Lightning Fast Grant Writing

MAY 12, 2025

Weve all been there. The grant deadline is in five days. Youve got one draft, three department heads who want to review it, a finance team that needs to “double-check just one thing,” and a program lead whos suddenly out of office. Cue the chaos, caffeine, and existential dread. Welcome to the high-stress world of tight review cycles, where rushed edits, overlapping feedback, and unclear responsibilities turn even the best grant writers into frazzled zombies.

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Insurance Insurance Finance Template 130

Clairification

MAY 12, 2025

The results are in, and the news is generally bleak. The 2024 Fundraising Effectiveness Project Report * shows downward trends in numbers of donors (down 4.5%), and retention (down 2.6%). First-time donor retention is at its lowest-ever recorded rate. Less than one in five new donors (acquired in 2023) gave again. New donors accounted for 40% of all givers.

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Federal Grants Nonprofit Grant Grants 144

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

MAY 12, 2025

Grant writers, raise your hand if youve ever opened an old proposal and discovered that the current executive director left two years agoand your orgs mission statement has since gone through three rewrites and a rebrand. Yep. Weve all been there. Keeping the organizational grant story updated can feel like trying to change a tire while the cars still moving.

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Burnout Grant Grants Finance 130

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

MAY 12, 2025

Growing into one of the most powerful institutions in global health, the foundation drew acclaim and criticism. By Thalia Beaty, Associated Press Seth Wenig, AP photo Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett speak to the media during a press conference in 2006 in New York. Growing into one of the most powerful institutions in global health, the foundation drew acclaim and criticism.

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Conference IT Media 102

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This prompt guide for ChatGPT contains 20+ tested ChatGPT prompts, along with tips on how to use this tool the best way. Nonprofits can engage with ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas, refine project plans, and craft compelling narratives for grant proposals.

ChatGPT

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

MAY 12, 2025

Youre deep in a federal proposal, juggling 10 stakeholders, two budgets, and a narrative that still needs serious polishthen your inbox pings: Hey, can I shadow you today? Welcome to the wild world of mentoring junior grant writers. Sure, its rewarding. But lets be honestit can also feel like trying to teach someone to drive while youre still fixing the engine and steering with your knees.

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Training Logic Model Grant Grants 130

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

MAY 12, 2025

Renewal Anxiety Is RealHeres How to Fight Back Like a Pro You know that sinking feeling: a long-time funder suddenly mentions they’re re-evaluating priorities. Cue the cold sweat. Renewal anxiety is no jokeand for experienced grant writers, it can feel like a thundercloud hanging over every funding cycle. But panic wont pay the bills. Action will.

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Grant Grants Proposal Government 130

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

MAY 12, 2025

The donation from Jon and Mindy Gray is aimed at addressing Israels physician shortage and at helping underserved students become doctors. By Maria Di Mento Yuval Yosef Mindy and Jon Gray attend an event in their honor as Tel Aviv University announces the new Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences. Plus, USC Shoah Foundation landed $30 million to endow the Holocaust remembrance organizations efforts to collect and preserve thousands of Holocaust survivor testimonies from around the world,

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Donation IT 63

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

MAY 12, 2025

Lets face itbeing an experienced grant writer can feel like youre juggling flaming swords while walking a tightrope… in a windstorm… during tax season. Sure, youve got the expertise. You know how to make funders swoon with a perfectly phrased needs statement and turn complex program logic into pure poetry. But youre also exhausted, constantly chasing core operating support, wrangling impossible deadlines, mentoring green writers, and navigating post-award red tape that never seems to

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Grant Grants Federal Grants Logic Model 130

Planned Giving

MAY 12, 2025

Originally Published, October 22, 2010. Updated for May, 2025. Your donors arent looking for hype. Theyre deciding if youre worthy of their legacy. In todays fast-moving nonprofit space, its easy to get caught up chasing the next big thingAI tools, crypto donations, viral campaigns. But the organizations that build lasting impact understand a critical truth: timeless fundraising strategies consistently outperform flashy trends.

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Fundraising Burnout Metrics Education 52

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

MAY 12, 2025

You did it. The application is submitted, the grants been awarded, and everyones celebrating. Cue the confetti! But wait whats that creeping over the horizon? Oh, just the real work a.k.a. post-award requirements. You know, the part no one talks about during the happy dance. Reporting deadlines. Budget tracking. Compliance checks. Progress updates. Logic models.

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Award Logic Model Grant Grants 130

Candid

MAY 12, 2025

Nonprofit organizations across the spectrum are experiencing significant turmoil at this moment. Between federal funding rollbacks, executive actions, political and social upheaval, and significant uncertainty, the future of the social sector hangs in the balance. Nonprofits are trying to keep their doors open, protect themselves, and be responsive to various contradicting requests (and demands) from funders and stakeholdersall while serving and supporting the most vulnerable populations and com

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Funding Grant Grants Media 52

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

MAY 12, 2025

Every grant writer knows the feeling: deadlines loom, your program narratives are tight, your outcomes are crystal clearand yet, youre still stuck trying to fund the electricity bill, staff salaries, and that squeaky office chair no one wants to admit they broke. Why? Because core operating supportthe golden goose of grant fundingis maddeningly hard to secure.

