Why You Should STOP Stressing About Your Grant Writing Niche! [Video]

Wondering if you really need a niche before starting your grant writing journey? In this video, Meredith busts the myth and shares effective testing methods. If you’re eager to overcome the niche dilemma and ensure a prosperous grant writing future, this video is a must-watch! Looking for more tips & templates to organize your grant writing life? Here are free resources: 👉 https://www.learngrantwriting.org/free-grant-writing-resources/ More videos like this?➡️ Should You Niche In Your Grant Writing Business? The Pros & Cons Of Niching V. Being a Generalist: 👉 https://youtu.be/E8y5mVF4IBY➡️ How to Get Clients as Grant Writing Consultant: 👉 https://youtu.be/9ZlK7S_cP_ESubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnGrantWriting?sub_confirmation=1 Once upon a time, a grant writer unearthed a big problem: there were no options for learning to write grants in a modern, refreshing way. Existing options were “old school” and expensive.The idea? Create an online learning experience that makes grant writing approachable and fun.Learn Grant Writing was founded on the belief that our time should be spent adding real value to our communities and leading fulfilling lives.You’re in the right place if you want to…🔸 explore your curiosity🔸 change careers🔸 freelance grant write🔸 volunteer, or🔸 improve an existing skill.No sugar coating it! Grant writing is hard work. But, if it fits your personality and goals, it can be life changing. Getting professionally trained in grant writing can save you years of mistakes and lost grants, make you indispensable, and give you wonderful lifestyle flexibility. You can become a grant writing unicorn 🦄 faster than you might realize. Learn more: https://www.learngrantwriting.org/Subscribe for new weekly videos: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnGrantWriting?sub_confirmation=1 Watch this video about Grant Writing for Beginners: https://youtu.be/MBRrCwOuM00Learn the 7 Steps to Writing a Grant: https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLdG9L-lMwx_iCIOdD4oKpTXjpivrLClp-Free Grant Writing Course: https://www.learngrantwriting.org/free-grant-writing-course/Write Grants. Get Paid: https://www.learngrantwriting.org/webinar-videos/discover-grant-writing/Let’s Connect…Website: https://www.learngrantwriting.org/Podcast: insert linkLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/senecaworks/IG: https://www.instagram.com/learngrantwriting/FB: https://web.facebook.com/learngrantwriting.org/🧡 The Team at Learn Grant Writing

Amplifying Impact: Grant Writing’s Role in the Life of an Executive Director, Abbigail Cool’s Story [Video]

📢 Tired of struggling to secure funding for your nonprofit organization? 🤔 We dive into the inspiring journey of Abigail Cool, an Executive Director who shares her journey of combining grant writing with her passion for helping others, and how it has transformed her organization’s impact. 💪 Executive Director’s wear a lot of hats. Interested in how you can find more balance in your role as an Executive Director? Check out this video on less chaos days: 👉 https://youtu.be/PU9hATSFnZwAbbigail Cool didn’t take the traditional path. She cared for her children, focused on family, and headed back to get her degree in 2022. After graduating, she felt called to give back. She landed her dream job as the Executive Director of a Women’s Respite Care Center after dabbling in grant writing with the Global Grant Writers Collective. Abbigail talks about the challenges of getting an organization “grant ready,” and how it’s not just about writing grants, but also about building relationships. You need to position your organization for success. 🤝 Finding her footing as an Executive Director for the first time, she shares the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive individuals to grow and learn. She now has the confidence to know her role and think creatively when securing funding. 💪 Abbigail also discusses the impact of grant funding on her organization, including the expansion of their services and the ability to help more women in need. 🌟 Abbigail has a unique perspective on grant funding being in the Executive Director position. She shares her top secrets to managing her responsibilities and securing funding:1️⃣ Start by educating yourself and building your tool belt of skills. 📚 2️⃣ Surround yourself with a supportive network of people who believe in you. 🤗 3️⃣ Focus on building relationships and positioning your organization for success. 🏢 4️⃣ Stay confident in your abilities and never stop learning. 💡 Interested in the secret sauce of getting more grant funding? Here is a free training on how to win more grants while writing less: 👉https://www.learngrantwriting.org/nonprofit-grant-writer/ 💥00:00 Intro03:47 Small organization transitions becoming an Executive Director08:39 Building relationships, and networking for success10:23 How to jump into a new role, transition careers12:30 It’s all about who you hang with15:59 Advocating for others18:45 Using past experiences to help others18:53 The Global Grant Writers Collective as empowerment19:56 Support and resources20:20 Rapid fire “get to know you” questions23:43 The collaboration and community effort needed to achieve the dream

