Don't Let Grants Stress You Out
My Fundraising HayDay podcast co-host and dear friend Amanda Day experienced a new way of looking at things during a recent vacation. While the new ice cream flavors and beautiful seascapes she discovered along the coast of Maine must have been breathtaking, a singular revelation came to her as she squinted at her phone. A friend noticed her discomfort and lent her reading glasses—literally changing…
Collaboration is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot, especially in the grant world. We all like to think we collaborate with our fellow nonprofits, local governments, and other neighbors, but do we really? True collaboration, simply put, is so much more than support. It brings knowledge, money, staff, and resources to bear for the mutual benefit of two or more…
One of my favorite things about the summer is the free time. I do not have to cart my kids around to practice, help with homework, or stick to the school year’s schedule. That extra time is spent doing all the things we love: watching the summer blockbuster movies, enjoying laidback days with friends, and experiencing an adventure or two. For me, summer always…
The check-in meeting had already run an hour over. Together, we navigated the choppy seas of registration through login.gov, sam.gov, and grants.gov for the executive director (ED) and the chief development officer. I was discussing a complex program packaging for a client’s first foray into larger-scale federal funding. After extensive prospect research, we had identified this opportunity and added it to the grants calendar. It…
Many agencies hire a grant consultant to start or help grow their grant portfolio. And while that may seem like a simple solution to your grant woes, a they do not magically appear and take all the work off your plate. A good working relationship requires ongoing communication, shared resources, and joint effort. So, what should you expect when you hire a grant consultant? …
As a grant writer (or grant professional, as members of our team prefer), your job is to write compelling grant applications to secure funding for your organization. It requires a unique set of skills, including researching funding opportunities, understanding the needs of your organization, crafting a convincing narrative, and navigating the application process. But what about daily habits? What are the things grant writers do…
Years ago, the Grant Professionals Association started the Conference Navigators Program as part of their annual conference. They pair regular attendees with first-timers a month or two before the conference. Conference navigators typically email first-timers before the event, sharing advice, and offering to answer any questions. I always warn to dress in layers that can overcome fluctuating room temperatures; bring comfortable shoes; participate in one…
The process of writing and submitting a large grant proposal can be daunting and stressful, but one way our team takes some of the stress out of the submission process, and increases our confidence is through the mock review process. A mock review is a process in which a group of individuals (ideally three), often including experts in the field, review and provide feedback…
Back in the aughts, I was a newly hired manager of corporate and foundation relations at a food bank with the directive to aggressively grow grant funding—by at least 25% in my first year. The agency had a strong base of family foundation support, but my job was to bring in larger grants and bring them in fast. With supportive management and coworkers, solid programs…
Where do you belong in your organization? Who do you report to? And does your boss even understand the world of grants? The answers vary with every grant professional. We bring in funding for our organization, so some agencies lump us in the finance department. We are fundraisers, so nonprofits often place us in the development department. Some metropolitan cities have grant professionals embedded…