Amanda Day

Not All Funder Websites Are Created Equal

Not All Funder Websites Are Created Equal

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been frustrated because a funder website: Sent you round and round but never gave you information on their grant funding process Shared who they awarded grants to, but never gave information on their grant application process Told you...

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Being Vulnerable at Work
Episode 13

Being Vulnerable at Work

We often spend more time at work than anywhere else. But that doesn’t mean we are closest to our bosses and colleagues. So how does that work when you have things in your life that affect your work performance? Today we are joined by Melanie Palmer, GPC, CFRE and...

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Travel Tips When Using Grant Funds
Episode 12

Travel Tips When Using Grant Funds

Grant funding can be used for travel, if the funder allows it. Your needs for travel expenses will vary from airline and hotel costs to reach a conference event to local mileage for traveling nurses to visit seniors in their homes. If federal funding is involved,...

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Six Steps to Successful Grant Consulting

Six Steps to Successful Grant Consulting

Pursuing a career as a grant consultant can be an incredibly rewarding path, allowing you to leverage your skills in writing, research, and project management to secure vital funding for non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and other worthy causes....

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Business Building
Episode 11

Business Building

Have you started your own business? Are you thinking about it? Whether you plan to be a grant consultant, start a fundraising empire, or want to freelance here and there, it is important to think about your plans for maintaining or growing your business. We are joined...

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5 Steps to Successful Grant Management

5 Steps to Successful Grant Management

In the grant world, so many people focus on the award. There is a lot of emphasis on writing a successful proposal and winning the money, but the truth is, the award is just the beginning. The only way to keep the grant award, and find success in future applications,...

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Grant Management 101
Episode 10

Grant Management 101

Grant management is a vital part of the grant life cycle. If you cannot keep the funding awarded to your agency, you are lessening the chance of future funding. Today we’re walking you through the five main components of post-award work. Whether you are new to the...

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A Tale of Two Federal Program Officers

A Tale of Two Federal Program Officers

It was the best of responses; it was the worst of responses… A grant professional’s workload often centers around application deadlines. I have been tracking a funding opportunity for a client for over a month now. The 2023 application was released in early-April, and...

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How To: LOI
Episode 9

How To: LOI

From small family foundations to large corporation foundations, many funders ask potential grantees to submit an LOI. Do they mean a Letter of Intent or Letter of Interest? Do they want one page or three? What topics do they expect you to cover? The simple answer: it...

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How to Have Difficult Conversations

How to Have Difficult Conversations

I don’t know how you handle conflict, be it personal or professional, but my go-to modus operandi is avoidance. I’ve always been a peacemaker, and when things get uncomfortable for myself or anyone else, I will happily change the subject, crack a joke, or simply sweep...

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More Than Grant Writers
Episode 8

More Than Grant Writers

Sure, your title may have “writer” in it, but we are more than grant writers. Grant professionals build capacity, develop programs, conduct research, work with clients, build budgets, and so much more. We also have a voice in philanthropy, because without nonprofits...

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Don’t Be Afraid to Talk to Your Grantor

Don’t Be Afraid to Talk to Your Grantor

Last week Kimberly and I led a workshop for area police chiefs and other command staff. We spent time talking about what grants can and cannot do and how to build a grants team without a grant professional on staff. We spent a lot of time explaining that competitive...

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How Grant Management is A Lot Like Broccoli

How Grant Management is A Lot Like Broccoli

The grant world is split into two very distinctive halves: pre-award and post-award. Many organizations put pressure on their grant professionals to get the grant, causing the focus of our time to live on the pre-award side – conducting prospect research to find the...

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Successful Grant Management for the Win!
Episode 5

Successful Grant Management for the Win!

So many people are focused on getting the grant. But then it’s awarded. Now what? Grant management is a key component to keeping your grant awards AND getting future grant awards. Join our conversation with Rachel Werner and Lucy Morgan of MyFedTrainer.Com about all...

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Own Your Mistakes

Own Your Mistakes

Kimberly and I are currently going through the Dare to Lead training created by Brenè Brown. Our facilitator is Julie Boll, a fellow grant professional, whom we had the pleasure of interviewing on the Fundraising HayDay Podcast last year. If you want to learn more...

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Breaking Down Silos Between Grants and Development
Episode 4

Breaking Down Silos Between Grants and Development

Grant writing, just like fundraising, is very relational. The truth is that people give to people. This is why we are talking to Kara D. Mostowy, CFRE, GPC, Chief Development Officer of The Watson Institute. We are working to break down the silos between fundraisers...

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Grant Writing Pro Tips
Episode 3

Grant Writing Pro Tips

With a combined 50+ years of grant writing experience, our cohosts know their way around a grant proposal. Today they are sharing writing tips based on lessons learned, sometimes the hard way. Whether you are new to the grant field or have been doing this a few...

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It’s Good to Have a Nerdy Best Friend

It’s Good to Have a Nerdy Best Friend

I have a friend who is always first in line for the newest iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac Book. She refers to Apple Park (Apple’s headquarters) as the Mothership. She’s my go to when I have a question about these products. I jokingly refer to my son as HayDay...

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Productivity Tips From Your Nerdy Best Friend
Episode 2

Productivity Tips From Your Nerdy Best Friend

Tech tools abound to make the lives and work of grant professionals easier. But some of the tools, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), can be scary and overwhelming. If you are not an early adopter of technology, then have we got the nerd who jumps in and figures...

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