Grant Writing & Funding

A common question I get, as a grant professional, from nonprofit clients, is, "Can you guarantee that the grant you write for us will get awarded?" There are a number of reasons that I say no. Very simply put, these are some of the determining factors: 1) It depends also on the nonprofit's capacity and experience in winning and managing grants that depend on their competitiveness with getting a grant awarded. 2) It depends on how well the grant project aligns with the priority of the funding source. 3) It depends on how 'trendy' the project is with current funding overall. 4) It depends on how many grant applications the funding source receives. These are just a few, but there are many more reasons. Listen to this week's podcast to hear them all and how you can respond to this question!

Did you know that you can do grant research as a stand-alone service or in a package that you offer nonprofit clients? You write grants, but did you know you can charge separately for researching and finding grants?  (jaws drop). Yes! Here's the thing...sometimes nonprofit clients will approach grant professionals with a list of grant opportunities and just want you to write the grants. But more often than not, nonprofit clients will also want you - the freelance grant writer - to research the grants, too. Sometimes nonprofit clients may not understand that this is an additional service or will increase your grant writing rate. Why? Well, grant research takes: an investment of your skillset (yes, grant research is an art), your time (the research rabbit hole), and money (most grant research databases charge you to use their database).  So grant research can actually be a standalone service you provide or in addition to the grant writing (first you find the best X # of best-fit grants, then you write t

✨ Join my Free 5-day FB Challenge: Confidently Pitch Your Grant Writing Services to Nonprofit Clients" Click here: http://grantwritingandfunding.com/5-day ✨ Grant Writing Certificate. To have or not to have?  And then... from where? This is a question I get all the time.  I get this question from freelance grant writers and aspiring freelancers, but I also get it from potential nonprofit clients.  Do you have a grant writing certificate? This question, and 7 more common questions asked by nonprofit clients, I will go over in even more detail (and give you a fill-in-the-blank script) in my upcoming 5-Day FB Challenge, "Confidently Pitch Your Grant Writing Services to Nonprofit Clients" on March 8th - 12th. Sign up above. But for this week's podcast, I will uncover the answer to the elusive question, "Do you have a grant writing certificate?" Here's the thing though. Grant Certificate or not, it doesn't really showcase your grant writing abilities. To have long-standing credibility and a reputation and

✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to get the proven G.R.A.N.T.S. formula to write winning grants ✨✨ These are 7 myths about grant writing and freelance grant writing that I have heard time and time again. In this week's podcast episode, I am going to break down each of the following: #1: Grants Are Easy To Get Grants are not super easy to write. In fact, if you are a grant writing you are probably chuckling right now. Grants are competitive. They aren't impossible to get, nor are they so easy that you don't need to learn the technique behind grant writing.  #2: Grants Don't Have to Be Paid Back No Matter What Sure, overall grants don't have to be paid back. However, if grants aren't spent properly they might need to be paid back. Always check with the program office if you need to modify a budget to get permission before you spend for something not approved! #3 Grants Can Cover My Personal Debt Moreover, you are not going to get a funding source to pay off your BMW. Grants are created for specif

✨ Click here to download the Infographic Top 10 Responsibilities of a Nonprofit Executive Director: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/158-3-tactics-you-didnt-know-to-become-a-nonprofit-executive-director-ninja/ ​ ✨ What if you had a checklist to help streamline your duties as an executive director of a nonprofit organization? Sometimes an executive director of a nonprofit organization is stereotyped as juggling a million things and getting paid peanuts. But this doesn't, nor shouldn't, need to be the case. For a nonprofit organization to thrive, the executive director should have a roadmap. Some nonprofit organizations may not even have an executive director yet, and are even drooling at this aspect of having one! But the deal is - if your nonprofit is so fortunate to have an executive director - don't burn them out! So here's the old hierarchal order of a nonprofit. There is a board of directors that provides guidance for the nonprofit organization and then the executive director implements this guida

✨ FREE Nonprofit Client Start Guide: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-client-starter-guide/ ✨ Ready to Start Growing Your Freelance Grant Writing Business But Not Sure Where to Start? This podcast episode and free (and highly detailed) cheat sheet will give you, as a freelance grant writer or nonprofit consultant, everything you need to know to confidently reach out to nonprofit leads and start securing clients like a pro. (Yep, even if you’re starting with no clients!) Let's face it - starting a freelance grant writing business or nonprofit consultancy can feel overwhelming! Knowing how and where to find nonprofit clients can be like facing a large ocean of obscure possibilities. But it doesn't have to be that way! That's why I created this extensive roadmap for you! So how do you find those clients? Through the following 5 steps! (download the roadmap or listen to the podcast to get examples and the full system!) #1: Identify Your Skillset #2: Identify Your Passion/Knowledg

Being a freelance grant writer doesn’t need to be a career - yes, career, not just a hobby - full of pulling your hair out! Not at all, my friend. This can be quite the opposite. It can be one where you grow in a methodical way and start with a strong foundation.

