Fundraising HayDay

In grant trainings, we often talk about the many mistakes grant professionals make that cause grant applications to be denied – from missing deadlines to forgetting necessary attachments. Today we’re covering those reasons, but we are also reviewing the impact of funders, their processes, and their decisions that negatively impact our grant success.

Join us as we review the top 5 reasons your grant proposals are denied. Lessons learned will help future applications.

It can be uncomfortable to talk about race. But you need to push past your own comfort level and bias and be part of the conversation. As grant and fundraising professionals, social justice and equity play a role in the work we all do, no matter our organization or mission. To best serve our communities, we must be prepared to have difficult conversations, talk about inequities, and recognize our own bias. Fleur Larsen works with organizations to shift workplace culture to produce results, and today she is sharing insights on these topics with us.

One of the most frustrating aspects of grant prospect research is the lack of transparency and information provided by private funders. Sure, foundations and corporations are required to file an annual 990, but those are a year or two behind the curve and often provide very little information about their application process. Imagine if every funder had a website! It’s a win-win situation. Applicants can find funders who align with their work, and foundations will receive applications that are better aligned with their work. When the guidelines are clear, it saves time and heartache for us all. Is that really too much to ask?

Building community, understanding culture, and recognizing prejudices is such a vital part of being a better human. This is an ongoing conversation, and today we are happy to continue that conversation with Kia Jarmon. We’re talking about conflict, different perspectives, and learned experiences and how we can best bring it all together in our own organizations and communities. If you’re a grant professional who does not understand the community for which you are writing grant proposals, how can you best explain that community’s needs and wants and desires to others?

Whether you work as a grant professional employed by an organization or as a grant consultant, it is important to understand the skills, knowledge, and expertise you bring to the table. If you do not understand your own value, no one else will. We spoke with DeaRonda Harrison, Founder and President of June First Firm, about what we wish we had known starting out in this profession, career building, responding to those who say your prices are too high, and so much more.

In November 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). It provides $1.2 Trillion in federal funding designed to transform, enhance, and augment all sorts of vital projects across the country. To get you acquainted with the funding we are talking Justice40, sharing resources, and more.

Human service organizations the world over work tirelessly to feed, clothe, house, and care for our communities. In Milwaukee, one nonprofit is bring the full resources of the city to bear in order to end generational poverty. Join our conversation with City on a Hill's CEO, Art Serna, as he shares their approach of holistic programming, collaboration, diversified funding, and community engagement. 

Federal funders always produce a set of guidelines with each grant application. They are known by a variety of names, depending on the funding agency, from Request for Proposal (RFP) to NOFO (Notice of Funding Opportunity) and many acronyms in between. Grant professionals must understand how to read each RFP to ensure eligiblity and competiveness of the organization applying, as well as the requirements for a quality proposal.

Today we are interviewing Shavonn Richardson, CEO of Think and Ink Grant Consulting. She has done all the things in the grant world: started her own nonprofit, worked for a foundation to award grants to nonprofits, and finally grant consultant. We talk entrepreneurship, leadership, and all things grant work.

Your organization is ready to tackle the realm of grants, but you need the assistance of a grant professional. Should you hire an employee or consultant? Hear the pros and cons of each, because the answer will vary based on your organization's needs and fundraising goals.