Grant Writing & Funding

The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is OPEN for the last time in 2026!

You’re ready to quit your toxic job, retire with meaningful, part-time work, or work from home so you can pick up the kids. But how do you replace your paycheck?

Our 12-month group coaching program helps aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. You will build grant writing, marketing, and sales skills to find clients and create recurring income on flexible hours. 
Get weekly coaching, unlimited grant and business reviews, business and grant training, hundreds of templates,Grant Writer & Consultant Certification, a community, and listed on our Grant Hire for Hire Directory.

Our students have earned over $12.6 million in freelance business revenue. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Join the Academy for $3,500 or 8 monthly payments of $475. Doors close October 23rd at 11:59 PM Eastern.

Jill Turner explains how to make writing grants a full-time job, the benefits of having systems in your grant writing, and how to properly price your grant writing services.

Jill Turner was based in northern Idaho and got into grant writing after being asked to help some friends while in grad school.

After writing grants as a side hustle, Jill turned it into a full-time business in less than a year, tripling her income and working with clients nationally and internationally.

Jill joins us to discuss how she turned writing grants into a full-time job, the importance of having systems in your grant writing, and how to properly price your grant writing services.

She also explains how The Grant Writing Academy helped her scale her business, the ways to manage your time to maintain a work-life balance, and how charging more for your services can actually help you win more clients.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to move from writing grants as a side hustle to a full-time job.
• The importance of having systems in your grant writing.
• The benefits of writing grants in a systematic way.
• How to start a freelance grant writing business.
• How to price your grant writing services.
• The importance of understanding the market and adjusting prices accordingly for different states and international clients. 
• Why charging too little for your services can make you less competitive.
• How to schedule your time to maintain a work-life balance.
• What you need to scale your grant writing business.

About Jill Turner:

Jill Turner is CEO of Tri-Cord Visionaries and is a highly skilled professional specializing in non-profit funding consultation, strategic planning facilitation, and funding expertise. With a focus on donor optimization, grants research, and grant writing, Jill has a proven track record of success in securing vital resources for organizations.

Jill Turner is a passionate professional who excels in non-profit funding consultation, strategic planning facilitation, and grant acquisition. With her expertise and commitment to collaboration, she empowers organizations to make a lasting impact on the world.

Quotables:

• “Grant writing is no longer a side hustle it has more than tripled my bottom line, this is my job now and I love coming to work every day, and I get to hear about people, what they’re passionate about, and the difference they’re making in the world, and I get to do my research and my writing, and I get to partner them.”
• “Work didn’t have to dominate everything because I had a scheduled system in place and those systems enable me to do what I do now because they were established and I’ve written the framework, I may update them but I’m not reinventing the wheel anymore I have templates for everything.”
• “Know your systems, know how to write your smart objectives, follow through with it. The other stuff is like frosting, it might be pretty but it’s not absolutely necessary.”

Connect with Jill:

• LinkedIn

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Freelance Grant Writer Academy

ABOUT HOLLY RUSTICK

Grant Writing & Funding (GWF) has a Global Movement to Secure $1 Billion in Grant Funding for Good and $30 Million in Grant Writing Businesses by 2030.  Holly Rustick, CEO of GWF, is leading the movement; a world-renowned grant writer with 20+ years of experience, bestselling author, and business coach for new and seasoned grant writers to replace their full-time income writing grants part-time from home through her signature programs: the Freelance Grant Writer Academy and the Grant Professional Mentorship.  

Rustick is the host of the top grant writing podcast “Grant Writing & Funding” and the author of the Bestselling book, The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing. With an MA in International Political Economy,  past-president of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, serving on numerous boards of directors, Holly is also an unapologetic feminist. She lives on the island of Guam with her beautiful daughter, Isabella. 

CONNECT WITH HOLLY RUSTICK 

Website: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/ 

RESOURCES:

• Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox.  https://grantwritingandfunding.com/
• Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/
• Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship 

RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST

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 podcast and I read each and every review!

“Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week.

Thanks for listening!

Warmly,

Holly Rustick

Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Men...

The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is OPEN for the last time in 2026!

You’re ready to quit your toxic job, retire with meaningful, part-time work, or work from home so you can pick up the kids. But how do you replace your paycheck?

