Join the Open House Call on January 30th at 11:59 pm EST. Go to www.grantwritingandfunding.com You might be wondering if 2025 is the best time to start writing grants after everything going on with federal grants in January 2025. Yes, it is. Nonprofits, gov't agencies, schools, hospitals, businesses, and more will still need you to write grants and they aren't going away. Also now these leaders need a grant consultant to focus on all the changes and come up with strategy so they can focus on lea...
Jan 30, 2025•16 min•Ep. 414
Find out what I'm doing in 2025 to grow my business as it will surprise you! I am saying yes to something big! The doors to the Freelance Grant Writer Academy close on Sunday, Feb. 2nd at 11:59 pm EST. Visit https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy to find out more!
Jan 28, 2025•27 min•Ep. 413
In this podcast episode, Alexander Lapa discusses his experience as a consultant for more than a decade. As a Salesforce consultant, he talks about how pricing by the hourly is damaging to you as a consultant. Tune in today to listen to this podcast. About Alexander Lapa Alex Lapa is a Salesforce Solutions Architect, consultant, tech founder, and podcaster who specializes in helping nonprofit organizations simplify their Salesforce CRM so they can focus on their missions and do more of the work ...
Jan 27, 2025•32 min•Ep. 412
The Close to the Freelance Grant Writer Academy on Feb. 2nd: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is a 12-month Group Coaching Program for aspiring and seasoned grant writers to replace their full-time income, on flexible hours, by writing grants from home. Find out why you should join in 2025 and Everything inside the Academy! "Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts Favor, please? If you love this podcast, would you please do me a favor and leave a...
Jan 22, 2025•19 min•Ep. 411
Here’s all the details on our Upcoming webinar this Tuesday at 4 pm EST 🙂 "Quit Your Toxic Nonprofit Job: Replace Your 9-5 Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home" I will discuss how to replace your income with freelance grant writing. Register here: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/webinar Here are our most common questions: #1 - Will there be a Replay? There will be a limited-time Replay, but it’s best to come live to get your questions answered. #2 - Will you tell us more about the Freel...
Jan 20, 2025•9 min•Ep. 410
2025 is a great goal year for quitting your job and to become a freelance grant writer. Why? #1 - Milestone Year #2 - It’s Timing There has never been a better time to quit your job and work from home since working virtually is now mainstream. #3 - Easier to Get Work Nonprofits, For-Profits, and all other Agencies can more easily keep you long-term as a consultant. #4 - Adjust to Change (because it’s happening whether you want to face it or not) Because there will be a lot of change in 2025. Wit...
Jan 20, 2025•13 min•Ep. 409
"Quit Your Toxic Job" Webinar on January 21st, 2024. Register, especially if you are a stay-at-home mom or want to become one. Are you a stay-at-home mom due to the rising costs of daycare, unsafe schools, inflation, and/or long transport times? Because of these reasons many moms have found that their salary isn't aligned with these costs. So they choose to stay home with the kids to save money, keep their kids safer, and not be exhausted from working 40+ hours per week and 10 hours per week in ...
Jan 20, 2025•15 min•Ep. 408
Doors to the Academy are now Open Until Feb. 2nd, 2025. Click here to join: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/ Hear from our Academy co-coaches on how they see students getting results in the program, what their favorite features are, and why they became co-coaches! "Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts Favor, please? If you love this podcast, would you please do me a favor and leave a review on iTunes or your podcast listener? This helps others find the p...
Jan 20, 2025•48 min•Ep. 407
What does it really look like to transition from a 9–5 job into a thriving freelance grant writing business? In this episode, Daphney Jean shares her journey from working full-time to subcontracting as a grant writer—and ultimately stepping into full-time freelance. We dive into how she navigated that transition, the lessons she learned along the way, and what it took to build a sustainable business. After two years of freelancing, Daphney joined the Freelance Grant Writer Academy—and within one...
Jan 17, 2025•32 min•Ep. 386
Are you feeling overwhelmed or thinking you need a certification or degree to become a grant writer? Maybe you believe only certain people can learn how to write grants. Here’s the reality—grant writing isn’t a mythical skill reserved for a select few. It’s a formulaic, learnable process that anyone can develop with the right guidance and practice. In this episode, Holly breaks down common misconceptions about grant writing, shares why you don’t need formal credentials to get started, and explai...