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Grant Writing Funding Grant Grants 100

CauseVox

MAY 12, 2025

Running a successful fundraising campaign takes clear, consistent communication that actually connects with your audience. Thats where this guide comes in. The Fundraising Campaign Communication Templates resource is your plug-and-play toolkit for what to say, when to say it, and how to say it across email, social media, and SMS. Whether youre prepping for your first campaign or refining your tenth, this guide saves you time, keeps your team aligned, and helps you show up with messaging that mot

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Template Media Fundraising Goals 53

Grants Plus

MAY 12, 2025

by Lauren Steiner Every time a grant writer walks out the door, your organization loses more than just a resume. You lose relationships with funders, institutional knowledge, writing style consistency, and the strategy behind your grants program. And replacing that person? Its costly, time-consuming, and disruptive. This is a sector-wide problem – and it’s pervasive. […] The post Why You’re Losing Your Grant Writer – And What to Do About it appeared first on Grants

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Grant Grants IT Grant Writing 52

NonProfit PRO

MAY 12, 2025

Here are 15 tips to help nonprofits seize the opportunity to establish a more robust donor pipeline and help donors understand the impact they can make with larger gifts.

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Strategic Plan Nonprofit Management 52

Capital Campaign Pro

MAY 12, 2025

I like to think of fundraising as beginning after someone makes a gift! That may seem strange, but it’s really not. In the capital campaign business, the focus is on raising a great deal of money from a relatively few donors. And it’s all too common for staff members and volunteers to focus their attention […] The post How to Treat Campaign Donors AFTER they Give a Major Gift appeared first on Capital Campaign Pro.

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Fundraising IT 52

NonProfit PRO

MAY 12, 2025

Blackbaud unveiled an expanded payment processing solution with the launch of Blackbaud Integrated Payments. Inclusive of the functionality previously known as Blackbaud Merchant Services, Blackbaud Integrated Payments will now extend the company's purpose-built payments capabilities to any software providers that integrate with Blackbaud's Payments API.

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Software 52

Fluxx

MAY 12, 2025

Learn how corporate giving works, how it differs from traditional grants, and how to manage it efficiently with software like Fluxx for better compliance and impact.

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Management Software Grant Grants 52

Soapbox Exchange

MAY 12, 2025

Issue 250 Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! Right now, many nonprofits are evaluating their funding streams and finding that prioritizing consistent, predictable sources of revenue is more important than ever. One strategy gaining traction is harnessing the power of pledge payments , as this type of giving helps organizations forecast income, deepen donor relationships, and plan ahead with confidence.

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Fluxx

MAY 12, 2025

Public sector grantmaking is more complex than ever. Budgets are in flux, appropriations are delayed, and leaders are under pressure to deliver impact with fewer resources. You're expected to stay audit-ready, make data-informed decisions, and demonstrate resultswhile working across siloed systems that limit visibility. Static reports and manual processes cant keep up.

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Government Grant Grants Grant Management 52

Grants Plus

MAY 12, 2025

by Lauren Steiner Every time a grant writer walks out the door, your organization loses more than just a resume. You lose relationships with funders, institutional knowledge, writing style consistency, and the strategy behind your grants program. And replacing that person? Its costly, time-consuming, and disruptive. This is a sector-wide problem – and it’s pervasive. […] The post Why You’re Losing Your Grant Writer – And What to Do About it appeared first on Grants

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Fluxx

MAY 12, 2025

In 2025, executive leaders in philanthropy are navigating an increasingly complex and fast-moving landscape. Strategic priorities are shifting quickly, community needs are constantly evolving, and boards are now expecting more frequent, data-informed updates. Yet despite these changes, many foundations still rely on static, year-end reporting to demonstrate progress.

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Grant Management Government Readiness Grant 52

Blackbaud

MAY 12, 2025

Navigating the budget approval process in nonprofit organizations can sometimes feel like a maze full of frustrating dead ends. You know your budget is the map to reach your organizations goals, but the labyrinth-like challengeslike endless review cycles and unclear decision-making authoritycan derail financial plans and slow down mission-driven activities.

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Budget Nonprofit Training Goals 85

Planned Giving

MAY 12, 2025

Introduction: What Is Planned Giving and Why Does It Matter? Planned giving, also known as legacy giving, is the art of securing future gifts from donors through their estate plans. These gifts are often the largest and most impactful contributions a donor will ever makewith the average planned gift ranging from 200-300 times larger than a typical annual donation.

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Policy Policies Readiness Insurance 52