Category Archives: grant writing

Superman, Where Are You?

We are facing a big deadline this week.  We have multiple grants due at the same time and everyone has his or her head down and nose to the grindstone, but we can always count on Derek to help us see the humor of it all.  Here are some humorous thoughts from non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link, on slowing down time when deadline time is racing closer.

Time flies when you’re approaching a deadline. I’m pretty sure that Superman is the only being, real or fictional, who can turn back time. If you’re approaching a deadline – mere mortal that you are – here are a few places you can go where in my experience time can actually slow down.

  1. The DMV.
  2. Customer service calls to the phone company.
  3. Jogging on the indoor track at Sun City.
  4. Meeting with an IRS agent.
  5. A long line at the grocery store with a rookie cashier, a bad receipt tape, and a customer who’s using their debit card for the first time while arguing about the amount her single tomato was discounted.
  6. The post office at lunch.
  7. Watching the calendar after hiring a building contractor with a bunch of Better Business Bureau complaints.
  8. Technical support calls from – or to – India with “Roger”, “Jason”, or “Howard”.
  9. Auto dealerships after giving up your car keys.
  10. Driving and waiting for the “Code 3” police car to pass you knowing you were five mph over the limit.
  11. Waiting for a copier repairman or anything else on grant deadline day.

So if time seems to be going too fast and your deadline is staring you down like an angry railroad union member at the helm of a locomotive, take yourself away to a place where time slows down. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could merge these time warps and make it slow down for important stuff and speed up for annoying stuff? Oh Superman, where are you!?

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Related posts:

Grant Writing and the Space/Time Continuum

Stress Relief through Laughter

———————————

Don’t forget to visit GrantGoddess.com for tips and ideas to improve your grant writing skills!

Superman, Where Are You?

We are facing a big deadline this week.  We have multiple grants due at the same time and everyone has his or her head down and nose to the grindstone, but we can always count on Derek to help us see the humor of it all.  Here are some humorous thoughts from non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link, on slowing down time when deadline time is racing closer.

Time flies when you’re approaching a deadline. I’m pretty sure that Superman is the only being, real or fictional, who can turn back time. If you’re approaching a deadline – mere mortal that you are – here are a few places you can go where in my experience time can actually slow down.

  1. The DMV.
  2. Customer service calls to the phone company.
  3. Jogging on the indoor track at Sun City.
  4. Meeting with an IRS agent.
  5. A long line at the grocery store with a rookie cashier, a bad receipt tape, and a customer who’s using their debit card for the first time while arguing about the amount her single tomato was discounted.
  6. The post office at lunch.
  7. Watching the calendar after hiring a building contractor with a bunch of Better Business Bureau complaints.
  8. Technical support calls from – or to – India with “Roger”, “Jason”, or “Howard”.
  9. Auto dealerships after giving up your car keys.
  10. Driving and waiting for the “Code 3” police car to pass you knowing you were five mph over the limit.
  11. Waiting for a copier repairman or anything else on grant deadline day.

So if time seems to be going too fast and your deadline is staring you down like an angry railroad union member at the helm of a locomotive, take yourself away to a place where time slows down. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could merge these time warps and make it slow down for important stuff and speed up for annoying stuff? Oh Superman, where are you!?

———————————-

Related posts:

Grant Writing and the Space/Time Continuum

Stress Relief through Laughter

———————————

Don’t forget to visit GrantGoddess.com for tips and ideas to improve your grant writing skills!

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Get Your Free E-Book – 12 Secrets of Successful Grant Writers

I am about publish a 20+ page e-book titled, 12 Secrets of Successful Grant Writers. I will be sending it our electronically on Friday, April 23rd. There are THREE ways you can get it FREE on that day:

  1. Become a fan of my new Grant Goddess Facebook Page. The Grant Goddess page will focus on sharing news about electronic grant writing resources. On Friday, 4/23, I’ll send a link to the e-book download page to all fans of the Grant Goddess page on that day.
  2. Sign up to receive our electronic newsletter (e-zine). Go to http://grantgoddess.com/ezine.html and enter your email address to sign up. All subscribers will be sent the e-book link on 4/23. By the way, the e-zine is currently published once a month, but we’ll be moving to twice a month soon. Don’t worry. You won’t be flooded with email and I don’t use that list for any purpose other than the e-zine.
  3. Buy a copy of 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers through my website. Go to http://grantgoddess.com/101-grant-tips-book.html to place your order. Ordering through Amazon doesn’t count for this offer because I won’t know who you are or where to send the e-book link.

You don’t have to do all three of these to get the e-book, just any ONE will do. Of course, if you would like to do more than one, that would be great!

Also, please share this opportunity with anyone else you know who may be interested.