Jan 07, 2025•19 min•Ep. 383
Welcome to another insightful episode of the Grant Writing & Funding Podcast! In this podcast episode, Sydney Bass talks about how she went from freelancing for years to a corporate job back to full-time freelance grant writing. She talks about what she needed to have in place (systems, processes, and mindset) to confidently go back to full-time freelancing! About Sydney Bass Sydney Bass is a nonprofit grant consultant and strategist with over 15 years of industry experience. Through her str...
Dec 19, 2024•39 min•Ep. 404
Welcome to another insightful episode of the Grant Writing & Funding Podcast! In this podcast episode, Phaedra Howe, Founder and Grant Specialist of Award Ready Consulting, discusses how she was a burned-out development director and quit her job to do freelance grant writing. She talks about joining the Freelance Grant Writer Academy after getting her first client and needing the necessary systems, support, and business plans to run her business. Tune in to listen to this podcast. Sign up fo...
Dec 19, 2024•36 min•Ep. 403
Here is a look back at 2024 and all that happened around grant funding. From major shifts in federal funding to the rise of AI in the grant writing world, this year brought significant changes that impact how nonprofits and grant writers operate today. In this solo episode, Holly Rustick breaks down the key trends you need to know, including updates to federal funding, OMB Super Circular changes, increases in foundation and individual giving, and the growing role of video and online applications...
Dec 16, 2024•28 min•Ep. 382
So let’s talk about the 6 main types of ways to price your grant writing services and which one is the best. Pricing your grant writing services can feel and be ambiguous at best. After decades of experience in freelance grant writing, find out the most sustainable way and equitable way to price your grant writing services. Tune in today to hear what Holly has to say about pricing your grant writing services. To learn more about the podcast episodes go to https://grantwritingandfunding.com/380 "...
Dec 09, 2024•24 min•Ep. 401
You might not realize it, but if you are a staff grant writer at a nonprofit you may be working in a very toxic environment. And it might not be the ‘fault’ of the nonprofit per se, but the system. This is a golden podcast episode for you today, to see how to still serve nonprofits as a grant writer, but to create a healthy working environment. Tune in today. ABOUT HOLLY RUSTICK Grant Writing & Funding (GWF) has a Global Movement to Secure $1 Billion in Grant Funding for Good and $30 Million...
Dec 08, 2024•13 min•Ep. 400
Sean Kosofsky, the Nonprofit Fixer, joins us to break down the opportunities and challenges grant writers and nonprofits may face heading into 2025 in a post-election landscape. Drawing on his decades of experience in politics and the nonprofit sector, Sean shares key trends to watch, how shifting policies may impact funding, and what organizations can do now to stay ahead. We also explore how grant writers can position themselves strategically, adapt to change, and continue growing their impact...
Dec 02, 2024•32 min•Ep. 379
Book your 3-Hour 1:1 Intensive Coaching with Holly Rustick by Dec. 3rd. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/intensives Eek! This is the first time that I have done 1:1 Intensives in YEARS and I miss them 🙂. But I also understand there are a lot of you aspiring and seasoned grant writers out there right now who want to make 2025 your best year yet. And you want a coach to look over your business (or potential business) so you have guidance for the entire year. Your private 1:1 coaching intensive ...
Dec 01, 2024•10 min•Ep. 398
Find out why federal priorities shift in grant-making, when they do, and how you can be prepared for 2025. Federal grant funding changes and shifts are a reflection in many things, including: Responses to Society and Cultural Norms/Changes Administration Changes & Shifts in Priorities Global Events (Covid-19 is a recent example here) The reality is that grant funding is really a reflection on all the above. As a grant writer, it is important to pay attention to what is going on so we can lea...
Nov 28, 2024•17 min•Ep. 397
In this podcast episode, Erin Davis discusses what you need to consider when branding your freelance grant writing website and business. It’s more than just colors or fonts when understanding how to make your freelance grant writing business stand out among other grant writers. Learn how to communicate your services, experience, and passion easily with your brand. Tune in today to listen to this podcast. About Erin Davis I’m a former ‘forced’ entrepreneur who embraced remote work long before it ...
Nov 19, 2024•28 min•Ep. 396
In this week’s episode of the Grant Writing & Funding Podcast, Holly Rustick sits down with Amy Willard Cross, founder of GenderFair, to discuss groundbreaking efforts to bring gender equality evaluations to nonprofits. GenderFair—known for assessing businesses, organizations, and governments for gender representation and pay equity—has expanded its work to evaluate nonprofits using IRS 990 data and other sources. Together, Holly and Amy explore how GenderFair analyzes leadership, pay dispar...