Burned Out From A Government Job, 😩 Maria Transitioned To Grant Writing To Put Her Family First [Video]

Meet Maria Beotegui a grant writing unicorn who didn’t want to sacrifice her wellness and ♥️ her family’s quality of life for a paycheck. Maria left a well paying career with the federal government because she was burned out. A year later she reflects on motherhood, intentional work, and meeting financial barriers from a practical approach. 🌟Burned out from your career? Want to know if grant writing is a good fit for you? Take our career fit quiz here: ➡️ https://www.learngrantwriting.org/successful-grant-writer-quiz/Maria’s first love was connecting children to themselves through nature discovery and inquiry. She worked as an environmental educator for county parks, non-profits and the National Park Service. She worked tirelessly, nurturing partnerships, leveraging resources and managing grants. With dwindling budgets she was pushed to be more and more creative to meet not only program goals, but also the goals of numerous initiatives. Maria experienced first hand how chasing grants and bending to fit grant requirements lead to burnout. 😩 She left her career with the federal government to focus on her family and her own wellness during the pandemic. In that time, she went back to the drawing board to determine how she could put her professional skills to good use. After a lightbulb, “candy bar” conversation, she realized her expert project management, creative problem solving and thoughtful writing skills could serve the greater good, as a grant writer. 👏 Maria shares how she’s taking the journey one day at a time focusing on work that lights her up and supports her family. ⭐ She speaks on the practical approach of “backing in” to the financial needs of her family to set realistic goals with her consulting business (Lantern Strategy). 💡 She now measures success through connection and wellness instead of financial gain. Want to explore a career in grant writing? Start with a training on how to create recession-proof opportunities without prior experience. Training here: ➡️ https://www.learngrantwriting.org/become-a-paid-grant-writer/Timestamp:02:00 What did success look like when you joined and how it’s changed.04:45 Aligning with your work goals with your financial goals and intentional visual reminders07:26 How to meet financial examples with consistent action10:50 How to come through challenges with eased, picking yourself up from the bumps13:16 Most proud of being able to not sacrifice my wellness and quality of life14:40 What has come from facing financial fears 18:20 Rapid fire get to know Maria

Ready, Set, AI: New tech & fall updates to help grant writers reach success faster! [Video]

Did you know a group of unicorns is a blessing? The blessing has spoken. When we asked grant writing members how they wanted us to allocate resources this year, their #1 vote was for “Money Makin’ Interventions.” So let’s pull back the curtain on new tech, strategies, and curriculum updates this fall. Ready to build a life you love through the grant writing profession? Join the Collective here: https://app.learngrantwriting.org/offers/dtzLVzwQ/checkoutYou’re here to learn. And you’re here to earn. 🔸 Make $15,000 freelancing alongside your full-time job and busy home life.🔸 Experienced? Scale to pay yourself double.🔸 Don’t want to freelance? We have a path for you too.We are obsessed with your success. Tech is only one piece of the equation to get you where you want to go faster. It takes a roadmap and we’ve updated ours.We cover: 🤖 Sneak peek at our build of new AI software🦄 Unicorn chat buddy (like a search function on steroids)🧠 3 mindset strategies (curious conversations, soul care, belief upgrades)💰 Updates on what to charge and how to contract💡 NEW Earn & Learn acceleratorHave questions about the Collective? Come have digital coffee with me here: https://forms.gle/pp98iJ4zKPb4ubW48Timestamp: 00:00 Intro00:30 Technology adoption curve04:15 Can AI help our members05:00 AI Copilot demo 06:30 Finding clients with AI (thinking differently about outreach)10:32 Informational interviews, Toolkit, and contracts14:45 Courtney’s story, getting up to speed with a new client (saving 5 hours)23:13 Key takeaways from AI24:15 What to charge and how to contract (cake pricing)29:05 3 keystone activities that make your goals a forgone conclusion30:20 Unicorn chat buddy (a search function to efficiently find answers to your questions)38:49 What is the Global Grant Writers Collective41:59 Are these themes keeping you on the fence?42:50 Our juicy guarantee48:00 Belief upgrades50:56 Wins from the Collective JUST today52:16 Bonuses if you join before 11/15/2355:50 Q & A

