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.
Grants
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!
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!
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!
The Grant Writer’s Compass
Having a compass can help with direction-finding and making decisions about any journey. One of the key tasks for any grant professional is to have a strategy for getting to the “destination”: a winning proposal! To help with these goals, on March 5th, 2020, I’ll be making a presentation called ‘The Grant Writer’s Compass and Discovering Hidden Resources.’
Thank you to the Austin Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association for inviting me to share this information. The description of the presentation and a link to RSVP is below.
The Grant Writer’s Compass and Discovering Hidden Resources
There are three elements that all Grant Writers should have a firm grasp of as they seek funding: knowledge of your organization; knowledge of your funder; knowledge of yourself (your job).
We’ll cover the ways to gather info on and communicate these elements efficiently and effectively to take your grant writing achievements to the next level. Susannah will share tips, secrets and resources she has developed in her decades as a successful grant writer. We will also have an opportunity for interaction and shared learning; and as an extra bonus, all who participate will be entered in to win a $10 Gift Card from a local coffee shop.
Susannah Erler, CFRE, took a 21-year career in public radio (starting at Austin’s KUT Radio) and morphed it into her current calling as a self-described Nonprofit Geek. She earned her master’s degree in Business with an Arts Administration (Nonprofit) specialization and is a Mission Capital Certified Interim Executive Director. As a grant writer, Susannah has obtained over $12 million in project funds for nonprofit organizations and educational institutions such as Austin Community College.
Creativity is a word Susannah loves: she has played her violin in several rock bands, she made a documentary about her favorite restaurant (Tamale House #3) and loves to tweet about nonprofits (handle: @GreaterGoodGeek ). Susannah grew up in Austin (but ask her about some of the other places she has lived too) and helps nonprofits in her role as Director of Greater Good Strategies. If you are going to SXSW EDU 2020 she would be delighted if you would attend the panel she is moderating: “Get that Grant! Tips and Trends from Philanthropists.”
Tips and Trends from Philanthropists
Educators! Do you have innovative project ideas, but are not sure how to get funding? Do you ever wish you could hear grant information directly from funders?
Well, at SXSW EDU 2020, there is a panel for you: Get that Grant: Tips and Trends from Philanthropists.
This presentation will help education practitioners, administrators and nonprofits who are searching for project funding. The panelists will demystify the grant funding process. These grant-givers will describe what makes a successful project and how to make your grant request shine. You’ll learn what innovations today’s education funders are looking for, how to propose your project ideas and what you need to do to Get that Grant!
Their perspective and information will prove to be indispensable to grant-seekers. The scheduled panelists:
- The Moody Foundation. Bernice Torregrossa, Senior Grants Officer;
- The Austin Community Foundation’s Hispanic Impact Fund. Estevan Delgado, Program Manager;
- The Trellis Foundation. Jenny Achilles, Director of Partnerships & Programs.
Click here for more info about SXSW EDU 2020, taking place in Austin March 9-12, 2020.
The Director of Greater Good Strategies (Susannah Erler) will be the moderator of this panel. We hope to see you there!
#SXSW #SXSWEDU #SXSWEDU2020 #EDUGrants
greater good geek 