Don't Let Grants Stress You Out
I find lessons about grant writing in many of my experiences and adventures, from digging for clams to swimming with sharks. So it should come as no surprise that climbing a mountain in the Adirondacks with my spouse and two children would not only help teach my girls some important life lessons but also highlight key lessons about grant writing for me to reflect on and…
**Note from Diane: I was thrilled when Bethany said that she was willing to write about her journey to sit for the GPC exam. I hope her story inspires you and prompts you to consider your future professional development, whether it be a certification or other next step. Over a year ago I started the process to sit for the Grant Professional Certification (GPC)…
In a previous Grant Funding in Action blog post here, I spoke about my work with the Mindful Veterans Project and completion of an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course. Like most other careers, grant professionals deal with stress on a daily basis. Deadlines, grant rejections, dealing with difficult people, budgets, finding the right words, research, striving for perfection, proving our Return on Investment (ROI), staying…
It might start with an innocent question: “How much should we put in the budget for mileage?” with a well-intentioned answer like “Let’s put in $750, that feels like the right amount.” But why $750? How does a mileage budget of $750 fit in with the narrative story of your program design? Why would staff need to travel that much if the program is all offered on-site? Or…
All the back-to-school sales and pictures of squeaky clean kids with backpacks have me thinking about education and professional development. What does continuing education look like for a grant writer? There are endless opportunities, but budgeting time and money for them is challenging. I’ve summarized six tips that are easy on your budget, in regards to both time and money. 1 – Sign up…
*Note from Diane: We are excited to have Junior Consultant, Bethany Turner, joining us on the blog as a contributor. As we have done with our other team members that are contributing to the blog, I asked Bethany to share a “Grant Funding in Action” story with us as a means of introducing her to you, our treasured readers! The marquee on the front…
Note from Diane: Julie hit the nail on the head this week by talking about how to get through any doldrums you might be feeling in the summer…especially if your scheduled vacation for the summer hasn’t yet arrived or has long since passed! No matter how much work there is to do, there’s seasonal doldrums in grant writing. Every July and August some remain…
Can you believe that $600 billion is awarded each year in federal grants?? The new OMB Uniform Guidance Administrative Requirements place tremendous emphasis on grantee internal controls. So, what are they? Why should you care? How do they impact your grants and your organization? According to Section 200.303 Internal Controls are crucial to the grants management world because: They safeguard funds, property, and other assets against fraud,…
Note from Diane: You may remember, but I had the opportunity to swim with nurse sharks and rays this winter. I shared my reflections on what it means to lead a creative life and how challenging ourselves in new experiences can improve our work. Little did I know that colleague and today’s guest blogger, Dr. Judy Riffle, had a fascination with sharks! So we’re sharing a…
*Note from Diane: Grammar might not seem like the coolest topic to address, or the most viral of topics for a grant writing blog, but it is a critical part of our work as grant professionals for creating compelling applications. Julie does a great job in today’s post of outlining the value of the semicolon in creating a concise and clear piece for a grant…