$hit or get off the pot 🍯 I will unsubscribe you! [Video]

Have you been lurking? 👀 I see you. You’ve done your homework, binged our spotlights and reviews, but you’re still on the fence thinking this won’t work for you. Sound familiar? Let’s get into the three questions you should be asking yourself if you’ve been lurking on the Collective! Ready to turn all your DIY learning from the outside into real action? Get your booty in the Collective by clicking here: 👉 https://app.learngrantwriting.org/offers/dtzLVzwQ/checkoutMy lurkers out there, you can likely relate to “Lucy’s” story. At first glance, Lucy was doing the right thing. She found a local mentor to apprentice under and was advised to volunteer to gain experience. The mentor told Lucy we were off our rockers promising you can get paid to find grants without prior experience. 🤦‍♀️ ​Just as I warn against,​ the volunteer gig was going nowhere. 18 months had passed and Lucy had only grown frustrated, without new experience and certainly no earnings.Fast forward, Lucy shows up to a group Q&A call in September, and it was déjà vu! Yep, Lucy had come to one of our group Q&A calls a YEAR AGO! Lucy had done her homework. 📚 She knew the ins and outs of the Global Grant Writers ​Collective​. Triple checked the reviews. Binged YouTube content. Showed up to live events. And yet was still on the fence. 🤺At that moment, I realized the issue…There was no other proof I could hand over that would change her beliefs that our method would work for her, because she had not yet addressed the limiting belief in herself that she could do it. We all have limiting beliefs. Yours truly included. 😉 That’s why you are supported on mindset upgrades throughout your time in the Collective, but I can’t help you from the outside. ⚠️ If YOU ARE lurking, I want you to do three things 👉 TODAY to decide if you’re all in or all out! ONE…Write down your limiting beliefs of why you think this won’t work for you. Straight up paper and pen your beliefs. ❌I don’t know what I’m doing. ❌ I can’t make $$$ doing this. ❌ I won’t find any clients. etc.) Then, write down an incrementally better belief for each. ✅ I can learn new skills. ✅ I have done hard things before. ✅ With a roadmap, I can make money doing mission-driven work.TWO…Ask yourself, who am I taking advice from? Only consider taking advice from people who are where you want to go! Seriously, the peanut gallery is opinionated. Find yourself a mentor that can actionable show you how to build a life you love because they’ve done it themselves. THREE…Calculate the cost of inaction. Lucy above, joined the Collective. In her first month, she made 💸 $3k. Yup. Multiple that by the 18 months she spent lurking and you have only a fraction of her cost of inaction. ⚡ You can’t afford to know what you don’t know. NOW…It’s time. Come out of the shadows, my friend. Let’s get this show on the road! Building a life you love takes action, not tire kicking.So are you all in or all out?For you magical unicorns all in, here’s the link to join the Collective: 👉 https://app.learngrantwriting.org/offers/dtzLVzwQ/checkoutTimestamps: 00:00 Intro00:27 Lurkers among us01:13 Meet Lucy who after 18 months of old school grant mentorship made no progress01:47 Doing your homework vs. limiting beliefs02:17 Why you believe this won’t work for you02:49 Take advice from those who are where you want to go03:24 Calculate the cost of inaction03:58 Our juicy guarantee for joining the program05:15 Get your booty in the Collective

Whoops first recording had no audio! 🤦‍♀️ How about this? BIG NEWS! 🥁 Join me LIVE Nov 8th! [Video]

