Grant Writing & Funding

Join the Free, Live Training, "Earn an Extra $10K in 90 Days Writing Grants at Home" on Tuesday, October 14th at 4 pm - 5:30 pm EST. Click here https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy-webinar.Yes, meaningful conversations are a must if you want effective solutions for your nonprofit strategies. I know. It's easier for many nonprofit leaders to just ask, "Can you just make me a fundraising content calendar within the hour?" But what if that fundraiser isn't really what your nonprofit needs to grow? I know it can feel taxing to try and fit in a conversation about why you even want the fundraiser in the first place (because we always have one) or what the real outcome you want that fundraiser to have for your nonprofit (er, money?). But the immediate answers aren't always the right ones. In this week's episode, Nonprofit Strategist Julie Platts guides me through how she goes deep with nonprofit clients to ask some of these specific questions. After all, she is a nonprofit strategist for a reason. What you hear might surprise you. But chances are, it will also inspire you to slow down for a few shakes so you can speed up with efficiency with your strategies. There are a lot of 'a-ha!' moments in this episode. Believe me. Plus, since Julie is also a consultant, she also shares with me some consultancy wisdom. We go deep on this too! I love how she talks about how she organizes her time and selects ideal clients. Need I say more? Just listen. Believe me, you'll thank me ;) What we discuss: How to have those meaningful conversations with nonprofit leaders What questions to ask nonprofits when prepping for strategic planning Why services usually need to change during these deep dives Why it's okay that these services change ;) How to select ideal clients by using a 'warm' technique Other amazing stuff that you just need to tune-in and listen to! ✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to get the proven G.R.A.N.T.S. formula to write winning grants ✨✨ Favor, please? If you love this podcast, would you please do me a favor and leave a review on iTunes or your podcast listener? This helps others find the podcast and I read each and every review! If you have any questions, feel free to email holly@grantwritingandfunding.com

Join the Free, Live Training, "Earn an Extra $10K in 90 Days Writing Grants at Home" on Tuesday, October 14th at 4 pm - 5:30 pm EST. Click here https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy-webinar.✨*Check out the links on https://grantwritingandfunding.com/173 * ✨ If you find yourself Googling when looking for grant funding or not even knowing where to start, then this podcast episode is for you! I've got Gauri Manglik, CEO and co-founder of Instrumentl on the show, and we go behind-the-scenes on how to use this platform. What is Instrumentl? It's a fundraising platform tool to help you find, well, funds. Looking for grants? This is your hub. What we Discuss in this Podcast About Instrumentl ✨ Why Instrumentl was created ✨ The new tools on Intrumentl (includes 990 magic) ✨ How to use Instrumentl for grant tracking ✨ How to use Instrumentl for grant research ✨ What types of grants are available on Instrumentl ✨ Secret (not-so-secret anymore!) announcement coming up! Thanks for listening! Holly Rustick Expert Grant Writer & Bestselling Author https://www.grantwritingandfunding.com/ ✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to get the proven G.R.A.N.T.S. formula to write winning grants ✨✨

Join the Free, Live Training, "Earn an Extra $10K in 90 Days Writing Grants at Home" on Tuesday, October 14th at 4 pm - 5:30 pm EST. Click here https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy-webinar.Have you ever wondered how to write the evaluation section of a grant proposal? Maybe you sat there at 2 a.m. (of course the night before a grant is due) and scratched your head as you came across this section towards the end of a grant. You think, “You want me to write how I am going to run a program and now you need to know how I will evaluate that the project is running how I said it will run?” Er, yep. Funding sources do want to know how you will evaluate what you say you are going to do. Are you proposing to house 30 sloths within 12 months? Well, you better include how you will evaluate that those 30 sloths will be housed! But seriously, we do need to showcase this in grants. In this week’s podcast, Dr. James Pann goes over how to write the evaluation section of a grant proposal (and he gives his top tips!). Thanks for listening! Holly Rustick Expert Grant Writer & Bestselling Author https://www.grantwritingandfunding.com/ ✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to get the proven G.R.A.N.T.S. formula to write winning grants ✨✨

