Category Archives: grant writer

Do You Want to Become a Freelance Grant Writer: Are You Barking Mad?

Non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link, shares his experience as a freelance grant writer with others who believe they are ready for the task:
 This is a serious question with serious consequences only to be considered by serious people because freelancing is a dangerous business.
First let us peer back through the annals of history to get some perspective on the term with the help of Wikipedia…
According to Wikipedia – The term was first used by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) in Ivanhoe to describe a “medieval mercenary warrior” or “free–lance” (indicating that the lance is not sworn to any lord’s services, not that the lance is available free of charge). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freelancer, accessed on 9/16/10)
As you can see, the term referred originally to a mercenary warrior which is what we still are; however, to borrow an over-used phrase from literature, “The Pen is Mightier than the Sword” or in this case, lance.
Just as a mercenary warrior for hire wasn’t free, neither are freelance grant writers.  We charge for our services reflecting the skill involved and the grave difficulty of overcoming the wicked enemies (RFP’s, RFA’s, Dragon Naturally speaking, etc).
We’re also similar to the warriors of old, in that if we aren’t really good at what we do, we’re likely to die a premature death;  although, our death would be figurative and primarily financial involving a future of cardboard signs and shopping carts; while the warriors, on the other hand, simply died a hideous death.
You must possess certain qualities to become a freelancer. You must be brave to confront the possibility of failure and certain death, you must be skillful to defeat the enemies, and you must be active to find someone who will employ you (or you’re just a vagrant with a lance).
Ah indeed, the life of a freelancer is fraught with danger and intrigue.  It is a life on the road, never sleeping in the same place for two nights (Motel 6), eating whatever you can forage along the road (AM/PM, 7-11, conference buffets), and trying to earn enough money to keep your trusty steed healthy and well-fed (oil change on your ’87 Honda Civic and gas at $4 a gallon – scary).
But you think still this life as a freelancer is for you?  Ah, you’re hale and hearty if you do, but you’ll be forsaking allegiance to one master, a risky business (i.e., leaving your cushy government job).  There will be mistrust because you’re a stranger; there will be misunderstanding (because you don’t speak their language); there will be blind attacks from the right and the left (from nasty Board members and inept leadership); and there will be times of feast and famine (carry trail bars and water in the trunk).
If freelancing courses through your blood then prepare well, for all your skills will be tested and re-tested.
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Knight photo courtesy of Freerk Lautenbag.

A Glitch in the System

Our T-1 line has been in a terrible snit* for a few days. That may not sound very serious to those of you who don’t know what a T-1 line is, but to those of us “in the know,” we’re darkly aware that it’s very serious indeed.

The T-1 line brings us our telephone and Internet service so we’re pretty useless as consultants without a telephone or Internet connectivity; these are, after all, essential tools of the trade. It’s a bit like the Slurpee machine and the hot dog roller at the 7-11 going on the fritz, or Santa’s Elves emigrating to Thailand. Like convenience stores and Santa, there are some tools one must have to do business.

Oh sure, our computers still work. I can write fascinating blog posts (not necessarily this one), but I can’t post them. I can develop interesting videos and Photoshop pictures, but I can’t send them anywhere. Our T-1 glitch has rendered us electronically hamstrung as it were, and that’s frustrating to a bunch of propeller-heads such as we have become.

T-1 snits are unusual; these phone lines are quite reliable as a matter of course. This history of reliability brings me no satisfaction, it is but weak solace on this sunny afternoon. As I sit in electronic isolation, I fear it’s quite possible that the end of the world has come and I shall never know of it.

Oh joy! A technician has arrived to resolve the problem. After much trudging back and forth between his truck and the connection box, he informs us that a smidgen of corrosion on a connection has caused the snit just as a flight attendant in a snit can stop an airliner.

The problem has been resolved for today so we’re back online and there are pressing matters to attend to so I’d better end this short rant and move on to more meaningful activities.

*snit – adjective – An expression of aggravation roughly equivalent to a red-faced, screaming 2-year-old in the grocery store whose mother is waiting desperately for the person checking out ahead of her to learn how to use an ATM card. See also: Mel Gibson, Christian Bale.

(This post/rant was written by non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link.)