ChatGPT became mainstream in December of last year. We immediately wondered, “Can AI help our grant writers win work faster? Deliver better work? Write more winning grants?”Through lots of failed attempts 🎢 and a serendipitous encounter, we’re pleased to report – yup, we sure can!!!Grant writers, picture this: Less grind, more brainpower for research & strategy. No more burning the midnight oil! Inspired by AI’s game-changing efficiency in various fields, we leaned into curiosity.Join us for Ready, Set, AI: New Tech For Grant Writing Unicorns and level up your skills before the year’s end.Discover how our AI-Copilot:🚀 Supercharges your deliverables🌟 Crafts your funding roadmap📞 Generates contact lists for interviews📧 Whips up killer email copyBut wait, there’s more! 😉 I (Meredith) have been on a creative rollercoaster, transforming your curriculum for even faster success. Get the scoop on the autumn updates live.EVENT DETAILS:Nov 8th – 11 am PST/ 2 pm ESTGet registered here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsfu2hrD8pHtG9XFyo43akC_ithC-4jn_a#/registrationSEATS ARE LIMITED because we have this open to members of the Collective (600+ members deep). 🌟 This is your chance to unlock the ultimate grant-winning arsenal if you join in November! 🌟🤖 6 Months FREE of our AI Co-Pilot Software!💲 Instrumentl – Best Pricing from any Partner✨ From Pen To Polished: Learn To Write Well and Say What You Mean In Grant Applications – $750 value💰 Salary Negotiation Training from Emily Liou – $400 value🧠 Victoria Song’s Mindset Workshop on 11/10 – $400 valuePlus, be part of our FIRST Earn and Learn Cohort for onboarding and accountability – 30 days to MORE success! 🚀Party starts here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsfu2hrD8pHtG9XFyo43akC_ithC-4jn_a#/registration

Free Nov 8th? Join me to get the full scoop on what we’ve been quietly building for you! 🤫 [Video]

ChatGPT became mainstream in December of last year. We immediately wondered, “Can AI help our grant writers win work faster? Deliver better work? Write more winning grants?”Through lots of failed attempts 🎢 and a serendipitous encounter, we’re pleased to report – yup, we sure can!!!Grant writers, picture this: Less grind, more brainpower for research & strategy. No more burning the midnight oil! Inspired by AI’s game-changing efficiency in various fields, we leaned into curiosity.Join us for Ready, Set, AI: New Tech For Grant Writing Unicorns and level up your skills before the year’s end.Discover how our AI-Copilot:🚀 Supercharges your deliverables🌟 Crafts your funding roadmap📞 Generates contact lists for interviews📧 Whips up killer email copyBut wait, there’s more! 😉 I (Meredith) have been on a creative rollercoaster, transforming your curriculum for even faster success. Get the scoop on the autumn updates live.EVENT DETAILS:Nov 8th – 11 am PST/ 2 pm ESTGet registered here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsfu2hrD8pHtG9XFyo43akC_ithC-4jn_a#/registrationSEATS ARE LIMITED because we have this open to members of the Collective (600+ members deep). 🌟 This is your chance to unlock the ultimate grant-winning arsenal if you join in November! 🌟🤖 6 Months FREE of our AI Co-Pilot Software!💲 Instrumentl – Best Pricing from any Partner✨ From Pen To Polished: Learn To Write Well and Say What You Mean In Grant Applications – $750 value💰 Salary Negotiation Training from Emily Liou – $400 value🧠 Victoria Song’s Mindset Workshop on 11/10 – $400 valuePlus, be part of our FIRST Earn and Learn Cohort for onboarding and accountability – 30 days to MORE success! 🚀Party starts here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsfu2hrD8pHtG9XFyo43akC_ithC-4jn_a#/registration

How to Untether Yourself from Chaos: A Step-by-Step Guide to Structuring Your Week [Video]