Nov 06, 2024•51 min•Ep. 377
In this episode, Rachel Werner breaks down the latest updates to the OMB Super-Circular federal guidelines—and what they mean for grant writers right now. And here’s a big one: the indirect de minimis rate is going up. But that’s not all. Rachel walks us through key changes in procurement standards, shares insights on what’s coming down the pike, and explains how these updates can directly impact how you write, budget, and manage federal grants. If you work with federal funding—or want to—this i...
Nov 05, 2024•54 min•Ep. 375
In this podcast episode, Carmen James Randolph discusses her extensive background in working at a foundation and how she reviewed grant proposals. She goes over why a grant denial isn’t always a ‘no’ and how you can submit the most competitive grant to a foundation. Carmen discusses the importance of developing a relationship with funding sources and how your grants can stand out. Additionally, she discusses the work she is doing as President and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of the South. Tune ...
Oct 31, 2024•54 min•Ep. 393
Melaina Chromy goes behind the scenes about generational giving and nonprofits. Learn the difference with how millennials, baby boomers, Gen X, and Gen Z are giving to nonprofits! Also learn the importance of how this can impact grant writers. About Melaina Chromy Melaina is Qgiv by Bloomerang’s PR & Communications Manager. Before coming to Qgiv, she worked as a director of annual giving and used her digital marketing savvy to lead several successful giving days. When she’s not coordinating ...
Oct 29, 2024•56 min•Ep. 392
Doors are Now Open to the Freelance Grant Writer Academy (for the final time in 2024)! Join by Oct. 27th if you are an aspiring or seasoned grant writer and want to Replace Your Full-Time Income, on Flexible Hours, Writing Grants from Home. >>Join Now: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/ In this podcast episode, Holly shows you 7 easy ways to get your Return on Investment ($2,500 back!) with just ONE sale inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy. Listen now ...
Oct 27, 2024•10 min•Ep. 391
Doors are Now Open to the Freelance Grant Writer Academy (for the final time in 2024)! Join by Oct. 27th if you are an aspiring or seasoned grant writer and want to Replace Your Full-Time Income, on Flexible Hours, Writing Grants from Home. >>Join Now: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/ In this podcast episode, Holly shows you how to become a PAID federal grant reviewer. Holly's been a federal grant reviewer for more than a decade and have shown countless st...
Oct 26, 2024•7 min•Ep. 390
Doors are Now Open to the Freelance Grant Writer Academy (for the final time in 2024)! Join by Oct. 27th if you are an aspiring or seasoned grant writer and want to Replace Your Full-Time Income, on Flexible Hours, Writing Grants from Home. >>Join Now: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/ In this podcast episode, Holly discusses how to get nonprofits grant ready. Inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy, we have a bonus - the Nonprofit Wellness Audit which in...
Oct 26, 2024•7 min•Ep. 389
Doors are Now Open to the Freelance Grant Writer Academy (for the final time in 2024)! Join by Oct. 27th if you are an aspiring or seasoned grant writer and want to Replace Your Full-Time Income, on Flexible Hours, Writing Grants from Home. >>Join Now: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/ In this podcast episode, Holly discusses how to do Strategic Planning for Nonprofits and what all is included inside the Academy (wink-wink: you get training on how to do str...
Oct 26, 2024•10 min•Ep. 388
*Doors Close to the Academy on Sunday, October 27th at 11:59 pm EST. Be sure to join for the Final time in 2024 so you can Replace Your Full-Time Income, on Flexible Hours, Writing Grants From Home. >> https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academy Giving discounts doesn’t make you a nice person. I’m sure you already are a nice person as you want to help nonprofits with causes that you care about getting funding. It can be a win-win situation, heart strings and all. Inside the Academy, we help...
Oct 25, 2024•8 min•Ep. 387
The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is Now Open 🎉 The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is a 12-Month group coaching program, where aspiring and seasoned grant writers get curriculum, coaching, and a community to be financially stable on flexible hours. Doors close on Sunday, Oct. 27th at 11:59 pm EST. 👉 Join the Academy https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/ In this podcast episode, Holly Rustick discusses how you can protect yourself when you transition into freelance...
Oct 25, 2024•10 min•Ep. 386
What does it look like to turn grant writing experience into a thriving freelance business? In this episode, we sit down with Shonet, who joined the Freelance Grant Writer Academy with 11 years of grant writing experience—but less than a year of running her own business. In just one year, she generated $83,145 in revenue and secured $190,000 in grant awards for her clients. We dive into her journey from employee to entrepreneur, how she structured and grew her business, and the mindset shifts th...
Oct 24, 2024•45 min•Ep. 385