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Free e-Book on Selecting an Evaluator.

There is still time to register for Grant Writing 101, our very popular online grant writing course.  Learn grant writing on your own time in the comfort of you home or office.

A Glitch in the System

Our T-1 line has been in a terrible snit* for a few days. That may not sound very serious to those of you who don’t know what a T-1 line is, but to those of us “in the know,” we’re darkly aware that it’s very serious indeed.

The T-1 line brings us our telephone and Internet service so we’re pretty useless as consultants without a telephone or Internet connectivity; these are, after all, essential tools of the trade. It’s a bit like the Slurpee machine and the hot dog roller at the 7-11 going on the fritz, or Santa’s Elves emigrating to Thailand. Like convenience stores and Santa, there are some tools one must have to do business.

Oh sure, our computers still work. I can write fascinating blog posts (not necessarily this one), but I can’t post them. I can develop interesting videos and Photoshop pictures, but I can’t send them anywhere. Our T-1 glitch has rendered us electronically hamstrung as it were, and that’s frustrating to a bunch of propeller-heads such as we have become.

T-1 snits are unusual; these phone lines are quite reliable as a matter of course. This history of reliability brings me no satisfaction, it is but weak solace on this sunny afternoon. As I sit in electronic isolation, I fear it’s quite possible that the end of the world has come and I shall never know of it.

Oh joy! A technician has arrived to resolve the problem. After much trudging back and forth between his truck and the connection box, he informs us that a smidgen of corrosion on a connection has caused the snit just as a flight attendant in a snit can stop an airliner.

The problem has been resolved for today so we’re back online and there are pressing matters to attend to so I’d better end this short rant and move on to more meaningful activities.

*snit – adjective – An expression of aggravation roughly equivalent to a red-faced, screaming 2-year-old in the grocery store whose mother is waiting desperately for the person checking out ahead of her to learn how to use an ATM card. See also: Mel Gibson, Christian Bale.

(This post/rant was written by non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link.)

————————————

Free e-Book on Selecting an Evaluator.

There is still time to register for Grant Writing 101, our very popular online grant writing course.  Learn grant writing on your own time in the comfort of you home or office.

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

The Can’t Be Dones (CBD’s)

I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.
Frances Willard (1839 – 1898)

I have run into my share of resistance to change in my career as a consultant. In fact, I don’t know a successful consultant who has not been forced to address this issue at some point.  Non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link, shares his thoughts today on the “Can’t Be Dones,” those who consistently resist change:

Have you worked with someone who counters every idea for change with, “It Can’t Be Done”? I’ve found sometimes that people mistake their experience for wisdom when all they’re really doing is applying all previous failures to thwart new ideas.

You see “Can’t Be Dones” have become timid about trying new things for some reason. New ideas scare them because they’ve been around long enough to witness failure, perhaps lead others into it, or be led into it themselves. Sometimes, they’re just tired out and should probably retire, or get an attitude transplant.

“Can’t Be Dones” like it when things are in homeostasis, they’re comfortable there. It may not be that they’re happy with the way things are, but it’s a level of discomfort that they’re comfortable with and accustomed to, so it’s not worth changing something and possibly making it worse.

I’ve witnessed the “Can’t Be Dones” at work and their vocabulary around changes is always the same:

  1.  “So-and-so tried that ten years ago and it didn’t work.” (not willing to examine why it didn’t work, or how this is different, or they may have no clue about either and don’t care).
  2. “That won’t work here” and it’s usually because someone else won’t go for the idea, align with the change, adapt to the situation. (Not that the Can’t be Done is opposed, just other people).
  3. “Shouldn’t be done” That’s a bad idea because it conflicts with tradition, customs, norms, morals, values, color of the building, rules, regulations, laws, Celtic lunar rituals (whatever, there will be a reason, and it doesn’t have to be a good one).
  4. “You need to build consensus first.” This is a smokescreen for, “I will never join the majority; so, you feelin’ lucky punk?”

A lot of energy can be wasted on trying to get “Can’t Be Dones” to move in the direction of change. I suggest that you get everyone to move past them and they usually do one of two things, 1) They eventually grumble along behind the pack like a cranky kid who’s tired and didn’t want to go on the hike to start with, or 2) they will resist the changes by stopping on the trail, digging in their heels to test your commitment to moving forward.