Our 12-month group coaching program helps aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. You will build grant writing, marketing, and sales skills to find clients and create recurring income on flexible hours. 
Get weekly coaching, unlimited grant and business reviews, business and grant training, hundreds of templates,Grant Writer & Consultant Certification, a community, and listed on our Grant Hire for Hire Directory.

Our students have earned over $12.6 million in freelance business revenue. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Join the Academy for $3,500 or 8 monthly payments of $475. Doors close October 23rd at 11:59 PM Eastern.

As a panel we discuss the benefits of using Grant Easy Management Software, how it makes working with non-profits more efficient, and the different ways it helps you analyze data faster. 

As you write more grants the amount of time you spend tracking grants and analyzing data increases to a point where it can seem impossible to scale any further.

Grant Easy Management Software can help optimize grant writing and make working with non-profits more efficient and productive. 

We’re joined by a team of grant writing experts to discuss their experience using grant management software and the ways it’s saved them time and improved their businesses.

Get to hear how this Grant Management Software helps these 3 grant writing experts as they have very different business models!

We also explain why we all moved to using Grant Easy Management Software, the different features it has, and why grant specific software is better than Google Drive.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Different ways to track grants.
• How software can help you scale your grant writing business.
• How Grant Easy Management Software optimizes the grant writing process.
• How to reduce the number of meetings you need with contractors.
• The grant writing community that Grant Easy Management Software provides.
• How Grant Easy Management Software makes working with non-profits easier and more efficient.
• The benefits of having external users access your account.
• What makes Grant Easy Management Software better than Google Drive.
• The different features Grant Easy Management Software has.
• How to analyze your data faster.

About Rachel Waterman:

Rachel is the creator of Grant Easy Management Software and the CEO of Global Development Solutions. As well as creating the grant easy management software she also helps organizations use data and systems to build grant revenues.

Connect with Rachel:

• LinkedIn
• Grant Easy Management Software

About Jan Rodusky:

Jan is the Founder of Venn There Grants Consulting, where she helps nonprofits create grant systems to increase their funding. With over 25 years of experience as a grantmaker and grant writer, Jan has raised over $18 million for organizations in the arts, healthcare, and education sectors. She is a GPA approved trainer and mentor and a certified business coach. In addition to her work at Venn There, Jan serves as the Vice Mayor for the Village of Royal Palm Beach, Florida.

Connect with Jan:

• LinkedIn

About Jacquelyn Ahrenberg:

Jacque brings 18 years of experience and training in nonprofit development and organizational management to any new engagement. Her company, Resolute Nonprofit Consulting, focuses on Corporate & Foundation Development, Development Program Audits, and Fundraising Guidance to help nonprofits diversify their funding to be resilient to change.

Connect with Jacquelyn:

• LinkedIn

About Yvonne White-Morey

Yvonne White-Morey is CEO & Principal Grant Strategist at GrantStream Consulting LLC. She specializes in stress-free grant seeking and management for nonprofits, allowing them to focus on their mission and make a difference. When not working, Yvonne enjoys the Midwestern seasons with her rescue dog Rico and feline companion Selina Kyle.

Connect with Yvonne:

• LinkedIn

Quotables:

• “Get a system in place because you can’t scale without a system. If you’re happy with where you are that’s fine but if you want to go anywhere else you’ve got to have a system.”
• “GEMS solves the problem of your Google Drive filling up with hundreds of old files that you end up having to pay to store because you don’t have time to go through.”
• “You can see according to how many proposals you’re writing how many are getting awarded, for which clients, and where you’re seeing more awards coming in and areas of possible growth. That can take a lot of time to find out if you’re doing that on your own, GEMS does it in the click of one button.”

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Grant Easy Management Software
• Free Masterclass: 3 Proven Steps to Start a Freelance Grant Writing Business 
• Freelance Grant Writer Academy Waitlist
• Pricing Survey Revealed for Grant Writers
• Grant Management Made Easy

OTHER RESOURCES:

• Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox.  https://grantwritingandfunding.com/
• Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/
• Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship 

RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST

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 podcast and I re...

The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is OPEN for the last time in 2026!

You’re ready to quit your toxic job, retire with meaningful, part-time work, or work from home so you can pick up the kids. But how do you replace your paycheck?