Remember, the e-book will be sent out on 4/23 to anyone who has accomplished any one of the three actions mentioned here by that date.

An abridged, audio version (CD) of 12 Secrets of Successful Grant Writers is available for purchase in our online store.

———————————–

Visit GrantGoddess.com to get grant writing tips and resources!

Get Your Free E-Book – 12 Secrets of Successful Grant Writers

I am about publish a 20+ page e-book titled, 12 Secrets of Successful Grant Writers. I will be sending it our electronically on Friday, April 23rd. There are THREE ways you can get it FREE on that day:

  1. Become a fan of my new Grant Goddess Facebook Page. The Grant Goddess page will focus on sharing news about electronic grant writing resources. On Friday, 4/23, I’ll send a link to the e-book download page to all fans of the Grant Goddess page on that day.
  2. Sign up to receive our electronic newsletter (e-zine). Go to http://grantgoddess.com/ezine.html and enter your email address to sign up. All subscribers will be sent the e-book link on 4/23. By the way, the e-zine is currently published once a month, but we’ll be moving to twice a month soon. Don’t worry. You won’t be flooded with email and I don’t use that list for any purpose other than the e-zine.
  3. Buy a copy of 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers through my website. Go to http://grantgoddess.com/101-grant-tips-book.html to place your order. Ordering through Amazon doesn’t count for this offer because I won’t know who you are or where to send the e-book link.

You don’t have to do all three of these to get the e-book, just any ONE will do. Of course, if you would like to do more than one, that would be great!

Also, please share this opportunity with anyone else you know who may be interested.

Remember, the e-book will be sent out on 4/23 to anyone who has accomplished any one of the three actions mentioned here by that date.

An abridged, audio version (CD) of 12 Secrets of Successful Grant Writers is available for purchase in our online store.

———————————–

Visit GrantGoddess.com to get grant writing tips and resources!

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Some Grants Are Like Peanut Butter

Here we go again….. Non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link, shares yet another food-related grant writing analogy.  What do you do when the words just get stuck in your head?

In all the time I’ve been writing grants, I find that some grants flow easily out of my brain to my computer and others get stuck to the roof of my mouth like a spoonful of peanut butter. I sit at the computer during those times like my old German Short-Haired Pointer “Tucker” eating peanut butter, just gumming and gumming and gumming but not able to free up the narrative.

It’s hard sometimes to figure out why I’m stuck with a grant, but often it’s because I don’t have a clear picture of the program I am writing. Oh, I know what the program is about, but I just can’t explain how it’s going to work. Here are a few things I try to get the narrative “peanut butter” off the roof of my mouth.

  1. Develop a logic model for the project. This forces you to outline your thinking in a sequential (and logical) way.
  2. Do a little reading about the topic area you are writing about. Sometimes that gives me the spark I need.
  3. Talk more to the client about the program design and get them to expound on how they see it working.
  4. Try to write the abstract. If you can’t write a summary of the project, this may explain the parts of it that you’re stuck on.
  5. Revisit your goals and objectives. Sometimes your objectives are just activities and if they are, you’ll get stuck because you won’t have anything new to write about in the program section.

So when you’ve eaten a big gob of peanut butter and its stuck to the roof of your mouth and you’re sitting at the computer trying to get unstuck, try one of these five ideas. Hope it helps!

——————–
 
Related Posts:
 
Facing the Blank Page (Or, Beginning to Write)
 
Try a Change of Perspective
 
Some Thoughts from the Coach on Setting Your Intent
 
A Few Words from the Coach about Focus
 
 
Want more tips?  Visit GrantGoddess.com!

Some Grants Are Like Peanut Butter

Here we go again….. Non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link, shares yet another food-related grant writing analogy.  What do you do when the words just get stuck in your head?

In all the time I’ve been writing grants, I find that some grants flow easily out of my brain to my computer and others get stuck to the roof of my mouth like a spoonful of peanut butter. I sit at the computer during those times like my old German Short-Haired Pointer “Tucker” eating peanut butter, just gumming and gumming and gumming but not able to free up the narrative.

It’s hard sometimes to figure out why I’m stuck with a grant, but often it’s because I don’t have a clear picture of the program I am writing. Oh, I know what the program is about, but I just can’t explain how it’s going to work. Here are a few things I try to get the narrative “peanut butter” off the roof of my mouth.

  1. Develop a logic model for the project. This forces you to outline your thinking in a sequential (and logical) way.
  2. Do a little reading about the topic area you are writing about. Sometimes that gives me the spark I need.
  3. Talk more to the client about the program design and get them to expound on how they see it working.
  4. Try to write the abstract. If you can’t write a summary of the project, this may explain the parts of it that you’re stuck on.
  5. Revisit your goals and objectives. Sometimes your objectives are just activities and if they are, you’ll get stuck because you won’t have anything new to write about in the program section.

