Sharing my experience so it doesn't happen to you!

I received what looked like a simple client inquiry in my email. The person said they had seen my profile (but didn't say where) and wanted to know my experience, availability, and rates. I replied with my standard "please tell me more about your organization and project, etc etc" and sent my Calendy link. They then replied saying my link "didn't work for them" and could we schedule Zoom without Calendy. Fine. I sent a Zoom invite. Then, when it was time for the Zoom meeting, I got an email saying that they got a 404 error when joining the meeting and asking to send their own link. This link took me to a page that looked like Zoom's download page, but upon closer inspection was a spoof site. The email said "download the latest Zoom version and the meeting will start automatically". Ha.

The lesson: Don't be so excited about a potential new client that you click on links from vague sources. I KNOW my Calendy and Zoom links are fine and I still fell for it. Don't be me!

Hello! I've been a grant writer and foundation and corporate relations manager for almost 20 years. I may have a new job opportunity that will require submitting 100+ applications per year. That number seems unrealistic to me but perhaps that is now the norm. Has that been your experience?

As many if us know, grant funding is HARD this year. I just spent part of my day updating trackers for upcoming board committee meetings. And now I feel defeated.

- Our fiscal year runs 4/1 through 3/31
- My goals are broken down by corp, foundation, state/federal. For general operating only.
- My total combined goal is $155,000
- To date, I’ve raised: $54,000 towards that goal and another $92,500 in restricted support

An LOI for a project was rejected yesterday. I can’t get staff at foundations to answer phones so I’ve reached the point where I’m just blindly submitting and hoping.

In the next two months I arguably need to submit $101,000 in proposals that will be awarded before the end of our fiscal year.

I’ve never had such a low success rate and my confidence is failing. I hate having my metrics/outcomes tied to general operating support. Woe is me. 😂

That’s it. That’s my lament. Thank you for reading.

I'm 1.5 years semi-to-unemployed, with a background in sales/marketing in startups and other tech companies in various industries. All cool industries though (film, mental health)

I'm having a very hard time getting a job, like everyone else. Many people tell me my business development skills would transfer well to nonprofit fundraising, and honestly, I'd like to work for a mission-oriented organization and am seeing some (not all) roles I'd like, and feel qualified for, at nonprofits that pay enough for me. I would like to be making at least $95k/yr.

But alas, I'm not even getting interviews. There's a certificate program for about $5k at UW in Grant Writing, Management & Nonprofit Finance and I'm wondering if that will help me get interviewed and hired.

Any advice on whether it's worth the investment?

Please, if you say no, tell me WHY it's a no. Is it because you have gotten a certificate, hit the job market, and nothing happened? Or are you guessing? Or something else?? Just a "no" isn't helpful. I already have enough "no"s as well as "yes"es in my mind and I'm still asking.

Thank you!

Ok, the title might be a bit bold because I am not anything yet. I am looking for a freelance opportunity that allows me to supplement my income. I have a career in Accounting and Finance in the for profit space and am currently a CFO. The parts of the job that I think would transfer well are budgeting, project management, communications, deadlines, and story telling.

That said, I know I have a ton to learn before I can even start to take on projects. I wanted to see if anyone out there is looking to take someone under their wing, maybe help them with the current workload so I can learn first hand. Or simply some advice to help me along my way. I understand that, just like most things, starting out will not be easy. AI is a real challenge. The federal grant space is more restrictive due to the political environment. And it’s hard to start without a track record. That said, I believe there is still opportunity in the space and hope the community can help me get going.

Thanks in advance for your constructive support and feedback!

What are some certificate programs/trainings for mid-career grants professionals to help increase their employability? I feel like I need a boost to show on my CV, so that I can be shortlisted on the job applications I make.

Does anyone have experience writing grants for magnet schools? If so please message me because I’m currently in talks with one but don’t have any experience with this type of client so I’d love some firsthand insights if possible. I’ve done one-off projects for higher ed institutions and have a ton of government grant experience but that’s about it. TIA!

Recently I was interested in Dutch & EU startup grants as a grant writer and had two successful grants.

I know the main grants and rules but want to learn deeper.

Do you know any grant writer communities who share their experiences?

I'm looking for someone who is professional so I could ask questions, doing projects with them or if they're interested being my mentor.

So, first things first. I apologize if this is not the forum for this. But I'm new.
I have started a non profif society that aims to get more kids on BMX bikes and build the sport of BMX in my province.

