work, I am totally in awe. We juggle so many deadlines and responsibilities. The work we do is IMPACTFUL to communities around the world. In case you have never met a grant pro, here’s a sampling of what I’m talking about. My friend Laura works for Habitat for Humanity and funds the building…
“Show me the money!” Anyone who lived through the 90s can identify that famous catchphrase. Despite our opinions on Jerry McGuire, this is all too often the expectation with stakeholders when it comes to grant funding. If only it were that simple! But the fact is, successfully securing and implementing grant funding takes time and effort; to be successful in the business of grants, you…
Many people become grant writers because they’re better with words than people. And by many, I mean me. You too, maybe? Seriously though, in my 25+ years in nonprofit fundraising, I have met many more introverts than extroverts who gravitate toward grant writing and management versus individual donors or special events. But here’s the trick. Even though many foundations may seem like faceless institutions hidden…
*Diane’s note: You are used to our team talking about how both pre-award and post-award work connect to create an organization’s overall grant readiness. In fact, we were just talking about this in our most recent webinar about How to Be Exceptionally Grant Ready with Lucy Morgan from MyFedTrainer.com. That’s why thinking about the key types of tools to help you with your grant management…
This is the story of how I found my people. You know who I’m talking about – the colleagues you learn to lean on when you have questions; the ones who understand when you’re having a bad day because they’ve been there too; the people who celebrate your victories, big AND small; and the people who check in regularly because they care. I believe that…
How do you write a grant and win tons of funding? Preparation, or in the grant writer’s case “Readiness”. Readiness is all about preparing your organization to write a grant proposal and creating a strategy for ensuring you are pursuing the right funding sources to help your organization meet its mission. Here are 5 tips for grant writing readiness. Organizational Information: Be prepared to…