So when you’ve eaten a big gob of peanut butter and its stuck to the roof of your mouth and you’re sitting at the computer trying to get unstuck, try one of these five ideas. Hope it helps!

——————–
 
Related Posts:
 
Facing the Blank Page (Or, Beginning to Write)
 
Try a Change of Perspective
 
Some Thoughts from the Coach on Setting Your Intent
 
A Few Words from the Coach about Focus
 
 
Want more tips?  Visit GrantGoddess.com!

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Grant Writing and the Space/Time Continuum

Time seems to fly by at a faster speed every year, particularly during the busy grant season when it is easy to get overwhelmed with grant projects and all the other things that can’t be put on the back burner while the applications are being completed.  Grant Coach, MaryEllen Bergh, shares her thoughts on this phenomenon of the inetrsection between grant writing and the space/time continuum:

I’ve heard that time expands when you need it and contracts when you don’t. Is that a factor in the space/time continuum? Well, I don’t know for sure if it is a factor but I do know that the earth is slowing down and that soon we will not be dealing with gravity at all (which will be a blessing for all the parts of my body that have not already succumbed to the forces of gravity). How do you know that this is true, you ask? Every Monday, my colleague and I have the same conversation, “Blog posts go up today,” and I reply “Right!” Seems simple but Monday comes amazingly fast. I blink and I hear the words again, “Blog posts go up today.” “Right!” So, you see, it’s basic physics (thanks to Eric Maisel for pointing this out to me) – as you approach the speed of light, time slows down. Since it seems that I am traveling at the speed of light, would that mean that I am not getting older or that the earth is getting ready to stop rotating?

Why do you think artists dream of spending a couple of months painting in Fiji or a month or two writing in Paris? I am sure they dream of spending time in those places because they see themselves experiencing time differently there; they envision “beach time” or “café time.” They see themselves not in a rush with no one asking them to do “this” or “that” or judging them for taking all day to stare at the ocean or drink an espresso. The calm pace provides a space for observation, reflection, and allows creativity to walk in the door.

In our real lives, we spend our whole day rushing from one thing to the next until all we have left is 15 minutes before going to bed – just enough time to feel badly about all the things we did not get accomplished. Today, even when we are sitting, we are speeding. We are looking for our next cell-phone call, texting, reading and responding to emails, updating Facebook, writing proposals, blogs and copy, rushing from one task to another… overwhelmed as we valiantly attempt to tackle each item on our agenda. Sometimes I feel the strains of exhaustion early in the day and question my ability to effectively address all my tasks.

Eric Maisel in A Writer’s Space talks to us about how to get into the right “space” to write, how to orient and organize our neurons to help us get a grip on our writing lives. In lesson 19, he provides an exercise on creating space to write through mindful self-reflection. Here are the 4 steps: 1) Grow quiet (this is when I turn off the email alerts, silence my cell phone, close my door and breathe); 2) Reflect (I consider what I need and how I will accomplish these needs); 3) Stay calm (I breathe, relax into what I want to accomplish and set my intent); and 5) Take action (I consider the length and nature of my to-do list and edit my agenda including setting reasonable expectations. Time does expand when I choose to experience time differently.

 
 
Related posts:
 
Time Management Tips for Grant Writers
 
Facing the Blank Page (Or, Beginning to Write)
 
Good Grant Writers Are Like Wedding Planners
 
Making Time for Grant Writing by Focusing on the Dream
 
————————— 
 
Visit GrantGoddess.com for more tips and ideas!
 

Grant Writing and the Space/Time Continuum

Time seems to fly by at a faster speed every year, particularly during the busy grant season when it is easy to get overwhelmed with grant projects and all the other things that can’t be put on the back burner while the applications are being completed.  Grant Coach, MaryEllen Bergh, shares her thoughts on this phenomenon of the inetrsection between grant writing and the space/time continuum:

I’ve heard that time expands when you need it and contracts when you don’t. Is that a factor in the space/time continuum? Well, I don’t know for sure if it is a factor but I do know that the earth is slowing down and that soon we will not be dealing with gravity at all (which will be a blessing for all the parts of my body that have not already succumbed to the forces of gravity). How do you know that this is true, you ask? Every Monday, my colleague and I have the same conversation, “Blog posts go up today,” and I reply “Right!” Seems simple but Monday comes amazingly fast. I blink and I hear the words again, “Blog posts go up today.” “Right!” So, you see, it’s basic physics (thanks to Eric Maisel for pointing this out to me) – as you approach the speed of light, time slows down. Since it seems that I am traveling at the speed of light, would that mean that I am not getting older or that the earth is getting ready to stop rotating?

