Successful Strategy: Next Steps For Grant Writers & NonProfits
Today I’m excited to talk about grant writing strategy with you. I love helping grant writers and nonprofits think through their first steps and simplify the process. If you haven’t watched my TEDx talk, I recommend it as additional context for the conversation in this episode.
Today’s guest Silvia reached out with interest in grant writing. She has international volunteer experience and sees firsthand some of the dire needs in our world. I love what she is wanting to do through the power of grant writing. On this grant writer strategy call episode, Silvia asks some great questions and we talk about several ideas for how she can get started.
As grant writers and nonprofits, it’s important to ask hard questions and not wear rose colored glasses as we approach requests for grant funding.
Silvia and I talk about questions like:
- How do I start?
- How do I know if I am grant ready?
- How do I get past the fear of writing the first application?
- How to discuss helping nonprofits resolve needs?
- How important is it for nonprofits to have an online presence?
I get it! New things are scary. I never thought I would do a TEDx Talk. Yet doing new things is how we continue to improve. Pushing ourselves is a way to help us learn to serve better. By learning and taking action, we help others fulfill their missions.
Whatever you’re working through, I hope today’s episode gives you ideas and inspiration of how to move forward.
How Grants Build Generosity And Empower Volunteers
Whether you are a grant writer or a nonprofit, building relationships is the foundation. This builds the confidence of everyone within the area of impact.
Grant writers have a lot of influence. We’re able to connect the generosity of those unable to travel or volunteer with those who are on the ground physically serving. We also connect these causes and missions with the funding they need to fulfill those missions. It becomes a powerful force for good.
Challenge Question:
What 2-3 action steps you can take this week to help you connect and build relationships with organizations around you?
Meet Silvia Bonvini
Silvia is the mother of two young boys and wife to an American family doctor who is completing his Global Health Fellowship this year. His work has brought the family to Ethiopia, Kenya where they are now, and soon to Uganda.
Silvia was born and raised in Italy in a Catholic family with a heart for international volunteering and missions. She moved to China at the age of 24 where she studied Chinese and worked in Recruitment for 5 years.
She was then hired as the Talent Acquisition Manager for Asia Pacific by one of her clients and moved to Hong Kong. There she met her Colombian-born American husband and moved to the US when they got married 3 years later. They went through Medical School and Residency, and are now in Africa with their children for around 7 months. During this time in Africa Silvia has learned a lot about how medicine is practiced through her husband’s work in Mission Hospitals, and has met and visited many NGOs working in a variety of fields. She has recently developed an interest in grant writing because she saw firsthand how great the need for funding is, and how much of a difference grants make when NGOs have the capacity to apply for them.
The family plans on working in Africa long-term at a Catholic mission hospital starting next year. Silvia hopes that she will be able to help hospitals and NGOs there through grant writing, while also exploring her interests in regenerative agriculture as it relates to nutrition, livelihoods, environmental protection, and women’s empowerment.
Connect with Silvia Bonvini:
Other Resources Mentioned:
- TEDx Talk: The Real ROI of Grant Writing
- Episode: 6: Grant Readiness: How to Build the Foundation for Successful Grant Writing.
- Episode 15: Grant Writing for International Nonprofits + Building a Case for Support
- Episode 78: Grant Writing Basics: What Does a Grant Look Like?
- Episode 79: Grant Writing Basics: Where Do You Find Grants?
- Soddo Christian Hospital in Soddo, Ethiopia
- To support the children’s residential center, visit www.cabriniworld.org and designate your gift to the “Baby Jesus Center of Life in Dubbo, Ethiopia”
Free Audit: How Grant-Ready Is Your Nonprofit?
If you need support in your journey to excellence as a grant writer, I’d like to invite you to join me on the Fast Track to Grant Writer. Go to teresahuff.com/vip and start learning today.
Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Grant Writer? Take the Quiz:
If you’re ready to explore a career in grant writing, take my free quiz, “Do you have what it takes to be a grant writer?” People are always surprised at how many skills they already have. The distance isn’t as far as they thought. Let’s figure out how you can use your skills to help change your world.
If you’re ready to step up your nonprofit game, join me on the Fast Track to Grant Writer. The world needs you.