Deborah Griffiths - The Grant Writing and Funding Coach: Target and Acquire the Funds You Need

Welcome to The Grant Writing and Funding Coach.

Are you new to the world of seeking funds to advance your work or study? Do you work with a nonprofit charitable organization (sometimes referred to as a 501(c)(3) in the US) and want to begin to explore the world of grant writing and finding funds? Do you represent a local government, community group, or agency and need time-saving information about organizing and writing grants?

Are you an artist, athlete, military dependant, or veteran who needs funds for education, training courses, or travel expenses? Alternatively, are you a business owner with a special project? Are you a funder who sees a great project that could use some help in building bridges for your funds?

If youve answered yes to any of the above, this book is for you!

You may be reading The Grant Writing and Funding Coach because your community needs brick and mortar for a community hall or swimming pool. Or you need programs in the areas of health, education, sports, arts, culture, or others. Whatever your need might be, in this book youll find proven methods for achieving your goals.

I created this book because Ive written grant applications for more than 25 years and have had a business as a professional grant writer for the past 16. This has given me rewarding opportunities to be on both the applicants and the funders sides. Ive also been a museum curator for more than 25 years and enjoy exploring new ideas and subjects every day.

From working in small- to mid-size communities with projects worth from thousands to millions, Ive learned the one common thread that runs through successful grant applications:

Funders want to play an active role in your communitys success and there are easy, enjoyable ways for you to provide them with opportunities to say yes.

Funders want to play an active role in your communitys success and there are easy, enjoyable ways for you to provide them with opportunities to say yes.

Ive also learned that the business of writing grants and applying for funds is sometimes presented as being more complicated than it actually is, even though there is great need for it in some communities. My aim is to remove some of the higher mystery aspects of looking at grant writing and finding funds that fit your needs, and to equip you with common-sense methods for success.

A note on the style of this book: If you are seeking a highly technical, academic-speak book about grants and funding, this isnt it. This is, pure, businesslike, pleasure-reading about idea advancement backed with solid experience and information from people in the business of applying for and giving funds in the form of grants.

I focus on the essentials of grant writing and finding funds that will keep you current and proficient as the industry and funding sources change. I share straightforward methods for individuals, groups, and communities that have little or no experience with grants and funding to become acquainted with logical, engaging steps to help build up ideas through narrative and budget, building strong bridges to funders and successful fund-finding.

To get you on the road, I discuss a sample project throughout the book. The project includes narrative and budget summaries, checklists for staying organized, and a general view of matching fund possibilities such as crowdfunding.