Fundraising HayDay

AI is a tool that increases the efficiency of grant professionals, but it doesn’t serve you well if you don’t first understand the ins and outs of proposal development. Fielding Jezreel joins the show to talk about using AI in a way that serves your work successfully.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR: Encore Institute for Social Im...

Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO of Theranos, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for defrauding investors. She invited a film crew to document her life in the 34 days leading up to her time in jail. This meta-documentary has a lot of people talking about Holmes, her partner, and her continued insistence that she’s innocent. It was a wild ride, and we’re here to share all the spoilers!   JOIN THE...

Nonprofits all over the world include curriculum standards for their training and programming, but are they doing it well? Danielle Gines, a Learning & Curriculum Systems Specialist, talks the benefits of subject matter experts vs. generalists, asking the right questions, and so much more. Because learning only works if we actually know what we’re talking about.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY C...

Grant funders often conduct site visits. It’s a great way to ensure funds are being spent properly, programming is on track, and grantees are following policies and procedures. Not all site visits are created equal though – foundations and federal agencies have different purposes and practices when it comes to checking in on their grantees.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member...

For small to medium nonprofits, board members and executive directors are often left juggling everything – strategic planning, programming, fundraising, marketing, budgeting…and too often, financial planning is just a box you check before moving on. Stephen Newland of MoneyPath joins us to share insights on working with fractional CFOs, forecasting, and understanding your monthly financial stateme...

If you’re going to work as a consultant, you need to be comfortable with having uncomfortable conversations. Clients will have unrealistic expectations, strong personalities, and more. How you handle conflict and complications may be what makes or breaks your consulting business.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR: Encore Institute f...

Grant writing is such a misnomer. As grant professionals, we spend about 80% of our time working on a million other things. One of the most time-consuming aspects of grant proposal development is creating and gathering all the standard attachments. Some are pretty standard, and some not so much; but a grant requirement is a requirement.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of t...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to be taking over the world, especially when the written word is involved. But is it the end-all, be-all answer to your grant writing woes? Can you trust it? Should you use it? Truthfully, there’s a lot to weigh, and there is no clear-cut answer.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR: Encore Institute...

When money is involved, fraud is a possibility. It’s one of the reasons we have so many rules, regulations, and reporting requirements surrounding grant awards: to ensure the funding is spent as intended. And it should be spent as approved in your grant budget. But lately, it seems like this administration is weaponizing grant fraud, and in some cases, simply using it as an excuse to terminate gra...

Many nonprofits don’t participate in advocacy for fear it will jeopardize their nonprofit states. The truth is, there is a big difference between lobbying and advocacy – and advocacy is allowed. For grant and fundraising professionals, advocating for your organization, your role at work, and yourself is important work.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK...

The Office of Management and Budget proposed many changes to 2 CFR Part 200 (also known as Uniform Guidance) in early June. If approved, changes will significantly impact agencies’ ability to receive and manage federal funding. The comment period closes July 13, 2026.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR: Encore Institute for Social Im...

Grant professionals require access to subject matter experts and information to develop successful grant proposals. We often lament about the hardest aspect of this work: getting the information we need in a timely manner. Fortunately, tools exist to aid our quest.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR: Encore Institute for Social Impac...

If your agency receives grant funding, chances are you’ve been asked to share said organization’s most recent annual audit. And if enough federal funds are involved, a single audit may be necessary.  Let’s dive into the reason for each to ensure you’re meeting funder (and other) requirements.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR: Grant...

If you’ve worked at a nonprofit long enough, you’ve been involved with a capital campaign. Whether you’re raising capital for a new building, large piece of equipment, or infrastructure galore, these projects are often in addition to your typical duties. Steven Shattuck of Capital Campaign Pro joins us to share insights and advice on running a successful capital campaign, all while maintaining you...

It’s rare to find a funder fully invested in nonprofits - not just funding their work, but also investing in their growth and development. The Tracy Family Foundation is “growing a legacy of generosity to help communities thrive and families flourish.” They not only fund traditional capacity building training, but offer specific trainings and workshops for their grantees related to helping organiz...

If you’re a grant professional, you need information from other people. Grant proposals require data, stories, documents, and so much more. It’s never a solo sport. But getting the information you need to put together a quality proposal is sometimes the hardest part of the job.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR: GrantGuru Use discou...

When we talk about nonprofits, most of us assume we mean the 501(c)3 varieties. But that’s not the only mechanism available to organizations looking to build a better world. Let’s dive into the many organizations and groups doing community-centered work, often right alongside nonprofits.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR: GrantGuru...

Fundraising and Grant Writing – people often think they are two different things. But the truth is simple: grant writing is one aspect of fundraising, along with things like individual donors, major gifts, special events, and more. Let’s talk best practices so all fundraising works in tandem.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR: Grant...

Spoiler alert: grant writing is so much more than writing. Building and maintaining funder relationships is a big part of your role as a grant and/or nonprofit professional. We’re joined by Carolyn Caldwell to talk about how to best build such relationships.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR: GrantGuru Use discount code HAYDAY963 fo...

Can I just charge you a percentage of the grant once it gets awarded? If you’ve worked long enough as a consultant, you’ve gotten that question at least once. Today we’re sharing why that is against the grant professional code of ethics, and how to handle the conversation when it comes up.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR: GrantGur...

When you are an employee charged with fundraising through grant proposal development, what are your roles and responsibilities? Your position in the org chart, who you report to, and your role as a leader all affect your ability to build a grants team and a successful grant program. We’re sharing insights on what works best, how to educate up, and more.   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Bec...

What is a grant proposal other than a string of words that describe, show, influence, educate, and move mountains? In 2025 we started to see a dramatic shift in language found in executive orders, grant guidelines, and more. Are some words really banned? And if so, how do we move forward as writers?   JOIN THE FUNDRAISING HAYDAY COMMUNITY: Become a member of the Patreon   CHECK OUT TODAY’S SPONSOR...

In part 2 of the state of federal grants, we’re focusing on the implications of 2025 and how we can move forward. Tremendous cuts to federal research, disruption of essential human services, and a halt to services for at-risk individuals hit communities hard. It’s not just money lost but needed services. It’s time to have frank conversations about how we can move forward in 2026 and beyond.   JOIN...

When it comes to federal grant funding, a lot went wrong in 2025. We’re kicking off a two-part series, with this episode focusing on how we got here. Policy shifts and administrative changes transformed federal grant making seemingly overnight, but many of these changes weren’t spontaneous. The Office of Management and Budget, Project 2025, and the Department of Government Efficiency all had a rol...

NOTE: This month, we’re sharing our mistakes were made episode with all our listeners – the free podcast community and our patreon subscribers. If you’re not a member of our patreon, we hope you enjoy this glimpse behind the curtain. This is a great example of our monthly mistakes were made episode, where our cohosts take turns in the hot seat, sharing mistakes. No grant professional is perfect, a...