Dear Experienced Grant Writer: I have four years experience in grants and I joined a new company where the expectations for completing a proposal are a bit unrealistic. I plan and wrote a federal cooperative agreement a couple of months ago in just three weeks. This took me at least 2-3 hours each evening of the workweek and some hours each weekend just to complete…
Grant Writer’s Blog
Top 3 Tips for Increasing Positive Board Involvement for Grants and Fundraising
Written by: Fundraising HayDay
I went down a TikTok rabbit hole recently. If I’m being honest, I was diving deep into mindless distraction every day before I disabled the app and addressed some life stressors, but that’s not the point. The point is that watching people sprint down a dark street carrying random things to a snippet of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” gave me a laugh when I…
With a recent new client, they are saying that I am crazy to charge a flat rate instead of a percentage of grant awards.
Written by: Administrative AssistantDear Experienced Grant Writer: I have been a self-employed grant writer for over 10 years. When I started, it was no longer best practices to charge a percentage of any grant award received. I have charged a flat rate all these years. With a recent new client, they are saying that I am crazy to charge a flat rate instead of a percentage of grant…
Three Tips for Better Grants Through Storytelling AND Data
Written by: Fundraising HayDay
Once upon a time in the kingdom of Grantlandia lived a lonely grant scribe who yearned to convince King Thomas the Tightfisted and Queen Attachmentia Excessiva to release their treasure to the people so that all could prosper. (Also, the nameless grant writer knew darn well that the Royal family was sitting on the money they had inherited or had unfairly taxed—but that is another…
Find Your Grant Writing Superpower!
Written by: Fundraising HayDay
How many of you knew by age 12 that you wanted to be a grant professional when you grew up? I’m guessing no one, because who even knew this was a profession when we were in middle school? Maybe your kids know now, but if they are anything like mine, they think it is the most boring profession in the world. My two have no…
I want to be a grant writer but only have 1 year of experience. How would you suggest gaining more experience?
Written by: Diane Leonard, GPC, RSTDear Experienced Grant Writer: I want to be a grant writer but only have 1 year of experience. How would you suggest gaining more experience? Dear year old grant writer, I would recommend reaching out to a local/regional nonprofit that you are passionate about the mission for, explain that you are new in your grant writing career, and ask if you can assist in…
A Summer Reading List for Grant Professionals
Written by: Diane Leonard, GPC, RST
We know that many grant professionals read a wide range of genres for both pleasure, but also for inspiration related to their professional work. So I suppose I shouldn’t have been as surprised by the large number of responses my request for book recommendations in our recent newsletter garnered in responses. I didn’t want to keep them all to myself, therefore, I present you…
Top 3 Reasons Why Funders’ Grant Workshops Are Worth Attending
Written by: Fundraising HayDay
You know the exact feeling I am talking about. You just got the email from a funder announcing the next round of grant applications, including an accompanying workshop. Even if it’s not mandatory, you feel obligated to attend. Even though you have written this grant every year for the past five years. Even though you get awarded every year. Even though the workshop has been…
Find More Grants By Rethinking Capital Campaigns
Written by: Fundraising HayDay
Atlanta traffic is a stone-cold fact. Explosive population growth, aging roads over capacity, and an insufficient public transit system united to spawn snarls of bumper-to-bumper traffic that has spilled over from traditional rush hours. Getting mad at traffic between 2 and 6:30 p.m. is like getting angry at the heat and humidity here in the summertime. Go ahead and feel all your feels, but it…
Writing Grants When You’re NOT a Grant Writer
Written by: Fundraising HayDay
Anytime I lead a grant writing workshop, I always ask the attendees to share their grant experience – whether they’ve been a grant professional for years and are looking for a refresher or if they’ve been voluntold that grants are now under their preview. Many workshop attendees admit that two days ago their boss told them to start looking for and writing grants because they…