Grant writing is both an art and a strategy! In my recent presentation for the Austin Chapter of TechSoup Connect, I shared key insights from my years of experience in securing funding for nonprofits. Whether you’re new to grant writing or looking to refine your approach, this session covers essential tactics to align your nonprofit’s mission with funders’ priorities—helping you stand out in a competitive landscape. Watch the full presentation here.
Video: Unlocking Grant Opportunities
It is one of the biggest ‘grant writing secrets’: your chances of obtaining funding increase significantly when you find the right funding opportunity. Don’t spin your wheels; make sure you’re applying to grant funders that align with your nonprofit organization. Here is a presentation I recently shared with attendees of the Austin Chapter of TechSoup Connect. I invite you to check out this video for steps and strategies for effective grant prospecting.
Funder Focus: The City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Funding Programs
Nonprofit Professionals – join us for an upcoming online event: Funder Focus: The City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Funding Programs
Event Details: 🗓 Date: April 25th, 2024 ⏰ Time: Noon Central Time (one hour long)📍 Location: Online (Link provided upon registration). Learn more here.
About the Event: Sign up to learn about The City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Funding Programs: Thrive, Elevate and Nexus. These programs support the arts and prioritize equity through a combination of seed funding, broad sector support, and targeted investment. We will be joined by members of the COA Economic Development Department’s Cultural Funding team. Be sure to bring your questions to share during the audience Q & A segment.
How to Register: Ready to be a part of this transformative conversation? Simply click here to secure your spot today! Registration is free for this virtual event.
Spread the Word: Know someone who would be interested in this event? Share this invitation with your friends, colleagues, and networks to help us reach as many change-makers as possible!
This event is presented by the Nonprofit Austin – the Center for Nonprofit Studies at Austin Community College.
See you at Funder Focus!
Funder Focus: Spotlight on Texas Pride Impact Funds
🌈📢 Calling all Changemakers: Join Us for the next Funder Focus Event! 📢🌈
In partnership with the Center for Nonprofit Studies at Austin Community College, we are thrilled to announce an upcoming online event: Funder Focus: Spotlight on Texas Pride Impact Funds
Event Details: 🗓 Date: March 26th, 2024 ⏰ Time: Noon Central Time (one hour long)📍 Location: Online (Link provided upon registration). Learn more here.
About the Event: Join us as we delve into the inspiring work of Texas Pride Impact Funds (TPIF), a statewide LGBTQ+ community foundation dedicated to creating equitable opportunities and enriching the lives of LGBTQ+ Texans. Robert Salcido, Jr., Program Director will describe the work of the TPIF and give details about their next grant cycle.
Why Attend?
- Gain Knowledge: Expand your understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, advocacy strategies, and the power of grant funding in driving social change.
- Network: Connect with like-minded individuals, nonprofits, and leaders in the field who share your commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable society.
How to Register: Ready to be a part of this transformative conversation? Simply click here to secure your spot today! Registration is free for this virtual event.
Spread the Word: Know someone who would be interested in this event? Share this invitation with your friends, colleagues, and networks to help us reach as many change-makers as possible!
See you at Funder Focus!
Meetup for Nonprofit Professionals
Learning and networking are just a couple of the advantages to being a part of a community. Here is a chance for Nonprofit Professionals to learn and grow: join the Austin Nonprofit Meetup group!
This group provides learning opportunities and chances to connect with other Nonprofit Professionals. It also has a Facebook group extension for more conversations! And it is all free. Also since much of the activity is online – you don’t even need to be in Austin to participate.
Check out this link to learn more about the Austin Nonprofit Meetup group. And hop over to the Austin Nonprofit Meetup Facebook group to join the conversation. See you there!
Get that Grant!
I just finished presenting a series of classes titled “Get that Grant!” It has been a wonderful experience sharing time with nonprofit professionals who are looking to take their grant writing skills to the next level!
Thank you to the Center for Nonprofit Studies at Austin Community College (aka Nonprofit Austin) for presenting these virtual classes.
