Quick Tips
Before You Write Another Prompt, Build “Rooms” in the “House”
Most grant writers discover AI through prompting.
They type a careful instruction — "You are an experienced grant writer with 20 years of experience in foundation grants. Write a compelling needs statement for a literacy program targeting elementary school students in low-income communities." They get something back. It's pretty good. They edit it. They move on. They call this an AI workflow.
It isn't. Or rather, it's the beginning of one, but if you stop there, you’ll remain frustrated with AI being over hyped.
The barrier to consistent, high-quality AI output in grant writing isn't prompting skill. It's context and folder usage. Once you employ these approaches, your experience of AI will change rapidly.
Shadow Work in Grants
Shadow work is the hidden labor behind every successful grant—from rebuilding budgets to chasing internal data. New research shows it’s costing organizations an average of $53,700 a year and forcing many to walk away from major funding opportunities. This post explores what’s really happening behind the scenes and why it’s time to rethink how grant work is supported.
Three Common Language Traps in Grant Narratives
Part II of our series “The Power and Politics of Language in Grant Narratives” explores three common language traps in grant narratives and offers practical strategies to write more accurate, respectful, and grounded needs statements. It challenges grant writers to move beyond deficit-based and exaggerated language, and instead center community agency, context, and truth in their proposals.
Grant Writing. It’s Political. And Your Needs Statement Proves It.
Grant writing isn’t neutral. The language used in needs statements and project justifications shapes how communities are perceived—and funded. This blog explores how to write compelling narratives that tell the truth without reinforcing harmful deficit-based framing.
We Confused Scaling a Program With Delivering It at Scale
Many nonprofits have been told for years that if a program works, it should scale. But we’ve blurred an important distinction: scaling a program is not the same thing as delivering it at scale. The result is that many nonprofits feel trapped between staying small and under-serving, or growing until something breaks.
You’re Not Too Small. You’re Just Underestimated.
Some folks look at your org and see “small.” We see something else: underestimated. In this blog, we bust a few myths, share insight on a winning approach, and provide a four-step playbook for small organizations that want to compete for federal dollars.
Seven Reasons Why AI Won’t Replace Grant Writers
I believe that grant writing is more than a deliverable. While AI may support parts of the process, it will never understand the call to serve, to advocate, and to lead through language.
Federal grants are not won by shortcuts or chance. They are won through clarity, alignment, storytelling, and trust. These are all things that begin and end with people. So if you’re wondering whether the rise of AI means the fall of professional grant writers, rest easy.
As long as grants are written for humans, by humans, the craft will remain in human hands.
The Great Indirect Cost Debate
Let’s talk about something that sounds boring but actually shapes everything: indirect costs.
It isn’t just about fairness. It’s about capacity. Sustainability. Whether organizations can say yes to funding without hurting themselves in the process.
Building Your Federal Grant Muscles
Right now, federal grants things are weird. But you don’t need a live opportunity to start preparing for future opportunities. Here are several things I recommend doing while you wait for opportunities to reappear.
The Elephant in the Room: Are Federal Grants Really Coming Back?
Federal grants are back—but with strings attached.
While billions in funding are available through 2025, new compliance rules, tighter oversight, and political shifts are changing the game. For nonprofits—especially those serving underresourced communities—it's a moment of both opportunity and risk. Learn how to navigate this new landscape.
Why We Can’t Afford to Sit Out
Lately, I’ve been hearing more and more organizations ask, “Should we even bother applying for federal grants right now?”
I get it. It feels uncertain. But your community work is worth the investment. Our communities are worth the paperwork. And showing up, even when it’s messy, is a form of advocacy. Which means we need to stay in the game and get smarter about how we play.
Finding Our Way Through
Preserving and Directing our Energy with Self-Awareness and Intentionality