It’s important to understand the thought processes of a “Can’t Be Done” and to try to engage them early and often in the process of brainstorming changes. Once in a great while through relationship-building in this manner, they can be brought over from the dark side of resistance. When the CBD’s refuse to join the hike, just be ready to drag them along the dusty trail of change kicking and whining.

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Free e-book:  12 Secrets of Successful Grant Writers
 
Want to learn grant writing?  Try Grant Goddess University online.

The Can’t Be Dones (CBD’s)

I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.
Frances Willard (1839 – 1898)

I have run into my share of resistance to change in my career as a consultant. In fact, I don’t know a successful consultant who has not been forced to address this issue at some point.  Non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link, shares his thoughts today on the “Can’t Be Dones,” those who consistently resist change:

Have you worked with someone who counters every idea for change with, “It Can’t Be Done”? I’ve found sometimes that people mistake their experience for wisdom when all they’re really doing is applying all previous failures to thwart new ideas.

You see “Can’t Be Dones” have become timid about trying new things for some reason. New ideas scare them because they’ve been around long enough to witness failure, perhaps lead others into it, or be led into it themselves. Sometimes, they’re just tired out and should probably retire, or get an attitude transplant.

“Can’t Be Dones” like it when things are in homeostasis, they’re comfortable there. It may not be that they’re happy with the way things are, but it’s a level of discomfort that they’re comfortable with and accustomed to, so it’s not worth changing something and possibly making it worse.

I’ve witnessed the “Can’t Be Dones” at work and their vocabulary around changes is always the same:

  1.  “So-and-so tried that ten years ago and it didn’t work.” (not willing to examine why it didn’t work, or how this is different, or they may have no clue about either and don’t care).
  2. “That won’t work here” and it’s usually because someone else won’t go for the idea, align with the change, adapt to the situation. (Not that the Can’t be Done is opposed, just other people).
  3. “Shouldn’t be done” That’s a bad idea because it conflicts with tradition, customs, norms, morals, values, color of the building, rules, regulations, laws, Celtic lunar rituals (whatever, there will be a reason, and it doesn’t have to be a good one).
  4. “You need to build consensus first.” This is a smokescreen for, “I will never join the majority; so, you feelin’ lucky punk?”

A lot of energy can be wasted on trying to get “Can’t Be Dones” to move in the direction of change. I suggest that you get everyone to move past them and they usually do one of two things, 1) They eventually grumble along behind the pack like a cranky kid who’s tired and didn’t want to go on the hike to start with, or 2) they will resist the changes by stopping on the trail, digging in their heels to test your commitment to moving forward.

It’s important to understand the thought processes of a “Can’t Be Done” and to try to engage them early and often in the process of brainstorming changes. Once in a great while through relationship-building in this manner, they can be brought over from the dark side of resistance. When the CBD’s refuse to join the hike, just be ready to drag them along the dusty trail of change kicking and whining.

————————
 
Free e-book:  12 Secrets of Successful Grant Writers
 
Want to learn grant writing?  Try Grant Goddess University online.

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

Grant Writer Recharged and Writing

Derek, our non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, is back from his vacation and ready to get back to work:

My vac’s and hol’s* are over for now and I definitely feel recharged by the beauty of the Faith Valley where I was fortunate enough to spend a few days. People not from Northern California may think that beaches, surfers, bikinis, and Hollywood are an accurate representation of California. Many people outside California do not know that Northern California exists at all, or if they do, they may think that San Francisco is representative of our little piece of Paradise.

I know it’s probably irrational to let you in on the truth, mostly because you may want to come here to live, thereby overpopulating the place with ATV’s. But I trust your ability to comprehend the value of the place pictured here, and the rarity of being able to experience such an unspoiled environment and to care for it properly.

If you do plan to come visit the places pictured here, please treat the place with the reverence it deserves. By that I mean, pack out your trash, be careful with camp fires, don’t shoot anything, catch and release what you can’t eat, don’t strip limbs off trees to cook marshmallows with, etc. In other words, just be a good human please, and if you don’t, my mother will probably be castigating you publicly in the meadow with a fury known only by the few who have survived it.