🎥 It’s way too easy to find chaos in your life! Let’s get into untethering from the chaos and gaining control of your schedule. 💪 Structure your week with management days, money days, and mission days. Say goodbye to chaos and hello to productivity! 📆✨Looking for more tips & templates to organize your grant writing life? Here are free resources: https://www.learngrantwriting.org/free-grant-writing-resources/Let’s face it, our days are filled with interruptions like emails, phone calls, and unexpected issues. It’s chaos! I was floundering in work, depleted, before I began structuring my days, weeks, and quarters grouping work flow tasks together.My method of organizing your days comes in three types: management days, money days, and mission days. By assigning each day a theme and sticking to it, you’ll regain control of your schedule and eliminate the chaos.Management Days are for your admin & operation tasks like all those meetings. Money days are for tasks that make your business money.Mission days are stepping away from the business to work on the business. So here’s how it works:Decide which days will be your management, money, and mission days. Plan it out for the next 8-12 weeks and stick to it.On management days, focus on meetings, operations, and admin work. Get all the necessary tasks done.Money days are for making money, whether it’s completing billable work or doing business development.Mission days are all about working on the bigger picture of your business. Step away from the office and engage your brain in creative ways.Remember to prioritize deep work, which is uninterrupted, focused work. Set aside a dedicated deep work day each week to really delve into a project.Be flexible with your mission day (typically Fridays) and use it for rest and recharge, or to dive into trainings and personal growth.By following this method, you’ll regain control over your schedule, increase productivity, and eliminate the chaos that’s been holding you back. So go ahead, give it a try and see the transformative impact it has on your life. You won’t believe how easy it is to bring order to the chaos!Curious how you could get into grant writing and build a career in it? Here is a free training on how to do that without volunteering or having prior experience: https://www.learngrantwriting.org/webinar-videos/discover-grant-writingTimestamp00:00 Intro00:46 Recap of chaos and introduction to deep work as the opposite.01:22 Introducing the concept of connected work and its importance.02:40 Explaining the three types of work days: management, money, and mission.04:29 Discussing how to schedule each type of work day throughout the week.05:27 Addressing the feasibility of implementing this method in a corporate environment.06:06 Encouragement to try out this scheduling model for the next eight to twelve weeks.06:19 Teaser for the next video on buying back time from chaos

The Tonka-Truck Of Proposals 🚛 How To Edit Your Federal Grant Narrative To Score Higher Points [Video]

Federal grants are their own beasts! But if you follow the funding guidelines and with plenty of time, you can tackle 💪 federal grant writing. Meredith deconstructs a federal grant narrative in a coaching call to show you ways to score the highest points. Looking for coaching and mentorship as you write grants? Follow the link for training relevant to where you are on your grant writing journey (new / inhouse / experienced). https://www.learngrantwriting.org/Maria is a member of the Global Grant Writers Collective. As part of the Collective, we host 2x monthly coaching calls. During these live sessions members get 1:1 feedback from a professional grant writing coach. Maria brought a draft of her federal grant narrative. No easy task to compile and write. No easier task to edit. She had all the pieces and content (the most difficult part). The structure, however, needed a tune up. Meredith drops in some killer advice: ⭐ How to use the funding guidelines to calculate narrative length and points per section. ⭐ How to target key language for responses⭐ How to cut lengthy sentences (37 words) to be clear and direct (10 words)The federal grant narrative tear down is a sneak peak into what coaching looks like in our community. Interested in professional mentorship as a grant writer? Email us at info@senworks.org so we can send you personalized resources. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:25

Spencer’s Dream To Become A Grant Writer: A Mindfulness Journey Balancing Complex PTSD [Video]

When Spencer joined the Collective, he’d been brewing a dream since 2013— to become a grant writer. As a technical writer, 📝 he saw the value in helping people find funding with a well-worded proposal. He wasn’t sure how to turn his trade into a career. Spencer joined the 🦄 Global Grant Writers Collective in 2022, hoping to manifest his long-time dream into his life. Spencer’s journey to becoming a grant writer was also navigating multiple priorities, health being a big one. After being diagnosed with Complex PTSD, Spencer had greater obstacles to bringing his dream to life. “One of the biggest hindrances to achieving your dreams when you have mental health issues are (the fears) ‘I’m too overwhelmed’ or ‘I’m too depressed.’ But mindfulness gives you the space to step from all that.” Spencer instead sought help, connected with others, and prioritized self-care with grace. ♥️ Spencer brings a whole new level of what self-care looks like to the Collective community, being an advocate for those in the community who want to achieve their goals. “Some people want to make self-care all glitter and rainbows and feel good, but sometimes self-care does not feel good. Sometimes the best things you can do for yourself feels like crap in the short term… but the work is worth it for the long-term effect.” Spencer shares that to balance mental health & grant writing, you should find a daily mindfulness practice you can lean into (meditation or intentional breathing) and prioritize connection to have support (maybe seeing a therapist to work through baggage for better social skills). “Those two things in combination can empower just about anyone!” Spencer has grounded himself in doing the work. 💪 He worked through the steps to setting up a business–relationship building, branding, creating a website–and even found a unique way to reach clients. A way more suitable to his personal mental health goals for connecting with others. Spencer put a slit twist on how the Global Grant Writers Collective teaches Information Interviews to reach new clients. Instead of cold emailing, Spencer wanted to explore good old-fashioned cold calls. ☎️ The personal nature of a phone call, a different approach to connecting, has led to crazy amounts of success, he says. Leaning into this new reality of success, he says, is vindicating. “It’s very surreal… things can happen if you just keep trying. If you keep pushing forward, things can happen if you keep trying and believe in yourself.” Spencer continues to grow his consulting business and connect mindfully with the Collective community. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:25 The dream of becoming a grant writer 02:18 What does success look like 03:16 Success in the next 3-6 months 04:15 Breaking from cold emails 06:57 Wanting the dream and begin living the reality 08:43 Keeping the dream going while balancing Complex PTSD 11:22 Defining self-care 15:05 Advice on pursuing a dream with mental health 17:25 Rewarding aspects of the grant writing journey 20:48 Rapid fire questions