This “Get that Grant” series will be offered again (virtually) in July 2022. And the tickets are available on a sliding scale! I hope to see you then!
Announcing: GGS has a QR Code!
Somehow the notion of having a QR Code feels so…”big time.” Yet, here we are. Greater Good Strategies (GGS) is pleased to announce: We have a QR Code!
Big shout out to Philanthroforce – provider of the QR code. Philanthroforce “matches the right nonprofit to the right consultant.” And Greater Good Strategies (Susannah Erler) is listed on this platform. Check it out!
Oh, and here is another fun and easy way to check it out! An awesome QR Code! (So psyched. Further evidence that we’re nonprofit geeks).
Lessons from Funders
As a grant writer, I love having conversations with grant funders; I always learn so much. Top lessons have included:
- If your organization has been awarded a grant, but is having trouble meeting the objectives – reach out to the funder. Have a conversation – earlier than later.
- If you are thinking of submitting an application and have a question, do read all the materials before reaching out to the funder. You might find the answer in the materials.
- But if you can’t find the answer in the materials, and if there is a contact listed, do consider reaching out to the foundation for an answer to your question.
So to summarize: communication is important!
If you are interested in learning more about grantmakers’ perspectives, be sure to join me and Austin Community College’s Center for Nonprofit Studies (aka Nonprofit Austin) for the Funder Focus series. These 90-minute virtual presentations will feature conversations with a grant funder – with plenty of time for your questions.
Find details on the series here; and some of the upcoming presentations are listed below. We hope you can join us!
Funder Focus: Connect with Impact Austin – October 28th, 2021 at noon CT
Funder Focus: Connect with The Webber Family Foundation – November 11th, 2021 at noon CT
Funder Focus: Connect with The City of Austin Cultural Funding Programs – December 9th, 2021 at noon CT
Funder Focus: Connect with The Greater Round Rock Community Foundation – January 20th, 2022 at noon CT
The Art of Finding Grant Opportunities
It is one of the biggest ‘grant writing secrets’: your chances of obtaining funding increase significantly when you find the right funder to ask.
So, what is the top strategy for finding the right funder?
The strategy is to find the possible funder who is the most probable funder.
This video will elaborate!
And if you want to learn even more, sign up for this online class presented by the Center for Nonprofit Studies; The Art of Finding Grant Opportunities, April 1, 2021, noon – 1:30 p.m.
The Art of Finding Grant Opportunities
Grant Writing: A Focus on Data
When it comes to writing a competitive grant application, many nonprofit professionals wonder: “How much data will be needed?”
The answer depends on the funder’s guidelines; but it is always a good idea to be ready to tell your story with data.
October’s Data Institute 2020 hosted by Good Measure and produced by Mission Capital, effectively helped nonprofit professionals see how insights, trends and other data can help increase social impact.
Here are some of the tips I shared as a presenter at this virtual conference. I hope you find them useful in your social impact work.
Data for Nonprofit Professionals
This month, the Data Institute 2020 hosted by Good Measure and produced by Mission Capital, effectively helped nonprofit professionals see how insights, trends and other data can help increase social impact.
I was thrilled to present a mini-session as part of this virtual conference, with tips that focused on using data as part of your grant proposals. If you’d like to learn more about using data to tell the story of your organization’s social impact, visit the Data Institute’s web site for links to resources.
Three little questions
Grant Writers loathe a blank page.
The blank page represents the beginning of a long road ahead.
But what if you had a way to strategically break that long road into manageable pieces? Then that blank page is not so menacing.
One of my strategies for facing a blank page is the “three little questions” strategy. Basically, you boil the information you need into three questions.
I’ll be talking about those three questions and about other grant writing strategies at a 90-minute zoom master class called Effective Grant Writing Strategies: Using Your Compass to Gain Treasures. This class will be presented on Monday, June 22nd, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. (central time) by the Center for Nonprofit Studies at Austin Community College. And as an extra bonus, the Center for Nonprofit Studies is currently offering classes as “pay what you can” because “learning never stops.” Jump in to this learning experience from anywhere in the world; RSVP here. I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
greater good geek 