Here are a few pictures:

Faith Valley, Alpine County, California, USA – (One of three connected valleys, Hope, Faith, and Charity – Interestingly, this picture looks a lot like the one that Veronica chose for my previous post and strangely, she has never been there!)

A coyote – (Wiley-looking ¿qué no?)

A Faith Valley sunset – (ahhhhh…)

I’ll be using these pics for my desktop background for a month or two so I can quickly go back in my mind to the peace and serenity of that place, the breezes blowing the sage, the Chickadees chattering while busily cleaning insects off the pines, and the screech of the Marsh Hawks chasing away the Bald Eagle who dared to soar through their territory.

Back to grant writing now – and happily so – recharged as only Faith Valley can make me (well, maybe Kauai too).

*Canadian for vacation

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

Grant Writer Recharged and Writing

Derek, our non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, is back from his vacation and ready to get back to work:

My vac’s and hol’s* are over for now and I definitely feel recharged by the beauty of the Faith Valley where I was fortunate enough to spend a few days. People not from Northern California may think that beaches, surfers, bikinis, and Hollywood are an accurate representation of California. Many people outside California do not know that Northern California exists at all, or if they do, they may think that San Francisco is representative of our little piece of Paradise.

I know it’s probably irrational to let you in on the truth, mostly because you may want to come here to live, thereby overpopulating the place with ATV’s. But I trust your ability to comprehend the value of the place pictured here, and the rarity of being able to experience such an unspoiled environment and to care for it properly.

If you do plan to come visit the places pictured here, please treat the place with the reverence it deserves. By that I mean, pack out your trash, be careful with camp fires, don’t shoot anything, catch and release what you can’t eat, don’t strip limbs off trees to cook marshmallows with, etc. In other words, just be a good human please, and if you don’t, my mother will probably be castigating you publicly in the meadow with a fury known only by the few who have survived it.

Here are a few pictures:

Faith Valley, Alpine County, California, USA – (One of three connected valleys, Hope, Faith, and Charity – Interestingly, this picture looks a lot like the one that Veronica chose for my previous post and strangely, she has never been there!)

A coyote – (Wiley-looking ¿qué no?)

A Faith Valley sunset – (ahhhhh…)

I’ll be using these pics for my desktop background for a month or two so I can quickly go back in my mind to the peace and serenity of that place, the breezes blowing the sage, the Chickadees chattering while busily cleaning insects off the pines, and the screech of the Marsh Hawks chasing away the Bald Eagle who dared to soar through their territory.

Back to grant writing now – and happily so – recharged as only Faith Valley can make me (well, maybe Kauai too).

*Canadian for vacation

————————-

Looking for some rgeat grant writing resources?  Become a member of GrantGoddess.com!

Grant Writer Stalked by Client

I knew it would happen eventually. It was just a matter of time before my public presence on social media would push me over the line from happy grant writer and evaluation consultant working in the solitude of her office to victim of a stalker client.

It happened quietly one day last week. I was busy writing a report and I took a break for a few minutes.  During that break, I updated my Facebook status, checked Twitter, and responded to a comment on my blog. Then I heard the little twinkle sound my computer makes when I get a comment to a Facebook status update.  When I’m working, I usually ignore them until later, but since I wasn’t engaged back into my report writing task yet, I took a look.

It was my client.  She wanted to know why I wasn’t working on her report. That’s when I knew my life had changed.

Part of the skill of a good consultant is helping every client believe s/he is your favorite and most important client (in this case, my stalker actually is one of my very favorites). They want to believe (and, truthfully, you want them to believe) that you have nothing else to do other than their work, and you certainly don’t have anything more important to do than their project.  I’ve had a client text me after midnight on a Saturday night asking when he’d see a draft that was promised for Monday. Of course, I sent a return text with a polite response that indicated there was no higher priority in my life than his project.

There’s no escaping it.  The very tools that have allowed me to communicate better with my clients and get the word out about my services also make it easier for my clients to express their needs, desires, satisfaction, and (gasp!) dissatisfaction.

And it makes it easier for them to stalk me from the comfort of their homes or offices.

