Grants Ink LLC

Thank you, American Express Business for giving us the opportunity to share our experiences!

If the foundation does have a website, find the section containing their mission statement. Compare that mission to your own organization’s mission.

The first thing you should do when you encounter a new funding opportunity is find the funder’s website. If they do not have a website, this should be an immediate red flag.

The first hard truth to know about funders is that most of them have no interest in you or your work.

Here is a good exercise before starting online research: brainstorm all the “buckets” or “silos” your organization fits in. What population do you serve? Where do you serve them? How do you serve them? These questions will give clues as to the best search terms to use

It may sound simplistic, but some of your best funding prospects will come up on Google just from searching something like “grantmakers/foundations in [INSERT FIELD].” The major grantmakers in that field will usually optimize their sites to pop up early in search engine results, which will give you a sense of the prominent players in the field.

The actual “writing” part of grant writing is important, but believe it or not... it is not the only place where time can easily get wasted.⁠. Hint: Google is your friend!

Read more here: https://www.grantsink.com/summer-series-finding-funders/

Happy July! Today starts a series of posts designed to provide a simple guide to the basics of grant writing for those new to the process. It covers the promises and pitfalls of the grant writing process with a focus on cutting inefficiency. Get ready!

Happy Father’s Day from us all at Grants Ink(R)!

Friday vibes! We're looking forward to spending time with friends and family, listening to good music and eating delish meals...life's simplest pleasures must be enjoyed in tandem with an ongoing quest for nonprofit grant support. What are you planning on doing this weekend?

There's nothing like a hot coffee to give us that early week boost! Grant writing is a lot of work, but we know you can do it1

Looming grant proposals can be stressful. Our owl's advice this week is to take a few minutes each day to close our eyes and just breathe. Meditation and mindful breathing are great ways to relax our nervous system, decrease anxiety and clear our minds so the words can flow.

There's nothing like working from your local Starbucks! What's your go-to Starbucks order? Gonzalez (pending caption approval)

Practice some philanthropy this week by supporting nonprofits working on events you feel strongly about 💝 Gonzalez (caption pending approval)
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Have you noticed how different your neighborhood looks at night versus during the day? We're surrounded by so many historical sites (many of which are grant funded) with their own stories and purposes. Take a look around your area and see what jems you find!

This week's owl advice: One of the best ways to see consistent grant funds is to always have a least three potentials in the pipeline. One proposal you are actively writing, one proposal you are preparing for, and one proposal that has been sent out into the "universe". Once you receive a response on one, whether a yes or no, that's the time to start looking at the next one. Keep this flow going, and grants will begin to come your way.

Grant money and funding is everywhere around us, from our parks to our museums!

Education is the key to unlocking access to grant funding for all social causes. Whether it's picking up a grant writing book or reading a new blog, there are endless ways to gain access to information that can support your grant funding efforts.

Did you know that owls are historically known to bring clarity and guidance to those they visit? This is why we chose the owl as our logo. Enjoy photos of these beautiful birds in their natural environment, who bring tips and tricks to support your grant funding activities! Today's owl tip: Don't leave the program budget to the end. Instead, work on the program budget first then the narrative second. Traditionally, people tend to work on the written narrative first, when the budget is where most errors and changes happen. Save yourself time and energy and get those numbers done first!

Is your organization ready to take it to the next level? Schedule your Ink Session call with us and you'll be making those touchdowns in no time!⁠⁠
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