As I write this in the middle of October, Halloween costumes are vying with Christmas decorations for my attention in the big box store. Thanksgiving tchotchkes are a distant third on a few endcaps here and there.  I grew up as a preacher’s and teacher’s child, so for...

Right now, grant writing feels more solitary and isolating than ever before in my 28 years of experience. The uncertainty around federal and other grant funding sources has intensified this stress dramatically—with agencies announcing massively shortened deadlines...

October 1, 2025, dawned with no approved federal budget. It’s not the first time we’ve been here, but it feels like the worst. It’s reasonable to panic. I’m already wondering about the status of grant funding. How long until the shutdown is over and new grant...

As a recovering Development Director, I have lots of thoughts and feelings about fundraising events. They can be amazing, but there is a huge staff and resource cost involved whether you host an elegant gala, a fun run, an awards breakfast, or anything and everything...

Working in local government, I got to experience an annual performance review for the first 15 years of my career. I hated them. Not because a boss berated me or used it as an opportunity to tell me how many mistakes I made, but because I always found it awkward to...

The idea of failure used to scare the living daylights out of me. And admitting a mistake. Hard pass; no thank you. Zero stars. Do not recommend. It was the perfectionist in me. I never wanted to show a single flaw or misstep. Heck, I wouldn’t leave the house without...

Many Federal agencies are throwing deadlines at us with barely any warning. What used to be about a month of super-focused prep time has telescoped into a few frantic days. It’s ridiculous, ineffective, and feels like it’s being done on purpose at this point. It’s...

Kimberly and I often preach that grant writing is NOT a solo sport, so it should come as no surprise that grant management isn’t either. In fact, we are preaching all about this on the latest Fundraising HayDay episode. Whether you are a team of grant professionals at...

If you’ve been reading this newsletter long enough or have listened to our Fundraising HayDay podcast, you know that Amanda is the nice one, right? So let me sling some slang to get us started. I wanna hold your hand while I say this with my whole chest and my...

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before…You're in a board meeting when the chair suddenly lights up and declares, "I just read that MacKenzie Scott gave away $2 billion last year! We should apply for one of her grants for our new community center!" The room buzzes...