Now that I know I’m being stalked, I have to be more careful about my social media and other online habits. It’s not enough to get the work done, but now I also have to avoid the online appearance that I’m not working.

To my stalker (and you know who you are and I’m sure you’re reading this) – I wrote this after hours late at night and electronically scheduled it to be released this morning.  As you read this, rest assured that I am busy working on your project, and only your project, the most important project I have on my desk.

———————-

Read A Writer’s Journey.

Get a Free Program Evaluation Consultation.

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

Grant Writer Stalked by Client

I knew it would happen eventually. It was just a matter of time before my public presence on social media would push me over the line from happy grant writer and evaluation consultant working in the solitude of her office to victim of a stalker client.

It happened quietly one day last week. I was busy writing a report and I took a break for a few minutes.  During that break, I updated my Facebook status, checked Twitter, and responded to a comment on my blog. Then I heard the little twinkle sound my computer makes when I get a comment to a Facebook status update.  When I’m working, I usually ignore them until later, but since I wasn’t engaged back into my report writing task yet, I took a look.

It was my client.  She wanted to know why I wasn’t working on her report. That’s when I knew my life had changed.

Part of the skill of a good consultant is helping every client believe s/he is your favorite and most important client (in this case, my stalker actually is one of my very favorites). They want to believe (and, truthfully, you want them to believe) that you have nothing else to do other than their work, and you certainly don’t have anything more important to do than their project.  I’ve had a client text me after midnight on a Saturday night asking when he’d see a draft that was promised for Monday. Of course, I sent a return text with a polite response that indicated there was no higher priority in my life than his project.

There’s no escaping it.  The very tools that have allowed me to communicate better with my clients and get the word out about my services also make it easier for my clients to express their needs, desires, satisfaction, and (gasp!) dissatisfaction.

And it makes it easier for them to stalk me from the comfort of their homes or offices.

Now that I know I’m being stalked, I have to be more careful about my social media and other online habits. It’s not enough to get the work done, but now I also have to avoid the online appearance that I’m not working.

To my stalker (and you know who you are and I’m sure you’re reading this) – I wrote this after hours late at night and electronically scheduled it to be released this morning.  As you read this, rest assured that I am busy working on your project, and only your project, the most important project I have on my desk.

———————-

Read A Writer’s Journey.

Get a Free Program Evaluation Consultation.


Grant Writer on Vacation

Derek is on vacation, but before he went on vacation, he wrote about it.  I (Veronica) want you to know that my vacations are nothing like his. I think I could learn a thing or two from his philosophy about really getting away from it all for a few days.

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You may wonder – or not – what a grant writer does on vacation? Do they tow their editor along with them? Are staff instructed to send out urgent messages about new RFA’s? Do they splurge on buying a dozen grant samples to read poolside whilst sipping umbrella-drinks?

While all of that sounds reasonable (unappealing) and must be considered (not for a second), the answer for this grant writer is NOT. No editor, no grant samples, no rfa’s or rfp’s, no laptop either (the only exception would be an umbrella drink).

For my Vac’s and Hol’s (Canadian lingo for vacation) I’m going to the mountains, to camp, in the wilderness, near a stream, in a valley, where coyotes howl and night and where Native Americans long ago lived and dropped the odd arrowhead to be found.

I am always a writer, so I will be taking along my latest Moleskines to write and sketch in, and books to read, “Elements of Style” (still trying to develop one) and perhaps a recreational book or two I am in the middle of reading. Of course I will bring a cooler with some cold beer, dry ice and food, sunscreen, a hat that I can only wear with dignity in such a solitary landscape, and several changes of clothes.

The high mountains in August are cool, clear, and the peacefulness of the environment is good for a writer’s soul. Days with no television or radio, the only human intrusion is the occasional truck going up the road and the odd jet flying overhead somewhere with angry flight attendants. They should really try soaking up what they’re zooming over sometime, just not when I am there please.

Yes, my batteries are going into the shop for recharging on my Vac’s and Hol’s. My brain will not be in neutral, it will shift into another gear less burdened by the cares of the world and more open to inspiration, listening for the spirit of the Creator in a place still fresh from His hand.

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