Join the Free, Live Training, "Earn an Extra $10K in 90 Days Writing Grants at Home" on Tuesday, October 14th at 4 pm - 5:30 pm EST. Click here https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy-webinar.1. Get the FOA/RFP First you need to download the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) or Request for Proposal (RFP). These are usually for federal grants, state grants and contracts, and certain foundation grants. This is basically where the funding sources publish directions and guidance about the grant program. The grant funding sources also put in technical requirements (such as font size, margin sizes, number of pages allowed, and so forth). 2. Convert the FOA/RFP from a PDF to Word Doc PDFs can be really hard to work with! Especially if you copy something from a PDF and put it into a Word document. It might copy really strange and into a weird font or it might not even let you copy it. By converting the PDF file to a Word document you can work with the FOA/RFPs so much easier and it only take a few seconds to convert! 3. Copy the Scoring Criteria Section and Paste it Into a New Word Doc Now that the FOA/RFP is in a Word document you will want to go to the Scoring Criteria in the FOA/RFP. Copy that and put in a new Word document. I know, another Word document, but you will thank me. Ta-da! Now you’re not starting with a blank page! 4. Turn the Criteria Sections into Headers (Header 1, Header 2) What do I mean by this… well, make the criteria actual headers. Make the main scoring criteria (for example, Needs Section) a Header One and then any questions under Needs Section into a Header Two. 5. Put in a table of contents at the beginning (if you have space allowed) Go to the beginning of your Word Document and go to Reference Tab in the Word document and click on Table of Contents. This is nice to include in your cover page or in the top of the first page. This is of course, if you do have room. Why is this important? It shows there is a flow to the grant. 😊 6. Respond to the Grant Scoring Criteria Now you have all the questions formatted and you no longer have a blank page. Plus you will be responding directly the Scoring Criteria. This is super important because grant reviewers are real people who have to score according to the grant scoring criteria. Thanks for listening! Holly Rustick Expert Grant Writer & Bestselling Author https://www.grantwritingandfunding.com/ ✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to get the proven G.R.A.N.T.S. formula to write winning grants ✨✨

Join the Free, Live Training, "Earn an Extra $10K in 90 Days Writing Grants at Home" on Tuesday, October 14th at 4 pm - 5:30 pm EST. Click here https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy-webinar.As a 15+ year grant writing veteran I have seen some amazing resources come and go, and I've seen other ones evolve. I am highlighting 8 resources that I LOVE and some of these I use on a consistent basis! In fact, I am using one right now (after you read through my recommendations, have a guess at which one I am using at this moment!).  In full transparency, I do have partnerships (and receive affiliate payments) with some of these products below and offer coupon codes for you. I do this as I love, love, love these products and they are proven to help grant writers succeed!  #1) Federal Grants: Grants.Gov  This is for you if you are seeking federal grants. And this one is free!  This is a U.S. government e-platform and is where all federal grants are required to be published. I recommend joining the email list and checking the boxes on what types of grants you are interested in being notified of.  #2) Federal Grants: Federal Agency Websites Okay, this one has a lot of links. What I recommend you do is visit the federal agency websites that are related to your nonprofit. Even though all federal grants are published on Grants.gov, it is still good to visit the federal agency website where the grant originates from.  3) Nonprofit & Foundation Information: Guidestar.org Guidestar.org is a great place to find both nonprofits and foundations. (Your nonprofit might even be listed here!) Check it out to ensure that your nonprofit's profile is updated and accurate as funding sources sometimes check out Guidestar.org when reviewing grants! 4) Foundation and Federal Grant Research: Instrumentl Looking for a grant research platform that includes foundation grants? Instrumentl is a an intuitive online software that matches your specific programs with funding opportunities.  5) Grant Management: GEMS (Grant Easy Management Software) GEMS was built by a grant writer to manage nonprofit clients, previously submitted grants, and more! Never miss a grant deadline with this program management system developed specifically for grants writers. 6) Project Management: Asana Track your fundraiser, project, and more (and share with your team!). You can also upload all files and graphics needed for projects so no more digging through emails! 7) Graphics: Canva I love, love, lova Canva! Do you need to create social media posts, fliers, or even webpages? Check out Canva for even the dinosaur techies! It’s so easy to use and has tons of templates! 8) Time Tracking: Toggl Yes, time tracking is a thing. It’s actually a major item that every grant writer should use! You need to know about how long it takes you to write a foundation grant, a federal grant, a fundraising proposal and more! All you have to do is write what you are doing and it tracks your time! Plus, it gives you  reports and more. This is also great for freelance grant writers who need to bill for your time. It’ll track everything and you can send your clients a jazzy report! Plus, there’s an app. Thanks for listening! Holly Rustick Expert Grant Writer & Bestselling Author https://www.grantwritingandfunding.com/ ✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to get the proven G.R.A.N.T.S. formula to write winning grants ✨✨

