How and why to build a funder relationship to increase your proposal strength and gain a supporter. Grant writing can sometimes feel like a numbers game: draft the narrative, gather the data, hit submit, and hope someone on the other end reads it closely. It’s an easy pattern to fall into, especially when you’re busy … Read More
New Year. New Funders. New You. If you’re heading into 2026 thinking, “We need new funders,” you’re not alone. Plenty of misconceptions float around the nonprofit world, like: The reality? Only about 1 in 10 grants is funded. Grant writing is time-intensive, competitive, and rarely quick. Many proposals take months to review — and some … Read More
Grant Soup – Get your year-end ingredients together Cooler days are here, and all I can think about is soup. And year-end grant writing. But mostly soup. It is my very favorite meal to cook and eat and we have it frequently in my household in cooler weather. Soup is endlessly versatile: you can make … Read More
Sarah Smith didn’t set out to be a grant writing expert. Growing up in Kirksville, Missouri, she dreamed of working with animals. Today, she balances her passion for equine therapy with her expertise in nonprofit funding as a grant writer for Partner for Better and a team member at Cedar Creek Riding Center. From Equine … Read More
The key information you need to know getting started in grant writing Grant writing can often feel like traversing uncharted territory, but fear not! Partner for Better (PFB) has distilled the grant writing basics into a systematic approach to help you navigate the intricacies of securing funding. Here’s your comprehensive guide to the grant writing … Read More
Crafting a Winning Grant Application (Part 2 of 3) Written by Sarah Smith Happy December! It feels like the time of year when we start to say “let’s revisit this in 2024” and ignore it until after the holidays. However, the reality is that year-end reports and looming deadlines persist, especially grant deadlines. In the … Read More
Written by Sarah Smith Imagine – you are on the board of a foundation and you have a stack of 100 grant proposals in front of you. How do you decide which is the winning grant application? What will make one proposal stand out in the crowd? Let me tell you a secret – it … Read More
S’more best practices for nonprofit professionals We recently finished our Nonprofit Summer Camp Roundtable of Sharing Resources & Tools, facilitated by Jessica Macy & Kasey Hammock. We thought we’d share 4 free nonprofit resources & questions that came up during that session. So grab a s’more, and let’s dive into the world of nonprofit best … Read More
Applying for a grant can be a time-consuming and daunting process. It requires research, planning, and a compelling proposal that persuades funders to support your cause. However, even if you put your best foot forward, there’s still a chance that your grant request will be denied. This can be due to a whole host of … Read More
So you want to hire a grant writer! That’s a big step for any organization and there are three important things to consider before you jump in. You should interview prospective writers, but traditional questions are outdated The first question many people want to ask a potential grant writer is “what percent of proposals that … Read More