In this podcast, I am going to bring up when your freelance company or nonprofit should stand up for movements or injustice. Here’s the deal. Sometimes I see nonprofits and freelance companies not sure if they should publicly support something. Most of the time it’s not because you don’t support something, but rather you might not be sure if your brand should make a stand. In this episode, I am going to give you indicators on how you can quickly decide if you want your nonprofit to stand on an issue and how you want to represent it. I am not going to shove down your throat what my stances are on issues, however, I will use my company’s stances as examples that I actually practice what I preach. Here’s the issue. Many times nonprofits and freelancers are just scared to publish a social media post or say they are in alignment with issues. They may fear losing donors, losing followers, or getting unsubscribes on their email list. They may not want to marginalize or polarize their audience. I am going to s

I actually get this question a lot. Why should I start a podcast?  And later after explaining it the following two questions: How do I start one? Can I earn revenue with a podcast? In this week's podcast, I speak to podcast expert Larry Roberts, podcast host of Readily Random and the 1 Big Win. Larry is quickly becoming one of the top coveted podcast consultants in the United States.  What we discuss in this episode: Why Your Nonprofit or Freelance Biz Must Start a Podcast ✔️ Your podcast is a platform ✔️ A foundation of your voice  ✔️ To launch speaking opportunities and products ✔️ You become a go-to in your nonprofit industry ✔️ Creates credibility ✔️ Brings people into your world ✔️ Share stories of beneficiaries ✔️ Connect with funders and donors in an intimate way ✔️ A place to create relationships with people you would never have the chance to meet How to Monetize a Podcast ✔️ Be your own sponsor ✔️ Insert your own commercial ✔️ Ask for donations (like a telethon) ✔️ Understand you won't moneti

✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com/153 to get the Free Resource: Interview Like an Expert & 5 Tips to Boost Your LinkedIn Profile✨✨ Lynée Alves is a successful career coach and business coach. She helps individuals effectively position their skills and experience, and also provides guidance on job search strategies, interviewing skills and mindset strategies. In this podcast, she discusses how to interview like an expert and boost your LinkedIn profile! This is great for nonprofit leaders, volunteers, freelance grant writers, and more! ✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com/153 to get the Free Resource: Interview Like an Expert & 5 Tips to Boost Your LinkedIn Profile✨✨ 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! Thanks for list

2020 Mash-Up 8 Tips on Freelance Grant Writing & Nonprofits Oh my goodness! This podcast was SO much fun to edit. I got to go through some of the MOST-listened podcasts of 2020 and grab some snacks for ya. That's right. I grabbed the gold of the good. This is caramel boutique popcorn for you to snack on. I pulled some excellent snippets to start off with nonprofit tips, then went into pricing and packaging for freelancers. But this episode is super unique because it's a historical archive of highlights from 2020. It showcases how we pivoted - and continue to pivot - in our nonprofit and grant world.  See who is featured! Jenni Hargrove: Jenni Hargrove is a Charitable Marketing Coach and hosts a podcast for nonprofit leaders called the Nonprofit Jenni Show. With a background in market research and corporate philanthropy, Jenni loves training nonprofit leaders in best practices for building a robust Marketing and Fundraising Strategy. Angela Braren of Instrumentl: Writing, winning & awarding grant

What is your new year's resolution for your nonprofit? "This is the time not to drink, but to think." Dr. Beverly Browning The first thing on your list should be (before you even file for a nonprofit) in your state should be to learn the entire process from start-up to sustainability. If you have the right board of directors, a strategic plan, a financial outline, and the right branding, then you can do this! (Join the Nonprofit Start-Up Academy if you want this entire system) But let's face it, 2021 has changed the priorities and funding systems for many nonprofits. So it is time to make a new resolution for your nonprofit! 1) Reflect on what is most important in how your nonprofit will operate 2) Are there new goals for your nonprofit (include your board of directors!) 3) Writing your values down and seeing if they fit in your mission and vision statements 4) Do you need to create new projects or programs? These questions will help you define what your nonprofit's New Year's Resolutions should be!

