Fundraising HayDay

Using AI Thoughtfully

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. F

You Can See Everything…But Was Any of it Real?

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 le

Why Professional Development and Curriculum Matters to Your Nonprofit

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

The Differences Between Federal and Foundation Site Visits

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 proce

Making the Most of Your Nonprofit’s Financial Statements

For small to medium nonprofits, board members and executive directors are often left juggling everything – strategic planning, programming, fundraising, marketing, budget

Dealing with Difficult Client Situations

If you’re going to work as a consultant, you need to be comfortable with having uncomfortable conversations. Clients will have unrealistic expectations, strong personalit

Standard Attachments: The Paperwork That Makes or Breaks You

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 gran

AI in Grant Work: Our Two Hot Takes

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 w

Ripped from the Headlines: Is the Administration Weaponizing Grant Fraud?

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

Advocacy for Your Organization, Profession, and Self

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 –

Proposed Changes to Uniform Guidance

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

Getting the Information You Need, Part 2: Tools to Get the Job Done

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:

Understanding Annual Versus Single Audits

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 si

Capital Campaigns Demystified

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

Capacity Building: A Funder's Perspective

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

Getting the Information You Need: How to Gather Grant Content from Co-Workers, Clients, and Partners

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 g

Beyond Nonprofits: Organizations Transforming Communities

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 wor

Grant Writing is Fundraising

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 l

Building Successful Funder Relationships

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 profession

Why Commission Based Fees are Unethical for Grant Writers

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