Why do you think artists dream of spending a couple of months painting in Fiji or a month or two writing in Paris? I am sure they dream of spending time in those places because they see themselves experiencing time differently there; they envision “beach time” or “café time.” They see themselves not in a rush with no one asking them to do “this” or “that” or judging them for taking all day to stare at the ocean or drink an espresso. The calm pace provides a space for observation, reflection, and allows creativity to walk in the door.

In our real lives, we spend our whole day rushing from one thing to the next until all we have left is 15 minutes before going to bed – just enough time to feel badly about all the things we did not get accomplished. Today, even when we are sitting, we are speeding. We are looking for our next cell-phone call, texting, reading and responding to emails, updating Facebook, writing proposals, blogs and copy, rushing from one task to another… overwhelmed as we valiantly attempt to tackle each item on our agenda. Sometimes I feel the strains of exhaustion early in the day and question my ability to effectively address all my tasks.

Eric Maisel in A Writer’s Space talks to us about how to get into the right “space” to write, how to orient and organize our neurons to help us get a grip on our writing lives. In lesson 19, he provides an exercise on creating space to write through mindful self-reflection. Here are the 4 steps: 1) Grow quiet (this is when I turn off the email alerts, silence my cell phone, close my door and breathe); 2) Reflect (I consider what I need and how I will accomplish these needs); 3) Stay calm (I breathe, relax into what I want to accomplish and set my intent); and 5) Take action (I consider the length and nature of my to-do list and edit my agenda including setting reasonable expectations. Time does expand when I choose to experience time differently.

 
 
Related posts:
 
Time Management Tips for Grant Writers
 
Facing the Blank Page (Or, Beginning to Write)
 
Good Grant Writers Are Like Wedding Planners
 
Making Time for Grant Writing by Focusing on the Dream
 
————————— 
 
Visit GrantGoddess.com for more tips and ideas!
 

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

More Evidence for the Importance of Reading Everything in the RFP

You know that I am always saying you should read the instructions for any grant very carefully and follow those instructions. I also advocate this careful reading even if you have applied for the same grant in the past because things can change. One of our video Tips from the Grant Goddess discussed taking your research beyond the RFP and reading all ancillary materials referenced in the RFP.

Well, this week, I discovered two more examples of the importance of this. The first example is a case of writing a proposal that we have applied for in the past.  Last year, we wrote several of a particular variety of federal grant, so we thought we were very familiar with the requirements and the RFP.  Not so fast.

The name of the program is the same, and the basic priorities are the same, but the scoring criteria and much of the detail about the requirements has changed.  The narrative is even 10 pages shorter than last year! The week before a grant is due is a lousy time to figure this out.  How can this be avoided?   By reading the RFP thoroughly before you even start working on it.

The second example falls in the category of additional, but critical, information that is not in the RFP.  Of course, everything is supposed to be included in the Federal Register announcement, but we all know that it isn’t always included.  In this case, there is a required letter of partnership that is not mentioned in the Federal Register or the RFP.  It is mentioned, however, in the non-regulatory FAQs.

The message? Read everything!  Read it thoroughly.  Read it early in the planning process.  Don’t get caught off guard as the deadline approaches.

————————-

Don’t forget to check out the FREE grant writing resources at GrantGoddess.com!

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

More Evidence for the Importance of Reading Everything in the RFP

You know that I am always saying you should read the instructions for any grant very carefully and follow those instructions. I also advocate this careful reading even if you have applied for the same grant in the past because things can change. One of our video Tips from the Grant Goddess discussed taking your research beyond the RFP and reading all ancillary materials referenced in the RFP.

Well, this week, I discovered two more examples of the importance of this. The first example is a case of writing a proposal that we have applied for in the past.  Last year, we wrote several of a particular variety of federal grant, so we thought we were very familiar with the requirements and the RFP.  Not so fast.

The name of the program is the same, and the basic priorities are the same, but the scoring criteria and much of the detail about the requirements has changed.  The narrative is even 10 pages shorter than last year! The week before a grant is due is a lousy time to figure this out.  How can this be avoided?   By reading the RFP thoroughly before you even start working on it.

The second example falls in the category of additional, but critical, information that is not in the RFP.  Of course, everything is supposed to be included in the Federal Register announcement, but we all know that it isn’t always included.  In this case, there is a required letter of partnership that is not mentioned in the Federal Register or the RFP.  It is mentioned, however, in the non-regulatory FAQs.

The message? Read everything!  Read it thoroughly.  Read it early in the planning process.  Don’t get caught off guard as the deadline approaches.

————————-

Don’t forget to check out the FREE grant writing resources at GrantGoddess.com!