I'm Brandon Green (Certified Grant Professional) and, with about a decade of experience helping nonprofits secure millions in grant funding, I can help you build a grants system that saves you time and energy. Whether you need help finding the right grant opportunities, writing compelling narratives, or managing awarded funds, I've got you covered. I'm here to give you the tools, resources, and knowledge you need to get the funding that will drive the impact you're working to achieve. To get started, feel free to peruse my posts below, connect with me on LinkedIn, check out my free tools and resources, and be sure to subscribe to my email newsletterπ. Thanks for letting me join you on your grants journey!
The Building Blocks of Your Grant System
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Hi, friend! πLet's be honest. Looking for grants can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you find the right funders? What goes into a winning proposal? What does impact reporting even look like?!? Luckily, there's a tried and true system to guide you through the process. And that's what I'm here to help you build (it says it right in the email header)! But to do that, you need to first understand the basics. So today, let's explore the stages that make up the grant system so you can get a handle on the big picture. Let's dive in! StrategizeThis first stage is all about planning and preparation. Look at your organization's goals, budget needs, and programming calendar. Identify current funding gaps and forecast what's coming up. Develop your grants strategy moving forward based on priorities and timelines. Ask yourself: What are our target funding areas and amounts? Which grants align with our work? Who will take the lead on seeking grants, writing them, managing relationships, etc.? Having a clear strategy before you start prospecting will lead to a more focused, effective process. ProspectNow it's time to start your search! Prospecting involves identifying potential funders and grant opportunities that match your goals and needs. Look at foundations, corporations, and government grantors. Search databases, review funders' priorities, and leverage your network. As you find potential fits, gather grant guidelines and start a grants tracking spreadsheet to manage deadlines and requirements. The prospecting stage ensures you find the best opportunities worth your time and effort. CultivateYou've found promising options, so now you need to start building relationships with those funders. Follow them on social media, meet at community events, or set up an introductory call to share your work. Get to know funder priorities and processes. Make sure they know about your organization and the impact you aim to achieve. Cultivation over time leads to stronger proposals and more informed reviewers. WriteIt's go time! With your strategy set, prospects identified, and relationships cultivated, it's time to put together your grant proposal. Follow all guidelines closely, making sure to respond to each question and requirement. Pull in supporting data, illustrate your expertise, and make a compelling case for funding. Revise and refine the narrative before submitting a polished proposal. A clear, cohesive proposal that aligns to funder goals will help your request stand out from the competition. StewardYou got the grant - congrats!!! Your work isn't done yet, though. Now it's time for stewardship. This means managing the grant funding responsibly, implementing your project, and reporting back to the funder. Provide interim updates on your progress and numbers served. Track grant expenditures and collect stories showcasing your impact. When the grant ends, submit any required final reports detailing your results. Thoughtful stewardship of grants builds trust and can lead to renewed support. RepeatAnd the system continues! After one round, take time to reflect, adjust your strategy based on lessons learned, and start again. Following this framework will help demystify grant seeking so you can get the funding you need to create the impact you're looking to achieve! Kind regards, Brandon Green, LMSW, GPC Whenever you're ready, here are some ways I might be able to help you:
If you're interested in any of these, just respond to this email and let me know! |
Hi, friend! I'm glad you're here!
I'm Brandon Green (Certified Grant Professional) and, with about a decade of experience helping nonprofits secure millions in grant funding, I can help you build a grants system that saves you time and energy. Whether you need help finding the right grant opportunities, writing compelling narratives, or managing awarded funds, I've got you covered. I'm here to give you the tools, resources, and knowledge you need to get the funding that will drive the impact you're working to achieve. To get started, feel free to peruse my posts below, connect with me on LinkedIn, check out my free tools and resources, and be sure to subscribe to my email newsletterπ. Thanks for letting me join you on your grants journey!
Hi, friend! π It's been a while since I've shown up in your inbox and I'd like to take a moment to explain why. So grab a cup of coffee (or your beverage of choice - any other Diet Coke lovers out there?), and let's catch up. First things first, content creation takes a lot of time and energy - much more than you might think. I tip my hat to content creators that are able to post every day, manage a newsletter, and more. Even when using AI to help, it's far from easy to do. And lately, I've...
Hi, friend! π I recently put out my first poll on LinkedIn, asking people what they feel is the most challenging aspect of finding funding.I thought I knew the answer. I thought I was going to get scores of people telling me that time was the biggest challenge. I thought that because that's what I've heard in a lot of my conversations with nonprofit executives and staff looking for grant opportunities. I still might be right... But the one person who responded to my poll didn't agree with me....
Hi, friend! π Question for you: how do you feel about going to the dentist? I don't really mind it. In fact, if you follow me on LinkedIn, you might have seen that, apparently, I like to think of grant writing while in the dentist's chair. Who knew? You can check out that post here. (Side note: if we're not connected on LinkedIn, we should be!) Anyway... Today, I'd like to talk about a tool I started using a few months ago: Grammarly. You might have heard of it. It's been around for a while....