💡Buy Back Your Time: Our Secret Sauce to Million-Dollar Bliss! [Video]

📚 Seriously, this book is a game changer. Principle strategies in this book took our business from failing to a million dollar business in 2+ years. I LOVE the strategies so much, I bought copies for my customers to help them buy back their time. Curious how you could get into grant writing and build a career in it? Here is a free training on how to do that without volunteering or having prior experience: 👉https://www.learngrantwriting.org/webinar-videos/discover-grant-writingWhether you’re a software company or another business, there are rules that apply to all business. What’s so juicy about Dan Martel’s book? Let’s break his business principles down into three key takeaways. 1️⃣ Architecting Your Business for Freedom: Y’all, the promised land of freedom only comes with intentionality.You have to design your business for the schedule flexibility, lifestyle freedom, and financial success you’ve always dreamed of. No more falling into the trap of working tirelessly without reaping the rewards you deserve.2️⃣ The Auditing-Transfer-Fill Loop: Buying back our time begins with auditing your tasks. Once you know how you’re using your time, you can look at what tasks bring you joy? What parts make you money? What parts do you actually wanna do more of and what needs to go? You can then transfer those that don’t align with your strengths, and fill your schedule with activities that boost your income and passion.3️⃣ Outsourcing and Automation using a DRIP matrix: How do you know what tasks to off load to buy back more or your time? Using a DRIP matrix you can map out what task light you up and make you money, while delegating and outsourcing the other tasks. Here’s where things get juicy! The DRIP Matrix is broken down below!🔷 Delegate Quadrant: Tasks you don’t enjoy and that don’t contribute to your bottom line belong here. These are the areas you should swiftly delegate or outsource to free up your energy and time for more meaningful activities. 🔶 Replacement Quadrant: In this zone, you’ll find tasks that generate income but don’t align with your strengths or interests. These are prime opportunities to replace yourself by hiring experts or leveraging technology.🔷 Investment Quadrant: Identify tasks that light you up but might not be directly revenue-generating yet. These are areas where you’re investing in your business’s future growth and personal fulfillment.🔶 Production Quadrant: Activities you enjoy that directly contribute to your income and business success reside here. This is where you want to focus your time and energy to maximize your impact.🤖 By understanding and applying this matrix, you can strategically allocate tasks to buy back your time. Yes, that’s more time for you to be doing the things that light you up and make you money. Remember, the Promised Land of freedom and flexibility is only possible if we architect it to be true!Curious if grant writing would be a good career for you to architect your dream life? Take our 3 mins personality quiz to find out. 👉 https://www.learngrantwriting.org/successful-grant-writer-quiz/♥️ Drop us a comment below! How are you buying back your time?Timestamp:0:00: Transforming a failing business using Dan Martel’s book strategies for time management & success1:34: An SOP Playbook, how to hire, build operations & company culture2:48 Having to overhaul our business model3:13 Designing your business for freedom & flexibility4:14 Audit, transfer and fill: Audit your time & task transfer for business growth 5:18 Buy back time: Boost profitability and personal satisfaction power hour work8:08 DRIP matrix explained: Strategic task allocation for success10:02: Master the DRIP matrix: Delegate, replacement, investment, production quadrants11:02: Outsourcing & technology: Reclaim time using AI-supported software Success through smart business design: Strategic focus matters

