Don't Let Grants Stress You Out
We’ve all done it. (And if you say you haven’t, you’re definitely telling a little white lie.) A friend, spouse or a colleague asks your opinion. And you fear that telling the actual truth will hurt their feelings. So you may find yourself saying: “No, your butt doesn’t look too big in those jeans… Or “yes, I would love to see every picture on…
BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO BE A CASE STUDY IN SOMEONE’S GRANT WORKSHOP A couple of years ago, a grant friend and I submitted a proposal on fraud for the Grant Professional Association’s Annual Conference. To keep things interesting, we highlighted real life examples of grants and money management gone wrong. Imagine my shock as I’m standing in line for lunch at said…
IT’S NORMAL TO LOVE THE FRESH SMELL OF OFFICE SUPPLIES, RIGHT? #ASKINGFORAFRIEND A few years ago, I participated in a #grantchat on Twitter focused on technology. (#grantchat is from 12-1 pm Eastern every Tuesday.) Questions centered around the different tools we use as grant professionals to make our lives easier and work more efficiently. I learned so much in 60 minutes, and one of…
We all have days as grant professionals/grant writers where we are looking for a bit of inspiration or motivation, even if it comes in the form of inspirational quotes, right?! In my office, I love to keep track of inspirational quotes that are related to writer’s block, editing, mistakes/rejection, and all things writing-related so that we can read them as needed and then dig back…
If the OIG Arrived on Your Doorstep Tomorrow, Would You Survive the Day? Site visits and single audits forever make me feel as if I’ve been called to the principal’s office. (For the record, I’ve never been, but just the thought would have sent my type A personality, rule-following self into a tailspin.) I’m darn good at grant management, and I do my best to…
In a grant seeking environment of ever-increasing competition, it is imperative to provide a proposal that provides the clearest, yet most energized proposal that will excite the reader and make them want to financially support the program. The following are what I consider to be the 8 qualities that describe excellent proposals regardless of the program focus: 1. Energy – The proposal shines with enthusiasm and passion….
Once every two months or so, I travel down a semi-rural highway flanked by pine trees and cow pastures–deep into South Georgia to visit some dear friends and get my introvert on. During the three-hour drive, I pass through the homes and haunts of literary giants. First comes Eatonton, GA, the birthplace of Alice Walker, novelist, short-story writer, poet, essayist, and activist. Her most famous…
It’s the start of the new year, 2020! We thought this would be a great time to throw it back for #throwbackthursday and revisit our top blog posts of 2019. Questions to Help You Think Like a Grant Reviewer “This month I served as a grant reviewer for the first time. I had three foundation applications to review in six weeks (a pretty generous…
One of the most foundational tools in a grant professional’s toolkit is one that many organizations still don’t have in place: a grant calendar. Let’s make sure we start with what a grant calendar is — and is not. What a Grant Calendar Is NOT An entry for each upcoming deadline on your own personal calendar Something set in stone, or a limitation on…
Holiday baking reigns supreme this time of year. Cookies, cakes, pies—it’s hard to escape. I’m not a baker, but I do appreciate the baking artistry of others. And I do escape the hustle and bustle of end of the year reporting and fundraising deadlines through grit, determination, and extreme binging of cooking shows on Netflix and YouTube. The Great British Baking Show surpasses all other…