Our team comprises of book lovers who read books from all genres. This year, we decided to hold a Secret Santa book exchange and it was a lot of fun sending books to each other. As we begin 2024, we realized that we needed a list of must-read books and decided to ask for your recommendations. We were not disappointed with the suggestions we received.   Here are 20 of the suggested must-reads: Recommended Book Title & Author (Alpha Order) Genre Why do you recommend it? Suggested By Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody Urban Fantasy A great urban fantasy that gets very little love. It’s w ..read more

We’re so excited to announce the 2024 Top Grant Writing Blogs to Follow.  2024 Top Blogs to Follow based on what we were reading from them in 2023. It is the goal of DH Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services to assist nonprofit organizations with competitively researching, applying for, and receiving grant funding to best serve our clients and have a significant impact in their communities, taking the stress out of grant writing.  With this mission in mind, our team put together a list of our top go-to grant writing blogs that share tips and tricks to help your nonprofit wri ..read more

We’re so excited to announce the 2023 Top Grant Writing Blogs to Follow. It is the goal of DH Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services to assist nonprofit organizations with competitively researching, applying for, and receiving grant funding to best serve our clients and have a significant impact in their communities, taking the stress out of grant writing.  With this mission in mind, our team put together a list of our top go-to grant writing blogs that share tips and tricks to help your nonprofit write strong, well-written LOIs and grant applications.  Ultimately, we want y ..read more

For a long time, I struggled with my work as a grant professional. Don’t get me wrong. I loved tackling a challenging federal grant proposal. And I loved it even more when we got an award letter. Managing federal grants was my jam – I loved putting my organizational skills to work and totally geeked out about a well-put-together 3-ring binder.   So, what was my problem? My why. Or lack thereof in this case.   Anytime I met a grant professional in a different industry (nonprofit, education, or hospital, for example), they would gush about the people they served. They often had firstha ..read more

Imagine you are standing on the starting line of a running race. The race official says when my arm drops and the gun goes off, you all get to start. Then they point at you and say, BUT, before I do that, YOU get to start NOW before the rest of the field. After you get over the surprise of the unexpected head start, off you race. The rest of the field will be hot on your heels, and some may catch you, but definitely not all, and your competitive advantage by starting early is seen by all as you cross the finish line.   The analogy above makes a lot of sense to me, not only because I am a ..read more

Having raised more than $101 million “the hard way” through 90% private foundation and individual fundraising over the last 20+ years, I have experienced my share of rejections.  What I mean is that this total represents dozens, if not hundreds, of proposals with request amounts ranging between $10,000 and $200,000 for every $1million+ ask. Why so many? The truth is, it’s a competitive process, and you cannot win them all. If you’d like to know what my cohost Amanda Day and I think are the top 5 reasons grants get rejected, complete with a little rant or two, listen here: https://haydayse ..read more

Recently, I attended MyFedTrainer’s Grant Writing Boot Camp (GWBC) hosted by our team’s founder and President, Diane H. Leonard, GPC, RST. Having written many federal grants in the past, I was excited to hear insights from another seasoned grant professional. There was helpful new information provided, as well as important reminders to remember when working on federal grant applications. Some of those takeaways are below: 1. Diane shared helpful resources that I hadn’t come across in the past! Just a brief sampling includes two tools for prospect research: www.sam.gov and www.usaspending.gov ..read more

Once upon a time, in a cubicle far, far away, I saw an announcement for a senior grant writing position at a national organization. At first glance, it seemed like a dream job. Then, I read further. Under the qualifications heading, it stated that they were looking for a grant writer who never made a mistake—that perfection was the goal for every grant submitted. What blows my mind as I think back is how carefully I considered the opportunity as something positive. After over 25 years in the nonprofit and consulting sector, reading a job announcement like that would raise a huge red flag. Why ..read more

I do not claim to have all the answers, but after two decades of grant writing, I know a thing or two about how funders operate. And like most grant professionals, I have thoughts and feelings on how this world of philanthropy can improve.   No matter what you think about the United States government these days, one thing I hope we can all agree on is the transparency in which federal grants are shared. Let me count thy ways: Grant programs are listed in the appropriations act of each federal department as part of the annual budget process. Our friends at grants.gov have created a FREE c ..read more

Have you ever heard a Jock Jams song (Jock Jams were compilation albums released between 1995 and 1999)?    Maybe a single song like “I Like to Move It?”  Jock Jams – I Like to Move it   Or the very popular Mega Mix? Jock Jams MegaMix   These are songs that are sure to inspire and fire up the players at a sporting event as well as the crowd.   Yet, I don’t think the songs should be used only to inspire and fire up sporting events…I think they can be used to help inspire grant writers/grant professionals as well.   Let me explain…I was recently taking part in ..read more