Grant Writing & Funding

What Grant Writers Need To Know About Major Gifts And Donor Relationships

Grant funding doesn’t happen in a vacuum. In this episode, Holly Rustick sits down with Jeff Schreifels of Veritus Group to unpack why relationships—not just strong proposals—drive funding decisions, donor loyalty, and long-term financial resilience. A must-listen for grant writers navigating today’s shifting funding landscape. ABOUT OUR GUEST With over 30 years in the nonprofit sector, Jeff is a pioneer of relationship-centered fundraising. Under his leadership, since 2009 Veritus has helped in...

November 2025 Report: $3.4M In Grants + $526K Earned

Funded: $3.4 Million in Grants + $525K+ Earned | November 2025 In this episode of Funded , we break down what actually happened in grant writing in November 2025 using real data from grant writers inside our programs. Here’s what you’ll learn: How much grant funding was secured in one month How much freelance grant writers earned in their businesses What types of grants were awarded (foundation, state, federal) What offers and strategies helped grant writers earn income What this means if you’re...

11 Trends Every Freelance Grant Writer Needs To Know In 2026

In this episode, Holly breaks down the top 11 trends freelance grant writers must lean into in 2026. From funder relationships and AI tools to flexibility, movement-centered grant writing, trigger words, diversified funding, and stepping into thought leadership — this is your roadmap for staying ahead in the rapidly shifting grant writing world. You’ll learn: Why funder relationships matter more than ever How to position your freelance business for growth The role of AI in modern grant writing H...

“Is It Even Worth Applying?”… and Other Big Federal Grant Questions Answered

In this episode, Holly Rustick from Grant Writing and Funding interviews Fielding Jezreel, CEO of Jezreel Consulting, about the evolving landscape of federal grants. They discuss the challenges and strategies for nonprofits in adapting to new federal grant requirements, the importance of preparation, and the role of DEI in grant writing. Fielding shares insights on how organizations can position themselves for future opportunities and the significance of training in federal grant writing. ABOUT ...

Inside Our $20K Madrid Retreat: The Strategy That Will Fuel A $1B Movement

In this episode of the Grant Writing and Funding Podcast, host Holly Rustic shares an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a recent team retreat in Madrid, Spain, that cost $20,000. Holly discusses the strategic decisions, deep work, and innovative approaches taken during the retreat, which have already shifted the trajectory of their grant writing and funding movement. Learn about the intense planning, the creation of new curriculum pathways, and the alignment that will support their goal of sec...

[Funded Series] What’s Actually Getting Funded? Real Grant Data from Hundreds of Students

In this new subseries 'Funded.' Learn about the massive movement to secure $1 billion in grants and $30 million for grant writing businesses by 2030. Holly shares success stories, real data, and insights into what's working in grant writing and funding today. Discover practical tips, how to navigate economic and political shifts, and the innovative strategies of their signature programs. Plus, hear from real students about their achievements and experiences in the Freelance Grant Writer Academy ...

Funded by Melinda French Gates: Inside the $60M Innovation Grant Challenge

Welcome to the Grant Writing & Funding Podcast! In this episode, host Holly Rustick sits down with Clare Bresnahan English , Senior Director of the Workplace Innovation Now (WIN) Challenge at the Aspen Institute , to break down a massive $60 million grant opportunity for U.S. nonprofits. Tune in today to listen to this podcast. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WIN CHALLENGE GRANT Total Grant Monies: $60 Million ($20 million for each Opportunity) How Many Application Opportunities: 3 (Culture ...

How to Stop Caving When Clients Ask for "Just One More Thing"

Join host Holly Rustick on the Grant Writing and Funding Podcast as she delves into the essential topic of setting boundaries as a freelance grant writer. Learn how to professionally handle client requests that fall outside the scope of work while maintaining good relationships and avoiding burnout. Holly shares practical advice, including key phrases and strategies, to ensure that freelance grant writers can protect their time, deliver quality work, and run a sustainable business. Tune in today...

Reclaiming Your Worth — What Money Mindset Has to Do with Grant Writing

Welcome to the Grant Writing & Funding Podcast. In this episode, Holly Rustick explores the importance of money mindset in the nonprofit and freelance grant writing sectors. She shares her personal experiences growing up in poverty and how it influenced her career and pricing strategies YOU'LL LEARN -How to reframe your worth as a grant writer -The difference between charging for time vs. transformation -Why undercharging hurts both you and your clients -How to use value-based pricing in you...

