Client news = Client Success

Success is not always measured in funds. Progress also equals success. Therefore, Client News will not spotlight just successful awards,  but it will also highlight some submissions that were not awarded along with auxiliary information about the submissions. One can always learn something from a non-funded grant submission. I have way too many folks who have taken my grant writing class who have never applied for any grants. If you have taken my class or another grant writing class, what are you waiting for?  Find a funding opportunity for which you qualify to apply and write that grant.

Having a website and social media presence are absolute pluses when you are trying to grow and scale your business. When a particular client approached me about helping her grow her nonprofit, she knew what she needed to do.  She did not have a website, so she enlisted my services to "build" her website. 

While I am not a web designer by trade, I know what I need to do to get my clients off to a basic, yet attractive start. I am pleased to announce that her website caught the attention of a very popular television anchor in her local area of Columbus, Ohio.   The anchor messaged her on Facebook, "Looking at your website, I see you do a back to school drive. That would be a good time to reach out to the media. We missed this back to school season...but maybe we can do something later. Whenever you have an event, you should send an email to all of the news stations and let us know."

No amount of funding is too small. When one of my Georgia clients asked me to apply for a small marketing grant, it took all of 30 minutes to do so. The application was submitted on Tuesday, December 12,  around 9:00 p.m. By Wednesday, December 20, at 3:42 p.m., my client received an award notification. Never should an organization overlook the opportunity to apply for a grant, or refuse a donation because the amount is not large enough. Now, she will not have to spend other funds on marketing.  Since her organization is a subcontractor of sorts, she does not have to pay much for marketing. However, she could definitely use some printed materials, a banner, and some promotional items (pens, pencils, and bottles).

MIDWEST CLIENT FOLLOWS MY LEAD AND SUCCEEDS

Early 2023, one of my clients referred her mother to me.  Her mother came to me frustrated and untrusting because like so many others she had folks helping her previously and saw no results. She has a passion for feeding people who are transitioning to permanent housing.  She distributes a designated number of plates weekly to unhoused folks in her community; she is her own kind of meals on wheels. I informed her that it takes time to have funds roll in. I picked her brain as to what an annual budget would look like and gathered information on her strategy for feeding those in need. We reviewed a list of potential funding sources from a database.  I prepared a two-page proposal for her to mail to 5 potential funders, and one she would hand-deliver. In two days, she received a call from two of the funders. One is going to donate approximately $900 to feed 75 folks for one of the weekly runs before the Christmas holiday. The other is checking to see how much they can fund of the $14,000 requested to feed folks for 6 months.

DC AREA CLIENT RECEIVES $20,000

Received a call from a client near the DC area who is preparing to apply for a grant for her nonprofit. She took my grant writing class as a refresher. I had completed a grant search for her nonprofit, but she could not remember the name of the grant for which I recommended she apply. I provided her with the information again. She thanked me and quickly said what I thought was, “I want a grant.” I said something like, “I want you to get a grant, too.” She then said, “No. I WON a grant.” I asked, “You won a grant for your nonprofit?” She then said, “I won a grant for my for-profit.” She stated she had applied for a few before, but never got anything. So, I asked her if taking my class helped. She replied, “Oh, yes. It was a refresher.” Once again, I am thankful that I can truly be of assistance to my clients. I appreciate my clients who understand that it takes time for funding; it will not happen overnight. 

CLIENTS RECEIVE GIFT CARDS

A couple of my clients have received gift cards for their nonprofits. While some might think what they received is not a lot of money.  Remember this:  Every penny counts. What they received is more than what they had. I encourage my clients to apply for whatever they qualify for regardless of the amount. Show one's thankfulness and appreciation for the small things and big things will come.

GEORGIA CLIENT RECEIVES $23,000 GRANT

Client took my grant writing class on January 14, 2023. She was informed about a funding opportunity only days before the submission deadline. She applied in April. On July 24, was notified of the award. What perfect timing!  She has found a location for her organization. Now she will be able to cover her rent until other funding is available.

MADE IT TO THE SECOND ROUND

A for-profit funding opportunity hit my email, and I immediately thought of four of my male clients with small businesses that qualified to apply. After speaking with them, I applied for each of them. Their applications made it to the second round.  While none of them were funded, there is always next year. There were thousands of applicants.

TENNESSEE CLIENT RECEIVES $33,333 GRANT

Client took my grant writing class in June 4, 2022. Sometime after the class, she applied for funding. Received notice of an interview (one step closer to being funded). Was notified of funding in February.