Our 12-month group coaching program helps aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. You will build grant writing, marketing, and sales skills to find clients and create recurring income on flexible hours. 
Get weekly coaching, unlimited grant and business reviews, business and grant training, hundreds of templates,Grant Writer & Consultant Certification, a community, and listed on our Grant Hire for Hire Directory.

Our students have earned over $12.6 million in freelance business revenue. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Join the Academy for $3,500 or 8 monthly payments of $475. Doors close October 23rd at 11:59 PM Eastern.

This episode, Holly explains the problems with paying grant writers commission, the reasons why nonprofits miss out on funding, and how nonprofits should pay freelance grant writers.

Nonprofits often think that paying freelance grant writers on a commission basis is a win-win, but this could not be further from the truth.

Not only is paying grant writers a commission unethical and against industry best practices, but there are also some pretty serious legality issues.

This episode, Holly explains the problems with paying grant writers a commission, the legality of paying grant writers on a commission only basis, and how most nonprofits pay freelance grant writers.

Holly also talks about why nonprofits miss out on grants they’ve applied to, how to repurpose a grant for other uses, and the different reasons nonprofits have a website.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How freelance grant writers make money.
• How nonprofits pay grant writers.
• Why you shouldn’t pay grant writers commission.
• The reasons nonprofits don’t get grants they’ve applied to.
• Why paying commission for grant writers is against best practice.
• How to repurpose a grant and other things a grant application can be used for.
• The legality of paying grant writer’s commission.
• Why nonprofits need to have a website.
• How to learn the skills you need to become a grant writer.

Quotables:

• “Even if you don’t get awarded a grant when you submit it, you may get feedback and be able to change a few things, tweak a few things, submit to the next funding cycle, and get it awarded.”
• “You have to start a relationship so even that first no can be a very positive thing because at least you’re starting a relationship and getting your foot in the door now so in the next couple of cycles you might get funded but if you don’t even start or are too scared to get a no then that might not happen.”
• “Grant writers can never guarantee funding so how they get paid is the same as any other service provider. For a certain scope of work for a certain amount of time, you pay them a certain amount.”

ABOUT HOLLY RUSTICK

Grant Writing & Funding (GWF) has a Global Movement to Secure $1 Billion in Grant Funding for Good and $30 Million in Grant Writing Businesses by 2030.  Holly Rustick, CEO of GWF, is leading the movement; a world-renowned grant writer with 20+ years of experience, bestselling author, and business coach for new and seasoned grant writers to replace their full-time income writing grants part-time from home through her signature programs: the Freelance Grant Writer Academy and the Grant Professional Mentorship.  

Rustick is the host of the top grant writing podcast “Grant Writing & Funding” and the author of the Bestselling book, The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing. With an MA in International Political Economy,  past-president of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, serving on numerous boards of directors, Holly is also an unapologetic feminist. She lives on the island of Guam with her beautiful daughter, Isabella. 

CONNECT WITH HOLLY RUSTICK 

Website: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/ 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Free Masterclass: 3 Proven Steps to Start a Freelance Grant Writing Business
• Freelance Grant Writer Academy Waitlist
• Grant Writing and Funding
• Freelance Grant Writing During Inflation & Recession
• 4 Reasons Why a Grant Writer Cannot Get Paid on Commission
• How to Find Ideal Nonprofit Clients That Pay for Your Services
• 4 Reasons Why You Should Get Paid As A Grant Writer and 3 Ways A Nonprofit Can Pay You

OTHER RESOURCES:

• Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox.  https://grantwritingandfunding.com/
• Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/
• Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship 

RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST

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 podcast and I read each and every review!

“Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week.

Thanks for listening!

Warmly,

Holly Rustick

Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.

The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is OPEN for the last time in 2026!

You’re ready to quit your toxic job, retire with meaningful, part-time work, or work from home so you can pick up the kids. But how do you replace your paycheck?

Our 12-month group coaching program helps aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. You will build grant writing, marketing, and sales skills to find clients and create recurring income on flexible hours. 
Get weekly coaching, unlimited grant and business reviews, business and grant training, hundreds of templates,Grant Writer & Consultant Certification, a community, and listed on our Grant Hire for Hire Directory.

Our students have earned over $12.6 million in freelance business revenue. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Join the Academy for $3,500 or 8 monthly payments of $475. Doors close October 23rd at 11:59 PM Eastern.

