Grant Writing & Funding

Zac Woonsam joins us to share the real, behind-the-scenes journey of building and running a nonprofit, while Holly provides powerful, practical tips to help increase funding and secure more grants.  Zac opens up about the inspiration behind Youth Inspiration Nation and how he teaches and empowers middle school students through aviation, including the logistics of teaching kids how to fly.  We also...

Matt Hugg’s passion is education, and he brings a wealth of knowledge to the nonprofit sector. In this episode, we explore how his platform, Nonprofit. Courses, provides access to over 300 free courses designed to help nonprofit professionals grow their skills and expand their impact. Matt shares how he got started with Nonprofit. Courses, his background in teaching and fundraising, and why nonpro...

If you’re looking for fresh, creative fundraising ideas that actually work—you’re going to love this episode. Beaudy Camacho brings incredible energy and expertise as she shares how fundraising events can (and should!) be safe, fun, and profitable. In this conversation, we explore how Beaudy got started in fundraising and built her business, along with a wide variety of fundraising strategies your...

In this episode, Holly Rustick dives into the importance of self-care—not as a luxury, but as a necessity for sustainable success. She shares practical strategies to help you take control of your time, reduce overwhelm, and stay productive without burning out.  Holly breaks down how planning your week in advance can transform lingering, stressful to-do lists into clear, manageable action steps. Sh...

This is your chance to hear from someone who is 6 months into their grant writing business. Where could you be 6 months from now? Derrick and I discuss: Motto – “Resolve to have an impact on your community.” Derrick’s military experience  His “why” for getting into grant writing and how he got started Business started as a side hustle and is now full-time “Writing a grant is like writing a researc...

If you have a grant writing business, or you want to become a grant writer, then this interview is gold for you! Rodney and I discuss: Rodney’s background and how he got started with grants First grant that he got funded At what point do grant writers get paid How do you typically charge clients? Decide on your ideal client How do you provide value to clients? 2 big things every business and organ...

**Get your Free Checklist Downloadable www.grantwritingandfunding.com/90 Are you looking for ways to increase money for your nonprofit, or nonprofits that you work with, that doesn’t include funding from grants? Diversifying streams of income for nonprofits is vital. Many clients, especially start-up nonprofits, may think that grants are the only type of funding that they can get. Today, you are g...

Is your nonprofit ready to earn income? “What?? But we’re a nonprofit. We can’t earn income!” Oh, yes you can! Just because you are a nonprofit organization does not mean that you cannot earn income. Nonprofit doesn’t mean ‘no’ profit. It simply means you take the profit and put it back into the organization. However, you do have to make sure that anything you do to earn income directly relates to...

**Get your Free Checklist Downloadable https://www.grantwritingandfunding.com/90 Do you feel like earning revenue for your nonprofit or the nonprofit you work with is REALLY difficult? Do you feel like there is NO money left? Are you tired of only going after grants for revenue or approaching the same darn corporate sponsors as every other nonprofit? These may be signs that your nonprofit, or the...

Alexis Cook, Co-Founder and Co-President of Unlocked, joins us to share the inspiring story behind her ethical jewelry brand that empowers women transitioning out of homelessness. She walks us through how Unlocked was built from the ground up while she was still a student at Vanderbilt, how market research shaped their business model, and how they partner with nonprofits to create meaningful emplo...

The final step in the G.R.A.N.T.S. Formula is "S," Strategic budget. I am going to show you how to create a strategic budget that you can use for every single grant that you write. By the end of the episode, you will have the tools to create an amazing budget. Having a simple and unified budget format could save you hundreds of hours of frustration. Want a free downloadable CHEAT SHEET and mini, v...

The fifth step in the G.R.A.N.T.S. Formula is "T," Timetable your Activities. Activities describe what you are going to do, but a timetable will show a clear delineation of each activity, who is responsible for ensuring that it happens when it will happen, and how each activity will be measured. The actual table also helps to break up all the WORDS in your application. You must include the followi...