Join the Free, Live Training, "Earn an Extra $10K in 90 Days Writing Grants at Home" on Tuesday, October 14th at 4 pm - 5:30 pm EST. Click here https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy-webinar.What is the difference between an output and outcome in a grant proposal? The difference between an output and outcome in a grant proposal might not seem quite different at first. In fact, it might feel downright like the same darn thing. For many grant writers this difference between an output and outcome can feel a little abstract and confusing. You might be thinking, "What are the differences and why do grants have to be so meticulous?" Are grant funding sources just trying to trick you with these output and outcome words? Are they chuckling in the background while you scratch your head and think, “to-may-to / to-mah-to”? Nah, grant reviewers aren’t that bored, although they do have a good sense of humor. But it's good for you there is a quick way to know what this differences actually are and a way you can remember outputs and outcomes, and better yet, understand them. Once you understand what the differences (and similarities) are between grant outputs and outcomes it will make your grant writing SO much better. ✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to get the proven G.R.A.N.T.S. formula to write winning grants ✨✨ Favor, please? If you love this podcast, would you please do me a favor and leave a review on iTunes or your podcast listener? This helps others find the podcast and I read each and every review! If you have any questions, feel free to email holly@grantwritingandfunding.com I’d love to connect with you! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWzIfwJt0az9KKwKz1Uc8vg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyrustick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-rustick-0765b817/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grantwritingandfunding/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/grantwritingandfunding/ Thanks for listening! Holly Rustick Expert Grant Writer & Bestselling Author https://www.grantwritingandfunding.com/ ✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to get the proven G.R.A.N.T.S. formula to write winning grants ✨✨

Join the Free, Live Training, "Earn an Extra $10K in 90 Days Writing Grants at Home" on Tuesday, October 14th at 4 pm - 5:30 pm EST. Click here https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy-webinar.Find out where you can get SO many free nonprofit fundraising courses! Favor, please? If you love this podcast, would you please do me a favor and leave a review on iTunes or your podcast listener? This helps others find the podcast and I read each and every review! If you have any questions, feel free to email holly@grantwritingandfunding.com I’d love to connect with you! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWzIfwJt0az9KKwKz1Uc8vg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyrustick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-rustick-0765b817/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grantwritingandfunding/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/grantwritingandfunding/ Thanks for listening! Holly Rustick Expert Grant Writer & Bestselling Author https://www.grantwritingandfunding.com/ ✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to get the proven G.R.A.N.T.S. formula to write winning grants ✨✨

Join the Free, Live Training, "Earn an Extra $10K in 90 Days Writing Grants at Home" on Tuesday, October 14th at 4 pm - 5:30 pm EST. Click here https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy-webinar.✨ Get the Free Workbook: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/167-how-to-write-objectives-for-a-grant-proposal/ ✨ Learning how to write objectives for grant application proposals is essential to your grant writing success. This is often overlooked. Many people think an objective can just be a wish. Such as, "We hope to accomplish this program." Let's just start with Captain Obvious. Would you be willing to give someone money for a project if they only hoped to accomplish it? Or would you be willing to shell out dough for a project that had a goal of 'Ending Poverty for All" but there was no plan on how to accomplish that goal? Sometimes it helps to flip the script and pretend you are the funding source, rather than the applicant. But how do you create a plan (objectives) for a grant proposal? What is the secret formula? Check out this week's article and podcast! ✨ Get the Free Workbook: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/167-how-to-write-objectives-for-a-grant-proposal/ ✨ Favor, please? If you love this podcast, would you please do me a favor and leave a review on iTunes or your podcast listener? This helps others find the podcast and I read each and every review! If you have any questions, feel free to email holly@grantwritingandfunding.com I’d love to connect with you! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWzIfwJt0az9KKwKz1Uc8vg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyrustick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-rustick-0765b817/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grantwritingandfunding/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/grantwritingandfunding/ Thanks for listening! Holly Rustick Expert Grant Writer & Bestselling Author https://www.grantwritingandfunding.com/ ✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to get the proven G.R.A.N.T.S. formula to write winning grants ✨✨