In this episode, Holly Rustick breaks down why becoming a freelance grant writer—even during a recession—is not only viable, but a strategic opportunity. She explains the key benefits of freelancing, including the ability to adjust your rates, services, and client base in response to economic changes, unlike traditional employees with fixed salaries. 

Holly dives into how freelance grant writers actually make money, how many clients are typically needed to sustain a business, and how competitive the market truly is. She also highlights why the nonprofit sector often continues to grow during economic downturns, the significant amount of funding allocated through grants each year, and how many federal grants are released annually. 

Additionally, Holly shares why nonprofits benefit from hiring freelancers over full-time staff and how much freelance grant writers can realistically charge. If you’ve been considering stepping into freelance grant writing, this episode will give you the clarity and confidence to see why now may be the perfect time to start.

ABOUT HOLLY RUSTICK

Grant Writing & Funding (GWF) has a Global Movement to Secure $1 Billion in Grant Funding for Good and $30 Million in Grant Writing Businesses by 2030. Holly Rustick, CEO of GWF, is leading the movement; a world-renowned grant writer with 20+ years of experience, bestselling author, and business coach for new and seasoned grant writers to replace their full-time income writing grants part-time from home through her signature programs: the Freelance Grant Writer Academy and the Grant Professional Mentorship.

Rustick is the host of the top grant writing podcast “Grant Writing & Funding” and the author of the Bestselling book, The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing. With an MA in International Political Economy, past-president of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, serving on numerous boards of directors, Holly is also an unapologetic feminist. She lives on the island of Guam with her beautiful daughter, Isabella.

CONNECT WITH HOLLY RUSTICK

Website: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/

RESOURCES:

Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/

Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/

Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship

RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST

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 podcast and I read each and every review!

“Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” ← If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week.

Thanks for listening!

Warmly,
Holly Rustick

Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.

The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is OPEN for the last time in 2026!

You’re ready to quit your toxic job, retire with meaningful, part-time work, or work from home so you can pick up the kids. But how do you replace your paycheck?

Our 12-month group coaching program helps aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. You will build grant writing, marketing, and sales skills to find clients and create recurring income on flexible hours. 
Get weekly coaching, unlimited grant and business reviews, business and grant training, hundreds of templates,Grant Writer & Consultant Certification, a community, and listed on our Grant Hire for Hire Directory.

Our students have earned over $12.6 million in freelance business revenue. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Join the Academy for $3,500 or 8 monthly payments of $475. Doors close October 23rd at 11:59 PM Eastern.

This episode, Holly explains how to write a budget for a grant, the math grant writers need to understand, and the different categories to include in a budget.

The budget can seem like the scariest part of writing a grant for people who get into writing grants. Why? Because the typical grant writer considers themselves more of a writer than a mathematician. 

But as a grant writer, you will master both writing and math.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be CPA or have taken calculus!

Fortunately, a grant budget is very logical and if you follow the right framework it’s actually quite straightforward.

This episode, Holly explains how to write a grant’s budget, the math you need to include in the budget section of a grant, and the best time to write a grant’s budget.

Holly also talks about the different categories to include in a budget, how to write a budget as a narrative, and common mistakes people make in the budget section.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why people become grant writers
• The math grant writers need to do
• How to write a grant’s budget
• When you should write the budget
• How to efficiently write a grant’s narrative
• The different categories to include in a budget
• The benefits of hiring contractors over employees
• How to make your budget balances narrative

Quotables:

• “Grant Writers need to be able to write well and carry out accurate mathematics. You need to know how to do a budget, but the budget is very logical and can include both words and numbers.”
• “Use a US Federal Budget for all of your grants. Use this as your basis, then if you get Federal grants in the future it’ll be easier for your accountant because all of your categories are unified.“
• “What funding sources want to know is can you implement programs and can you manage money. To implement programs you need to be able to properly manage money.”

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• FREE Grant Writing Class
• Grant Writing and Funding
• Ep. 54: The Secret Formula to Unlock Funding for Your Nonprofit!
• Episode 266: Scoring Points in Your Grant Proposal’s Research Section – With Holly Rustick
• Episode 268: Writing Goals for Your Grant Proposal – With Holly Rustick
• Ep. 7: 8 Budget Tips for Award Winning Grants

ABOUT HOLLY RUSTICK

Grant Writing & Funding (GWF) has a Global Movement to Secure $1 Billion in Grant Funding for Good and $30 Million in Grant Writing Businesses by 2030.  Holly Rustick, CEO of GWF, is leading the movement; a world-renowned grant writer with 20+ years of experience, bestselling author, and business coach for new and seasoned grant writers to replace their full-time income writing grants part-time from home through her signature programs: the Freelance Grant Writer Academy and the Grant Professional Mentorship.  