USAID and USDA Expert Johana Tatlow, Talks International Funding & Her 💰$9k Months As A Consultant [Video]

Johanna joined the Collective trying to find her professional footing after taking some time off to be a stay-at-home mom. Since joining, she went from having a few one-off based clients to building a full consulting business with a consistent income flow ($9k months). She’s owning her identity as an entrepreneur 💰and leveraging her expertise in USAID and USDA grants for international organizations. Feeling stuck in your consulting business? Check out this training on how to make $100k (take home pay) working 20 less hours a week. https://www.learngrantwriting.org/experienced-grant-writing-consultant/International funding became a clear pull for Johanna when the Syrian refugee crisis began affecting those in the town where she grew up in Southern Turkey. She went back to school to get a Masters in Program Development and quickly landed in a position as program officer at an NGO following graduation. She was working as a program officer, but life delivered some harsh blows and Johanna took some much needed time off to be a stay-at-home mom. ⚡Her return to work was as a consultant. Johanna was working on proposals for a corporate client when something clicked. She wanted to do more, and was capable of more, than the “copy and paste” type proposals that her client was requesting. She quickly jotted down on a sticky note some tough love encouragement. 💡 “What you really want is to be a consultant in your field. So figure out how to do it.” 💡 Getting clear on what she wanted, Johanna looked at ways to build her expertise. She had a client ask her to lead a massive proposal for development, Johanna realized she needed some support in the workload. She had learned that you always need back up when you’re a singular consultant. She was also working out the details of what it meant to be an entrepreneur. Want to learn more about the Global Grant Writers Collective? DM us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/learngrantwriting/ She joined the Collective to get clarity on moving things forward with ease. She’s proud of having written and been able to move into the USAID space, but having the capacity to hire and take on more work through hiring has made her a proud entrepreneur. ♥️Her advice, even if you’re a stand alone consultant you want to have back up if you have to hand something off. Maintaining a balance between ‘I want to make the money, I want to work the hours, and I need to maintain myself’ is important because you are your only asset.⚡Johanna is an expert in USAID and USDA grants. We picked her brain on the top things to know about international funding. 🌍➡️ It starts and it ends with relationships, more so than domestic funding. ➡️ Small grants aren’t usually publicly listed. It’s about relationships on the ground.➡️ The funding requests are larger because the scope is usual a country wide initiative that takes massive amounts of resources.➡️ Flexibility is key because things shift and move slowly. ➡️ Funding strategies are a fantastic start, but funder outreach happens on the ground, in-country.➡️ Being an international consultant, partially means being able to say no if an organization doesn’t have all the components for a strong project.➡️ Top tools to use include Asana (internal organizing) and then a high-level activities and outputs document, along with a wins theme summary (helping an organization highlight successes in the past or highly rated areas of work). 🦄 As she continues to grow her own consulting business, she shares her wealth of knowledge with those in the Collective. Want to grow in this field as a grant writer without riding the struggle bus alone? Check out this training on how to make $100k (take home pay) working 20 less hours a week. https://www.learngrantwriting.org/experienced-grant-writing-consultant/Resource Library | Work With USAID: https://www.workwithusaid.org/resource-libraryTimestamps0:00 Intro02:00 Dreaming of more rewarding work 05:45 Resisting temp work to be a full time entrepreneur & $9k months 07:00 Bringing on a team member 08:20 Balancing the first year of business as an entrepreneur11:49 How do you get into international grant writing?15:00 Anything that happens internationally is relationship based16:30 Identity shifting with maternal health “issues” and not being able to work in the field19:00 Approaching international funding as a two way street of learning 19:58 Hiring someone to feel like a real business21:29 What makes domestic funding different from international funding?24:40 One thing everyone should know about international grant writing26:00 Being able to say no when a client isn’t a good fit for a grant.29:10 What tools are used as an international grant writer? Activities outline & Output Outline33:37 Rapid fire questions35:30 How do you know how to start a USAID grant?