The fourth step for setting up a winning grant structure is "N," Narrowing Your Objectives. In just 5 easy steps, we can take your objective from a wish to a plan! Want a free downloadable CHEAT SHEET and mini, video-series (five day mini video course!)? Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com and get it NOW. You'll get Holly's proven, step-by-step system that has helped her secured millions of dolla...

The third step for setting up a winning grant structure is "A," Articulate Goals. I'll show you step by step how to write a goal that aligns with the priorities of the funding source. Want a free downloadable CHEAT SHEET and mini, video-series (five day mini video course!)? Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com and get it NOW. You'll get Holly's proven, step-by-step system that has helped her secur...

The second step for setting up a winning grant structure is "R," Research Needs. I'll teach you exactly how to use research to explain specifically WHY your project is needed. Want a free downloadable CHEAT SHEET and mini, video-series (five day mini video course!)? Visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com and get it NOW. You'll get Holly's proven, step-by-step system that has helped her secured milli...

Introducing the G.R.A.N.T.S. Formula – Your Key to Writing Efficient Grants Are you ready to revolutionize your grant writing process? Look no further than the G.R.A.N.T.S. Formula , a proven framework designed to enhance your grant writing skills and create a competitive grant structure. Developed to address the challenges faced by grant writers, this formula will guide you from a blank page to a...

Learn about the process of submitting an IRB application with special guest Dr. Deborah Ellen. Dr. Ellen is Assistant Professor of Education at Guam Community College and active member of the Pacific Islands Bilingual Bicultural Association and co-chair of newly formed non-profit - Talaya Micronesia. Listen to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher or watch on YouTube! To share your thoughts:...

What is IRB approval? Do I need one as a grant writer? Do I need one before starting my research? All these questions and more answered as Holly discusses the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Listen to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher or watch on YouTube! To share your thoughts: Send Holly an email at holly@grantwritingandfunding.com To help out the show: Leave an honest review on iTun...

Learn how to track sources and file them into a stunning bibliography for your grant. We're all about citations and celebrations because it's Holly's Birthday! Head on over to www.grantwritingandfunding.com/80 for your FREE gift! Listen to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher or watch on YouTube! To share your thoughts: Send Holly an email at holly@grantwritingandfunding.com To help out the...

Gathering data is important when supporting grants, connecting with your beneficiaries, providing credibility for your projects, and even understanding what projects to develop. Data can be gathered in a multitude of different ways and as we discussed last week in our re-broadcast for conducting a Needs & Strengths Assessment (episode 78), I discussed methods for Needs & Strengths Assessme...

Join us as Holly revisits an important topic for nonprofits: Needs and Strengths Assessment! We discuss why your organization needs this research before applying for grants, and how to survey your audience to get the data you need. Listen to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher or watch on YouTube! To share your thoughts: Send Holly an email at holly@grantwritingandfunding.com To help out t...

Get the free downloadable on www.grantwritingandfunding.com/77 that includes a template press release, a sample press release, and a podcast audio! As a grant freelancer or nonprofit freelancer, writing press releases can be another stream of income or expanded portfolio that you provide your clients. A great press release to write is when one of your clients wins a grants! Woo-hoo! Send that out...

Lights, camera, action! Are you ready to be on camera to represent your nonprofit? Join Holly as she shares valuable tips and tricks to being comfortable on video. Check out the podcast blog post on www.grantwritingandfunding.com/76 for a free downloadable that goes with this week's upload. This downloadable will ensure that you are ALWAYS ready before going on camera, whether that's your iPhone o...

Join Holly as she discusses public relations with Nikki R. Jones! With 12 years of communication experience, Nikki explains how nonprofits can navigate traditional and new media to create awareness for your organization. Listen to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud or Stitcher or watch on YouTube! To share your thoughts: Send Holly an email at holly@grantwritingandfunding.com To help out the show:...

Are you a freelance grant writer or nonprofit consultant? If you are then you know that one thing you want to know is how to get nonprofit clients! Sure, in the beginning you may have gotten a lot of people asking you to write grants, but how do you know if they will be a good-fit nonprofit client? In order to secure nonprofit clients, freelance grant writers need to understand and do the followin...