Join the Free, Live Training, "Earn an Extra $10K in 90 Days Writing Grants at Home" on Tuesday, October 14th at 4 pm - 5:30 pm EST. Click here https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy-webinar.Are you looking for tips to increase donor giving on your nonprofit's website? You might be frustrated because you finally went through the work of installing a donate button and connected it to your nonprofit's PayPal account, but you are getting nada.  Why aren't donors giving? Your website is up. The donor button is up. But still, no transactions. Ugh. It makes you want to crawl under your desk with a box of Kleenex. You might think, "Do people even care about my nonprofit?" The fact is, that plenty of people probably care about your nonprofit and the mission it provides. But have a think. Just think about all the times you have donated (or tried to donate) to nonprofit's online. Have you ever been on a website where you hit the 'donate' button and it brought you to a 404 Error Page? Or maybe your baby started crying in the background and the nonprofit was requesting a survey for you to fill out before you gave so you just hit the X button and closed out the page? There are a lot of reasons that people might not become donors online. And most of them aren't because they don't care about your nonprofit. (So throw that tissue away). A lot of times it is because of the friction to actually become a donor.  This could mean an error page, too many questions to donate, and lots, lots, more.  In this week's podcast, Brady Josephson from NextAfter Institute will this and more including: Online Donor Friction Worksheet Donor Giving overall was up 2 -10% in the United States in 2020 2020 was the Biggest Year in Online Giving (up at least 30%) in the history of the world Transition to investing in technology for nonprofits Digital fundraising ideas Important to remember when online marketing "You are not your donor" Why email marketing and nurturing should be more frequent than once a month Why you should do both online and offline donor updates (emails, social media, phone calls, direct mail) Favor, please? If you love this podcast, would you please do me a favor and leave a review on iTunes or your podcast listener? This helps others find the podcast and I read each and every review! If you have any questions, feel free to email holly@grantwritingandfunding.com I’d love to connect with you! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWzIfwJt0az9KKwKz1Uc8vg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyrustick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-rustick-0765b817/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grantwritingandfunding/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/grantwritingandfunding/ Thanks for listening! Holly Rustick Expert Grant Writer & Bestselling Author https://www.grantwritingandfunding.com/ ✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to get the proven G.R.A.N.T.S. formula to write winning grants ✨✨

Join the Free, Live Training, "Earn an Extra $10K in 90 Days Writing Grants at Home" on Tuesday, October 14th at 4 pm - 5:30 pm EST. Click here https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy-webinar.Grant management needs to be made easy otherwise you will miss a grant or funding deadline!  Let me know if you resonate with any of the following: You've woken up in the middle of the night with a start and pry out your phone realizing you just missed a grant deadline Or maybe you submitted a grant a year ago but can't find the final application anywhere. Or a combination of the above! Yes, whether you are a nonprofit leader that is juggling your actual job and had the role of grant writer thrown on your lap or if you are a freelance grant writer and are having a hard time keeping up with grant opportunities (or plain management) of your nonprofit clients, then this episode is for you! In this week's podcast episode Rachel Waterman, CEO and Founder of GDS Grants, shares her Grant Management System Made Easy (GEMS). She also discusses her unique system of managing clients and her background on how she got started with writing grants. (wink-wink, it might include the Peace Corps). What We Discuss in This Episode: How Rachel got started in writing grants How leveraging your strengths can help you as a grant writer Rachel's unique grant writing methods Writing out objectives and goals in grants  How federal and foundation grant writing are similar How to manage upcoming grants and funding opportunities to never miss a deadline How to manage nonprofit clients How to be more professional as a grant writer About Rachel: Rachel Waterman has over 25 years of community development and grant writing experience, is Grant Professional Certified (GPC), a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), a Grant Professionals Association (GPA) Approved Trainer, and an expert in grant management. She holds a Master’s degree in community and economic development with a concentration in applied social research from Illinois State University and a Bachelor’s degree in international studies from Barry University. Her career has encompassed a broad spectrum of professional experiences, including serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer, nonprofit executive director, community organizer, city master planner, researcher, and Mayor of the city of Lake Worth Beach, Florida. Rachel is CEO and Founder of GDS Grants. She is responsible for client strategy, new program & budget development, data tracking systems, outcome measures and data analysis. Rachel also oversees the GDS Professional Development Program and personally coaches GDS interns, fellows and mentees.