Rustick is the host of the top grant writing podcast “Grant Writing & Funding” and the author of the Bestselling book, The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing. With an MA in International Political Economy,  past-president of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, serving on numerous boards of directors, Holly is also an unapologetic feminist. She lives on the island of Guam with her beautiful daughter, Isabella. 

CONNECT WITH HOLLY RUSTICK 

Website: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/ 

RESOURCES:

• Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox.  https://grantwritingandfunding.com/
• Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/
• Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship 

RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST

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 podcast and I read each and every review!

“Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week.

Thanks for listening!

Warmly,

Holly Rustick

Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.

The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is OPEN for the last time in 2026!

You’re ready to quit your toxic job, retire with meaningful, part-time work, or work from home so you can pick up the kids. But how do you replace your paycheck?

Our 12-month group coaching program helps aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. You will build grant writing, marketing, and sales skills to find clients and create recurring income on flexible hours. 
Get weekly coaching, unlimited grant and business reviews, business and grant training, hundreds of templates,Grant Writer & Consultant Certification, a community, and listed on our Grant Hire for Hire Directory.

Our students have earned over $12.6 million in freelance business revenue. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Join the Academy for $3,500 or 8 monthly payments of $475. Doors close October 23rd at 11:59 PM Eastern.

Steve Bollard joins us to break down how grant funding is shifting in 2023 as the sector moves beyond Covid and into a rapidly evolving AI-driven landscape. He shares how the traditional grant application process is being restructured, the increasing barriers and gatekeepers to government funding, and the lasting changes brought on by the pandemic. 

We also explore how major philanthropic shifts—like MacKenzie Scott’s approach—are influencing the nonprofit sector, alongside growing concerns around monopolization. 

Steve highlights practical ways nonprofits can access funding today and unpacks how tools like ChatGPT are already transforming grant writing, strategy, and the overall funding outlook for 2023.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/

Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/

Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship

RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST

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 podcast and I read each and every review!

“Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week.

Thanks for listening!

Warmly,
Holly Rustick

Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.

The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is OPEN for the last time in 2026!

You’re ready to quit your toxic job, retire with meaningful, part-time work, or work from home so you can pick up the kids. But how do you replace your paycheck?

Our 12-month group coaching program helps aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. You will build grant writing, marketing, and sales skills to find clients and create recurring income on flexible hours. 
Get weekly coaching, unlimited grant and business reviews, business and grant training, hundreds of templates,Grant Writer & Consultant Certification, a community, and listed on our Grant Hire for Hire Directory.

Our students have earned over $12.6 million in freelance business revenue. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Join the Academy for $3,500 or 8 monthly payments of $475. Doors close October 23rd at 11:59 PM Eastern.

This episode, Holly explains how to write a goal in a grant, what to include in a grant’s objective, and how to put a task in a grant.

The goal of a grant is one of the most important sections of a grant application and is usually where you’ll get the most points.

But what should you include in the goal section of a grant? How should you structure it? And how ambitious should you be?

This episode, Holly explains why this section is so important, how to write a goal in a grant, and everything you need to include in this part of your grants application.

Holly also talks about how to write a grant’s objective, the best way to include a timeline in a grant, and how to put a task in a grant.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to write a goal in a grant.
• What to include in a grant’s goal.
• How to write a grant’s objective.
• What to include in a grant’s objective.
• How to include a timeline in a grant.
• How to put a task in a grant.
• Why you need a work plan for grant funding.
• What to include in a work plan.

Quotables:

• “The goal of a grant needs to include your main outcome while staying grounded on the budget of the grant and the time it will take to deliver. Your budget and time constraints are central to how ambitious your goal can be.” 
• “An objective has to be SMART, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant or realistic, and time-bound. This is important because when you’re writing an objective it has to be clear on each of these points.”
• “Use time-bound terms rather than specific dates. If you use specific dates rather than ‘by the end of year one’ you may have to rework your entire time schedule if your grant is delayed in its approval.”

