HayDay Services is bringing you a series of “how-to” articles related to successful grant management. Part 2: Building a Grant Management Team Let's get one thing straight: grant management isn't a solo sport, and neither is grant writing. Gone are the days when...
If you’ve spent more than 10 minutes talking grants with me, I’ve said that 80% of grant writing is not about actual writing. Communication skills play an essential part in 80% of non-writing. That’s why Amanda and I were thrilled to kick off Season 8 (!) of the...
HayDay Services is bringing you a series of “how-to” articles related to successful grant management. Part 1: Importance of Grant Management In the complex landscape of nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies, grant management stands as...
The grant world can be intense—never more so than right now, as we’re on the cusp of dramatic changes in federal funding, possible profound changes to nonprofits’ statuses, and so much more. Between shifting priorities, tight deadlines, and the constant pressure to...
If you haven’t heard the origin story of the Fundraising HayDay Podcast, the long story short is this: Kimberly and I were meeting regularly for lunch to discuss the grant world and life in general, we were both feeling stuck in a bit of a rut, and I had recently...
Whether you’re a steadfast resolution writer or a tomorrow is another day kind of person, it’s hard to resist the beginning of a New Year as a chance to start afresh. There’s a surprising connection between writing grants and setting New Year's resolutions. Here's...
Have you ever noticed a theme or idea that keeps slapping you in the face? It’s almost as if the universe is telling you to sit up and pay attention. No? Just me? Well, it seems like I’m meant to contemplate my last (nearly) 25 years in the grants profession with the...
Grant management means so much more than tracking dollars spent—when done well, it’s an ongoing strategic process of communication, documentation, and dedication. To encourage long-term grant-seeking success, sound grant management is a comprehensive process that...
HayDay Services is bringing you a series of “how-to” articles related to successful grant development. Part 9: Typical Attachments If you’ve ever been in a training session about grant proposal development with my HayDay Services Co-Founder Kimberly, you’ve heard her...
During the 2024 GrantSummit, hosted by the Grant Professionals Association, I had the distinct pleasure of being officially inducted into the Grant Professionals 2024 Class of Distinguished Fellows. I knew I would be recognized during the opening session, along with...
HayDay Services is bringing y ou a series of "how-to" articles related to successful grant development. Part 8: Sustainability On more extensive grant proposals, there’s almost always at least one of those dreaded questions: “How will your agency continue this program...
I love the ‘90s. It was the decade of all my high school and college years (class of ’96 and ’00). Music was popping, fashion was questionable (though I did love a good pleather pant and wide-legged jeans), Friends and ER ruled Thursday nights, and I knew the exact...
HayDay Services is bringing you a series of “how-to” articles related to successful grant development. Part 7: Evaluation The evaluation section of your grant proposal is often one of the last sections of a grant application. At that point, you may be tired of coming...
As a development director, city clerk, or solo grant writer, you may often find yourself juggling multiple responsibilities and facing increasing demands on your time and energy. The pressure to do more with less in the workplace or in the heavily staged photos that...
HayDay Services is bringing you a series of “how-to” articles related to successful grant development. Part 6: Program Description I find the program or project description, sometimes called the methodology section, to be the easiest section of a grant proposal to...
Picture mentorship as a cozy sweater – most folks think you only need it when fresh out of college and shivering in the cold winds of the "real world." But slipping into the comfy career cardigan of mentorship never goes out of style. Over the past 28 years, I have...
HayDay Services is bringing you a series of “how-to” articles related to successful grant development. Part 5: Goals & Objectives Goals and Objectives are a kind of shorthand for an entire grant proposal. In fact, writing goals and objectives really doesn’t feel...
From my birth in 1978 until I graduated from college in 2000, I moved (on average) every three years. And I’m not talking down the street. It was always a different state and sometimes a different country. That’s the life of an army brat. Check those dates, and you’ll...
HayDay Services is bringing you a series of “how-to” articles related to successful grant development. Part 4: Budgets When I first started writing grants, budgets were the last thing I wanted to deal with. My focus was on using words to convey needs and telling...
Securing a large grant feels like hitting the jackpot—making all the hard work worth it. But the real work is just beginning. Bigger isn't always better when it comes to grant funding. Grant funding can provide much-needed resources for programs, but often comes with...
HayDay Services is bringing you a series of “how-to” articles related to successful grant development. Part 3: Needs Statement Whether you are writing a one-page Letter of Intent (LOI) or a 150-page federal proposal, every grant funder wants to know the need/problem...
Raise your hand if you’ve ever: • Been asked your organization’s overhead cost by a donor. • Had to share your organization’s overhead percentage on a grant application. • Felt inclined to define your agency’s overhead costs. • Realized that your position was an...
HayDay Services is bringing you a series of “how-to” articles related to successful grant development. Part 2: Strategic Grant Seeking If I had a nickel for every time someone told me that Mackenzie Scott makes lots of grants, corporations are a great source of...
I used to dread any grant application that required a logic model. It was just another form to fill out, another hoop to jump through. After a while, I realized that logic models offer a visual representation of a program's key components and expected outcomes for...