The Hidden Path to Invite-Only Grants: Relationship Strategies from a Nonprofit's $1M+ Funding Model

Want to land invite-only grants and corporate sponsorships? Hear how Surge for Water built trust-based relationships that unlocked over $1M in funding. Founder Shilpa Alva shares actionable strategies for grant writers and nonprofit leaders to move from cold outreach to long-term funder partnerships, boost corporate support, and secure sustainable funding for water access, menstrual health, and community-led solutions. Most grant writers never get access to invite-only funding…but Surge for Wate...

Is Marketing and Branding Important for Your Nonprofit?

In this episode, Holly Rustick interviews Marivi V. Bryant, founder of Home Agency, discussing the critical role of marketing and storytelling for nonprofits. They explore how effective branding and a polished online presence can enhance a nonprofit's credibility and attract funding. Marivi emphasizes the importance of utilizing social media, creating engaging content, and leveraging available resources, including board members and interns, to build a strategic roadmap for success. The conversat...

From Nonprofit Service to Securing $1M+ in Grants: Veronica’s Journey to Advocacy and Freedom

Veronica Kulon, CEO of VK Empowerment Solutions, shares her journey from starting a business to becoming an advocate for her clients after joining the Freelance Grant Writer Academy. She had been full-time with her business (and working part-time at a job) but she still wasn’t tapping into her financial goals. It wasn’t until she joined the Academy, and got some mindset coaching, that she was then able to secure $1 Million in grants for her clients and $42K in her grant writing business - in jus...

Student Panel "First $100K in the Academy" and Open House "Is the Academy For Me?" Bonus Pop-Up Podcast

This is a POP-UP Bonus Podcast, meaning it WILL disappear soon! It's a replay from our Student Panel, "First $100K in the Academy" and Open House "Is the Academy for Me?"

How a Social Worker made $149,000 in her Freelance Grant Writing Business in 90 days

Dr. Eve McGee shares her inspiring journey from the social work sector to more than doubling her revenue and impact as a freelance grant writer. She went from a draining job to starting her own grant writing business. The first year in her own business, with no support was isolating and hard, though. So she joined the Freelance Grant Writer Academy. Within 9 months, she went from earning $1,050 in her business (in ONE year) to nine months later going to $149,000. She also was able to secure $294...

Academy FAQ Series #2: Is Now a Good Time to Become a Grant Writer?

You may be curious if 2025 is a good time to be a grant writer. YES! Nonprofits need you NOW more than ever and are streamlining their budgets to hire freelance grant writers vs. staff grant writers. The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is a 12-Month Group Coaching, Curriculum, and Community program to help aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. Doors close to the Academy on Friday, Oct. 24th at 11:59 pm EST. This is the fina...

Academy FAQ Series #7: Should I Join the Academy if I already Have a Freelance Grant Writing Business?

You may be interested in joining the Freelance Grant Writer Academy, but aren't sure if it's for you since you already have a freelance grant writing business. If you don't have recurring income, filled out your client pipeline, or are still confused about your offers, marketing, or sales... then yes. The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is a 12-Month Group Coaching, Curriculum, and Community program to help aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writ...

Academy FAQ Series #1: Is Grant Writing a Shiny Object

You may be wondering if grant writing is a shiny object this year. I'm here to say NO. Grant writing is needed. The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is also NOT a shiny object as it's a 12-Month Group Coaching, Curriculum, and Community program to help aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. Doors close to the Academy on Friday, Oct. 24th at 11:59 pm EST. This the final times doors will be open in 2025. https://grantwritingand...

Academy FAQ Series #4: Can I Join the Academy if I Have NO Grant Writing Experience?

You may be wanting to join the Freelance Grant Writer Academy, but have no grant writing experience. That is FINE. Changemakers who have never seen a grant before all the way to seasoned 20+year grant writers get value inside the Academy. You learn grant writing and business acumen in our #1 in the Industry program. The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is a 12-Month Group Coaching, Curriculum, and Community program to help aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexi...

Academy FAQ Series #5: Should I Join the Academy if I don't have a Network?

You may be wondering if you can get grant writing clients if you don't have a network, email list, or social media following. YES. Our Academy students get clients without websites, email lists, or on social media. The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is a 12-Month Group Coaching, Curriculum, and Community program to help aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. Doors close to the Academy on Friday, Oct. 24th at 11:59 pm EST. T...

Academy FAQ Series #6: How Do I Pay Off the Academy or Get an ROI?

You may be wanting to join the Freelance Grant Writer Academy, but are wondering HOW to pay for it. Find out with these 8 ways. The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is a 12-Month Group Coaching, Curriculum, and Community program to help aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. Doors close to the Academy on Friday, Oct. 24th at 11:59 pm EST. This is the final time doors will be open in 2025. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/fr...