✨✨ Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com to sign up for the Nonprofit Start-Up Academy ✨✨ OMG. Branding is important and here to stay. Yes, even for nonprofit organizations. But Holly, I don't have a budget for my programs how do I fund a swanky website or social media posts? Don't you know we are living off peanuts here? Okay, the second question there is worth another podcast all on its own. For reals. We gotta pull up a seat for that one. The first question, though, here is your answer. You don't need a big budget for branding. Sometimes it's as simple as having business cards for your staff. But let's be real, it's almost 2021 (or maybe your reading this in 2021 and beyond), and you need a website. Not just a Facebook page. Not just an Instagram account. You need a website and there are a lot of very affordable and user-friendly options out there. It can be overwhelming, though. So that's why Dr. Beverly Browning and I put together this podcast so that you would get a crash course on some great tips

Is your nonprofit struggling financially? Do you only get grants or only do fundraising for your nonprofit? If you nodded your head to either of these questions and if you are a nonprofit board director, executive director, or even a freelance grant writer looking to expand your services, then this podcast is for you. But first, guess who is back on the Grant Writing & Funding podcast with me this week? Dr. Beverly Browning! Woot-woot! In this podcast, we discover diverse funding streams for your nonprofit, and we discuss the following: ✔️ How your board of directors can contribute financially ✔️ Why your start-up nonprofit should do monthly fundraisers and how it doesn't have to be hard ✔️ Why it's critical your nonprofit is on Guidestar.org How you can get money to start a nonprofit ✔️ How you can raise $40,000+ in more than a year ✔️ What your funding should consist of (it's not all grants) ✔️ Why social media is intertwined with funding opportunities If you are looking to improve your nonprofit's

Don't know where to start with strategic planning? This week, I have Dr. Beverly Browning back on the show with me as we give you tips to stop chasing the money, but to actually develop a strategic plan for 2021. ✨✨ 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

Welcome to the December Nonprofit Series! Dr. Beverly Browning will be my co-host throughout the entire month! Eek! In this week's podcast, we cover the Red Flags in starting or growing a nonprofit! Make sure to visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com/147 for more info! 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 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 ✨✨

GivingTuesday is a global movement that began in 2012, and (wowza!) has it gained momentum. This was originally a day to create a movement from shopping to giving and has been very focused on nonprofit organizations.  Who is this important for: ✔️ If you are a nonprofit leader ✔️ If you are a freelance grant writer of nonprofit consultant Why is this day important? ✔️ You can gain buzz about the nonprofit ✔️ You can get donations and funding on this day ✔️ You can kick off a nonprofit end-of-year campaign ✔️ (Freelancer) You can earn an additional stream of income by making this a service you help nonprofits with Listen to the podcast to get 6 tips to help you join in on this international movement :) 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 yo

This year is definitely a bit different when thinking for end of year fundraising. Let's be real.  But not doing fundraisers may not be an option (and shouldn't be) for your nonprofit, or the nonprofits that you serve.  Let's be real. People still want to give to your nonprofit. And some people may have some extra cash this year as they aren't traveling and doing all the normal holiday things. Other people may even realize the impact your nonprofit really has in the community and understand that you haven't been getting the funding you normally do. Therefore, I encourage you to do your fundraising events. But I also realize that you may not be able to do the good ole brick n' mortar (or live) ones that you usually do. So here are some great ideas for nonprofits to do some virtual fundraisers over this Thanksgiving or over the holidays in 2020 and beyond. 1. Build Relationships - Thank Your Current Donors Before you start asking for money, you want to make sure you first have given thanks. This is your ti

Has your nonprofit, or the nonprofits you work with, received any CARES Act Funding? If not, you will want to listen to this full podcast! This week Mr. Tim Butler comes on the Grant Writing & Funding Podcast to discuss how your nonprofit can tap into CARES Act Funding before this round is gone. Yes, certain stipulations have been made so that states and cities distribute their portion of CARES Act funding by a certain time. In some cases, it's as soon as November 15th, 2020. However, there will be some extensions, but it's better to jump in on this now rather than later. About Tim Butler: Long have the disparities in America existed between the haves and have nots. But Tim is here to close the gap and shrink that great divide. Tim Butler, Founder & Owner of Freelance Soul Professional Services, an unapologetically black male-owned grant writing and fundraising consulting firm. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Historic Black Wall Street), Tim specializes in working with individuals and entities f

Oh yes. Those pesky grant writing qualms.  Here are the top questions that I get.  #1: How Do You Get Funding From Grants for General Operating Expenses? You can get funding for general operating expenses through 3 ways: Pursue specific grants that target general operating  Include a certain percentage of your general operating expenses within the direct categories of a grant project budget Include up to 10% of the grant amount in the indirect category in a grant budget #2: As a non-US grant seeker, is there funding available? Yes! There is absolutely funding available! You can get that through the following: There are certain U.S. federal grants that give specifically to nonprofits (both U.S. organizations based abroad and to non-U.S. nonprofits) Certain foundations give out money to nonprofits around the world (think Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) There are many international funding sources, such as EU organizations, UN organizations, foundations, Canadian funding, etc. #3: Do you recommend