ABOUT HOLLY RUSTICK

Grant Writing & Funding (GWF) has a Global Movement to Secure $1 Billion in Grant Funding for Good and $30 Million in Grant Writing Businesses by 2030.  Holly Rustick, CEO of GWF, is leading the movement; a world-renowned grant writer with 20+ years of experience, bestselling author, and business coach for new and seasoned grant writers to replace their full-time income writing grants part-time from home through her signature programs: the Freelance Grant Writer Academy and the Grant Professional Mentorship.  

Rustick is the host of the top grant writing podcast “Grant Writing & Funding” and the author of the Bestselling book, The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing. With an MA in International Political Economy,  past-president of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, serving on numerous boards of directors, Holly is also an unapologetic feminist. She lives on the island of Guam with her beautiful daughter, Isabella. 

CONNECT WITH HOLLY RUSTICK 

Website: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/ 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• FREE Grant Writing Class
• Grant Writing and Funding
• Episode 266: Scoring Points in Your Grant Proposal’s Research Section – With Holly Rustick
• Ep. 6: Write Goals, Objectives, and Outcomes for Your Grant Proposal
• How to Write Grants Using Concise, Clear, and Meaningful Words
• 7 Steps to Write a Grant Proposal
• Grant Easy Management Software

OTHER RESOURCES:

• Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox.  https://grantwritingandfunding.com/
• Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/
• Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship 

RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST

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 podcast and I read each and every review!

“Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week.

Thanks for listening!

Warmly,

Holly Rustick

Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.

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This podcast episode was lovingly sponsored by GEMS!

This podcast episode is lovingly sponsored by Grant Easy Management Software (GEMS). Break Up with Your Spreadsheet – Get GEMS Grant Easy Management Software and NEVER MISS A DEADLINE AGAIN! Book YOUR FREE demo now! Click here: https://www.grantwritingandfunding.com/g...

The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is OPEN for the last time in 2026!

You’re ready to quit your toxic job, retire with meaningful, part-time work, or work from home so you can pick up the kids. But how do you replace your paycheck?

Our 12-month group coaching program helps aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. You will build grant writing, marketing, and sales skills to find clients and create recurring income on flexible hours. 
Get weekly coaching, unlimited grant and business reviews, business and grant training, hundreds of templates,Grant Writer & Consultant Certification, a community, and listed on our Grant Hire for Hire Directory.

Our students have earned over $12.6 million in freelance business revenue. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Join the Academy for $3,500 or 8 monthly payments of $475. Doors close October 23rd at 11:59 PM Eastern.

Navigating funding for educational programs can feel overwhelming, especially when it’s unclear where to find the right opportunities or how to apply successfully. 

In this episode, Holly Rustick sits down with Chiara to break down how nonprofits and schools can access Department of Education grants and tap into the wide range of funding still available. They discuss how to identify the right grant opportunities, which Department of Education funds are currently open for applications, and how to strategically position your organization for success.

Chiara also shares insights on the impact grants can have on educational institutions, the importance of strong evaluation metrics, and why a well-developed evaluation section is critical to a winning proposal. Whether you're new to education grants or looking to strengthen your applications, this episode provides clear, actionable guidance to help you move forward with confidence.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Chiara is a grant funding expert specializing in Department of Education grants and funding strategies for schools and nonprofit organizations. With extensive experience in identifying funding opportunities and developing competitive grant proposals, she helps organizations secure the resources they need to expand educational programs and increase their impact. 

Chiara is passionate about demystifying the grant process and equipping leaders with the tools and knowledge to successfully navigate education funding.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/

Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/

Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship

RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST

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 podcast and I read each and every review!

“Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” ← If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week.

Thanks for listening!

Warmly,
Holly Rustick
Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.

The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is OPEN for the last time in 2026!

You’re ready to quit your toxic job, retire with meaningful, part-time work, or work from home so you can pick up the kids. But how do you replace your paycheck?

Our 12-month group coaching program helps aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. You will build grant writing, marketing, and sales skills to find clients and create recurring income on flexible hours. 
Get weekly coaching, unlimited grant and business reviews, business and grant training, hundreds of templates,Grant Writer & Consultant Certification, a community, and listed on our Grant Hire for Hire Directory.

