Don't Let Grants Stress You Out
Our team comprises of book lovers who read books from all genres. This year, we decided to hold a Secret Santa book exchange and it was a lot of fun sending books to each other. As we begin 2024, we realized that we needed a list of must-read books and decided to ask for your recommendations. We were not disappointed with the suggestions we received….
We’re so excited to announce the 2024 Top Grant Writing Blogs to Follow. 2024 Top Blogs to Follow based on what we were reading from them in 2023. It is the goal of DH Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services to assist nonprofit organizations with competitively researching, applying for, and receiving grant funding to best serve our clients and have a significant impact in their…
Over more than 25 years of researching, prioritizing, writing, developing objectives, creating evaluation plans, and tangling with logic models, I never spent much time measuring a crucial aspect of work that affects all those tasks and more—my happiness. I am not saying that I expected every day to be a Disney cartoon of winsome talking animals that burst into song and happy endings. The singing…
For a long time, I struggled with my work as a grant professional. Don’t get me wrong. I loved tackling a challenging federal grant proposal. And I loved it even more when we got an award letter. Managing federal grants was my jam – I loved putting my organizational skills to work and totally geeked out about a well-put-together 3-ring binder. So, what was…
Imagine you are standing on the starting line of a running race. The race official says when my arm drops and the gun goes off, you all get to start. Then they point at you and say, BUT, before I do that, YOU get to start NOW before the rest of the field. After you get over the surprise of the unexpected head start, off…
Having raised more than $101 million “the hard way” through 90% private foundation and individual fundraising over the last 20+ years, I have experienced my share of rejections. What I mean is that this total represents dozens, if not hundreds, of proposals with request amounts ranging between $10,000 and $200,000 for every $1million+ ask. Why so many? The truth is, it’s a competitive process, and…
Recently, I attended MyFedTrainer’s Grant Writing Boot Camp (GWBC) hosted by our team’s founder and President, Diane H. Leonard, GPC, RST. Having written many federal grants in the past, I was excited to hear insights from another seasoned grant professional. There was helpful new information provided, as well as important reminders to remember when working on federal grant applications. Some of those takeaways are below:…
Once upon a time, in a cubicle far, far away, I saw an announcement for a senior grant writing position at a national organization. At first glance, it seemed like a dream job. Then, I read further. Under the qualifications heading, it stated that they were looking for a grant writer who never made a mistake—that perfection was the goal for every grant submitted. What…
I do not claim to have all the answers, but after two decades of grant writing, I know a thing or two about how funders operate. And like most grant professionals, I have thoughts and feelings on how this world of philanthropy can improve. No matter what you think about the United States government these days, one thing I hope we can all agree…
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 Move it Or the very popular Mega Mix? Jock Jams MegaMix These are songs that are sure to inspire and fire up the players at a sporting event…