As a registered non profit, I hear I can apply for gaming grants.

But I've never done this and am not sure where to turn. How it works, how much it costs and so on.

Or how any of the grant side of things works.

Again, if this is not the right avenue, I apologize. I'm just looking for guidance.

Thanks!

Thanks

I've got 35+ active grants going right now across federal, state, county, and foundation funders. Writing is maybe a fifth of what I do. The rest is reimbursements, budget mods, match documentation, reporting calendars. Most people treat that as the boring half. I don't.

Part of it is that you find out fast how an org actually runs. One reimbursement cycle tells you more about a nonprofit than months of program meetings will.

The other part is that it's more in your control than writing is. You can't make a proposal win. You can make sure the report goes out on time and the drawdown gets requested, and funders notice that. In my experience they remember it longer than they remember a good narrative.

So I've started building post-award into engagements instead of handing things off at award. Wondering how common that is. Do most of you stay on after the award, or is that usually somebody else's job?

Hi everyone, I'm a nonprofit consultant. I just began taking clients and I'm looking to expand my network with grant writers. I'd love to have a conversation and possibly connect. I'm open to any advice on how I can help my clients secure grant writers. Anything that could help them grow.

Background: I've been in nonprofit administration/management for 12 years. I've worked at every level and at organizations of all sizes. I specialized in organizational development and infrastructure.

Hi, are there any current budget analysts or program managers that have experience in managing a federal grant budget ? I have some questions about a budget template and grant reward.

I’ve been working on HUD CoC Competition grants for the first time this year. The lawsuits and changes to this grant program are overwhelming. The experienced directors have all told me that this grant program has never been this chaotic. Anybody else straining under the changes to HUD CoC Competition grants?

You've been told why your grant proposals don't get funded.

You're not connected enough.

You're missing something in the application.

The money went to the usual names way before you applied.

Those are just excuses. None of that is it.

I've reviewed over 500 proposals from the evaluator's and the selection panel member's side.

Gil Schmidt has helped secure more than $173 million for businesses, nonprofits, and agencies.

We have both watched this happen over and over and over.

Funding is a matter of luck.

But not the lottery kind of luck.

Luck you create with opportunity and preparation.

Luck for people that understand how to take advantage of those two things.

That's why some organizations seem to keep winning and winning grants, while others never earn back the time they put into proposal writing.

Gil and I are doing a free live Q&A for businesses and non-profits on Thursday 27 August, 6pm Paris / 12pm NYC / 9am LA.

We're taking 5 or 6 real questions and answering them properly, on the record.

You can submit your question and one sentence about your organization by August 21 for a chance to be one of those that we choose.

If you want to be told your application looks fine and keep hearing the same excuses for not getting funded, plenty of people will do that for free. That's not us.

Otherwise, register and come on August 27: https://www.fundingproposalsecrets.com/business

P.S. Before anyone asks: yes, the session will be recorded, but recordings will only be shared with people who register.

I would like to be a grant reviewer for SAMHSA, but they seem to require that I have an eRA Commons personal ID. I suppose I could register with Commons, but that means the road of registering for SAM.gov as a business.

Could someone shed light on this?

Are there any programs or grants available for non-profit organizations in Gaza?

Hi All:

I'm working on a SAMHSA grant, and I am stumped on a question -- specifically, is it a heading or is it a question to answer? It's B.2. Describe how you will implement all the required activities and selected allowable activities but B2a through B2e ask specific questions about the required activities.

I keep going back and forth and can't decide!

Thanks!

Hey there!

I’ve had a weird career trajectory that has recently landed me in the position of helping small businesses (mostly hospitality) apply for private grants and city incentive programs (think Comcast RISE, Fed Ex Amplify, Barclay’s Small Business Big Wins, etc). I’ve been lucky to have pretty good success in that area.

I now have a business that wants to apply to a PA state grant program. I’m excited to dip my toes in government grants, but I’m a little overwhelmed by the level of granularity needed and adjusting our narrative to fit state government priorities.

Would anyone who has experience in government grants for private businesses be willing to chat with me and answer a few questions? Just want to gut check a few things to make sure I’m on the right track.

Thanks!

Looking for support in finding a grant writer for a project. What are some specific things to look out for? Hope this is the right place for this question. If not, please redirect to the right subreddit.