Our students have earned over $12.6 million in freelance business revenue. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Join the Academy for $3,500 or 8 monthly payments of $475. Doors close October 23rd at 11:59 PM Eastern.

In this episode, Holly Rustick breaks down one of the most critical components of a winning grant proposal—the research section. She explains how this section is evaluated by funders, what specific elements you need to include, and the type of data required to make your proposal competitive. 

While it can be tempting to rely on emotional storytelling, Holly emphasizes that the research section must be grounded in strong, data-driven evidence to earn points. She shares how to structure your research section effectively, the kind of language to use, and how to clearly demonstrate the need for your project. 

Holly also dives into strategies for maximizing your score, including the importance of credible data sources, proper referencing styles, and aligning your research with funder expectations. Whether you're new to grant writing or looking to strengthen your proposals, this episode will help you create a compelling, high-impact research section that stands out.

ABOUT HOLLY RUSTICK

Grant Writing & Funding (GWF) has a Global Movement to Secure $1 Billion in Grant Funding for Good and $30 Million in Grant Writing Businesses by 2030. Holly Rustick, CEO of GWF, is leading the movement; a world-renowned grant writer with 20+ years of experience, bestselling author, and business coach for new and seasoned grant writers to replace their full-time income writing grants part-time from home through her signature programs: the Freelance Grant Writer Academy and the Grant Professional Mentorship.

Rustick is the host of the top grant writing podcast “Grant Writing & Funding” and the author of the Bestselling book, The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing. With an MA in International Political Economy, past-president of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, serving on numerous boards of directors, Holly is also an unapologetic feminist. She lives on the island of Guam with her beautiful daughter, Isabella.

CONNECT WITH HOLLY RUSTICK

Website: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/

RESOURCES:

Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/

Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/

Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship

RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST

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 podcast and I read each and every review!

“Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” ← If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week.

Thanks for listening!

Warmly,
Holly Rustick
Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.

The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is OPEN for the last time in 2026!

You’re ready to quit your toxic job, retire with meaningful, part-time work, or work from home so you can pick up the kids. But how do you replace your paycheck?

Our 12-month group coaching program helps aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. You will build grant writing, marketing, and sales skills to find clients and create recurring income on flexible hours. 
Get weekly coaching, unlimited grant and business reviews, business and grant training, hundreds of templates,Grant Writer & Consultant Certification, a community, and listed on our Grant Hire for Hire Directory.

Our students have earned over $12.6 million in freelance business revenue. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Join the Academy for $3,500 or 8 monthly payments of $475. Doors close October 23rd at 11:59 PM Eastern.

Feeling overwhelmed by grant proposals?

You’re not alone.

Many people struggle with where to start, what to include, and how to make sure they don’t miss critical details when writing a grant.

In this episode, Holly breaks down how to simplify the process by using grant templates effectively.

We dive into how to find and use templates to structure your proposal, how to follow grant instructions correctly, and how to ensure you’re 
aligning your content with what funders are actually looking for. But writing the grant is only one side of the equation—you also need to understand how it’s reviewed.

Holly explains the subjective nature of grant reviewing, what happens during the review process, and how different sections of your proposal are scored. This insight is key to strengthening your applications and increasing your chances of success.

If you’ve ever felt stuck staring at a blank page or unsure if you’re “doing it right,” this episode will give you clarity, structure, and confidence.

ABOUT HOLLY RUSTICK

Grant Writing & Funding (GWF) has a Global Movement to Secure $1 Billion in Grant Funding for Good and $30 Million in Grant Writing Businesses by 2030. Holly Rustick, CEO of GWF, is leading the movement; a world-renowned grant writer with 20+ years of experience, bestselling author, and business coach for new and seasoned grant writers to replace their full-time income writing grants part-time from home through her signature programs: the Freelance Grant Writer Academy and the Grant Professional Mentorship.

Rustick is the host of the top grant writing podcast “Grant Writing & Funding” and the author of the Bestselling book, The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing. With an MA in International Political Economy, past-president of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, serving on numerous boards of directors, Holly is also an unapologetic feminist. She lives on the island of Guam with her beautiful daughter, Isabella.

CONNECT WITH HOLLY RUSTICK

Website: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/

OTHER RESOURCES:

Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/

Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/

Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing.
https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship

RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST

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 podcast and I read each and every review!

“Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week.

Thanks for listening!

Warmly,
Holly Rustick
Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.