Fundraising HayDay

Most every grant proposal requires the creation of goal(s) and objective(s) to demonstrate the change your program will bring about during the grant period. If you have ever wondered how to come up with specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-oriented objectives, this is the episode for you. 

It's not unusual to specialize in a specific field of the grant profession. So how do you determine which one fits your career? The best way is to learn as much as you can about the differences between them all. Today we are highlighting Olivia Smith-Daugherty and her work in K-12 education. She manages the grant needs of entire school system, serving students, teachers, and administrators. Could this be the grant specialty for you? 

Whether you are a one-woman grant office, a consultant with a slew of sub-contractors, or a giant grant team, there are always a million tasks that must be accomplished in the grant profession. So how do you keep up with it all? It's the age-old question for grant pros around the world. Today we are talking with Allison Boyd of Boyd Grants. In 2021 she earned her clients $38 million, which helped transform the lives of 5.5 million people. She is the master of systems and scheduling to crank out the work. Join our conversation to learn how Allison manages her workload.

Last episode we spoke about the whys in grant - as in why do grant applications have such limited character counts to complicated questions and why are grant portals so complicated? In part two of this discussion, we are lifting up organizations and individuals who are fighting the good fight, working to make the grant space more equitable. Learn how you can amplify their voices by participating in activities and processes aimed at making the world a better place for us all, one wonky grant process at a time. Because a rant may be cathartic, but it will get old if nothing ever changes.

If you have spent any time preparing a grant proposal, managing a grant program, or dealt with the many requirements centered around grant funding, you have most likely thrown up your hands in frustration, and probably more than once. From limited character counts and ridiculous online portals to the abysmal funding levels awarded to nonprofits serving and led by people of color, it's enough to make you want to burn the whole system to the ground. In part 1 of this discussion, we are asking all the whys: why is this so bad; why is this so difficult; and why, why, why can't funders make it better? Sometimes a rant is cathartic. 

Everyone wants grant money for their organization, and why not? It helps fund programs, staffing, infrastructure, equipment, and so much more. But to be competitive in the grant funding world, you need all your ducks in a row to ensure your organization is grant ready. From compiling needed paperwork and creating documents, to ensuring that your organization's board of directors is on board with all the work needed to create quality grant proposals, it is a lot of work. Is your organization actually ready for you to write a grant, or do you need to jump through a few hoops first? 

On November 5, cohosts Amanda Day and Kimberly Hays de Muga joined Lucy Morgan (aka My Fed Trainer) for an "Ask Me Anything" workshop at the 2021 Grant Professionals Association Conference in Seattle, Washington. In this episode, you can listen in on that session - where we cover topics from confessing the biggest grant mistake made to fighting inequities in the grant field. Questions were fielded from both in-person and online audiences. Come learn with us.

As tradition goes, Kimberly and Amanda share the things that brought them joy throughout the year. Join our annual top ten favorite things, and see what made the list for 2021. 

Whether virtual, on-site, or a hybrid model, professional conferences are a great way to find tips on raising more through grants and fundraising. But they can be overwhelming and exhausting, even if you are attending in your pajamas. In this episode, learn how to get the most from your professional conference experience from an introvert's and an extrovert's point of view.  

Fundraising leaders are required to do so much: help donors give with joy, manage the programs, write quality grant proposals, direct their staff, and so much more. And at the heart of it all, they should care about the work they are doing. Join our cohosts as they speak with Margaret Katz Cann of Fundraising Leadership, an organization who grows nonprofit leaders through coaching and training programs. Margaret has been on both sides of the grant and fundraising tables, and she knows a thing or two about giving with joy.