Academy FAQ Series #3: How Much Time Does it Take in the Academy to Learn Grant Writing and Get Clients?

You may be wondering how long it takes to learn grant writing and to get a paying client in the Freelance Grant Writer Academy. You can do it within 90 days. The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is a 12-Month Group Coaching, Curriculum, and Community program to help aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. Doors close to the Academy on Friday, Oct. 24th at 11:59 pm EST. This is the final time doors will be open in 2025. https:/...

From Freelance Grant Writing on her own to joining the Academy and Earning $40,200 in 30 Days

From FT Job to Laid Off to $7K in Grant Writing in 3 Months

If you got caught in getting laid off in Academics, Health, or Research in 2025 have you considered being a freelance grant writer? This is what Caitlin did and it paid off. In this episode, Holly Rustick chats with Caitlin Doran, a student in the Academy and the brains behind Katydid Communications. Caitlin opens up about her leap from getting laid off from a large academic medical center to the world of freelance grant writing. Caitlin shares how crucial networking and leaning on her connectio...

Government Shutdown 2025: How is it Impacting Grant Funding?

Welcome to this episode of Grant Writing & Funding with your host Holly Rustick and special guest Rachel Werner, CEO of RBW Strategy Consulting and principal of My Fed Trainer. In this insightful conversation, Holly and Rachel break down the complexities around the 2025 government shutdown and its direct impact on federal grants, nonprofits, and grant writers. #grantwriting #grantwriter #government #governmentshutdown #federalgrants #nonprofitfunding #nonprofit #grantfunding #trumpadministra...

Get Clients as a Grant Writer 5-Part Series: #5 Stop Basing Your Success on Grants Won

A lot of grant writers feel like they are in an impossible situation when asked about their ‘grant writing success rate’. As if the only measurement of your success as a grant writer is based on the grants you have won. Some places on the internet state that there are ‘good’ percentage win rates for grant writers. Honestly, ‘grant writer success rates’ are crap. If you are working with start-up nonprofits, chances are your wins could be less than working with larger, established nonprofits that ...

Get Clients as a Grant Writer 5-Part Series: #4 Stop Overpricing in 2025

A concept that I have been talking about this year is doing the MVP. Now you may have heard the term MVP before, with the acronym standing for Minimum Viable Product. But my MVP concept stands for Minimum VALUE Product. You want to deliver something more than just a ‘viable’ product, hence the word ‘VALUE’. What I have seen after working with more than 300 freelance grant writers in 2025 (and literally more than 1,000 over the last 10 years) is that many of you are all adding fluff to your contr...

Get Clients as a Grant Writer 5-Part Series: #3 Stop Overworking

You may be thinking about learning how to write grants and you think it will take too much time OR you may be a freelance grant writer and be stuck in client work. What I have seen after working with more than 500 freelance grant writers in the last two years (and literally thousands over the last 10 years), is that many of you are overworking yourselves. Why are you doing this? Well, let me know if this sounds familiar: You are taking the ‘employee’ mentality into your freelance grant writing b...

Get Clients as a Grant Writer 5-Part Series: #2 Stop Calling Yourself a Grant Writer

You don’t just write grants. You are a grant strategist. You just aren’t positioning yourself as one. We are seeing that Academy students who are leaning into positioning themselves as a Grant Strategist vs. Grant Writer are doing BETTER this year in booking out their businesses. What a Grant Strategist Does in 2025-2026 Stays on top of changes in grants (at least in your cause area: i.e., DOE grants, etc.) Attends new webinars for grants and makes ‘go or no-go decisions’ on grants for nonprofit...

Get Clients as a Grant Writer 5-Part Series: #1 Stop Writing Grants

Changemakers in the Academy have made $3,470,242 (and growing every day) in their grant writing businesses so far in 2025. 🔥 They’ve also secured more than $48 million in funding for their clients. 🤑 How are they doing it? They are utilizing our Grant and Funding frameworks built on 20+ years of experience. One mantra that I have always had is, “Don’t be 100% reliant on grant funding.” I might be known as the grant writing girlie, but I’ve actually helped organizations get a lot of diverse fun...

Earn an Extra $10K in 90 Days Writing Grants from Home

Join Holly to hear how you can earn an extra $10,000 in 90 days writing grants from home. She will give you case studies on what freelance grant writer students (inside the Academy and Mentorship) are doing to secure grants and clients in 2025, why nonprofits have money in 2025 to hire you as a freelance grant writer, and 3 steps to make extra money writing grants (even if you are new to grants). Tune in today!