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.

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.

Strong communication is the foundation of any successful relationship—and that’s especially true when it comes to grant writers and nonprofit clients.

In this episode, Steve Boland, founder of Next in Nonprofits, shares decades of experience on how consultants and nonprofit teams can collaborate more effectively. We explore how clear communication and defined roles can ensure grants are completed on time, why grant writers are not program managers (and where that line should be drawn), and how different types of nonprofit clients require different approaches.

We also dive into how grant writers can support nonprofits beyond writing, why they are sometimes asked to help develop new projects, and how to manage expectations on both sides of the relationship. Plus, we discuss why consistent check-ins—like weekly meetings—are critical for keeping projects on track and how a skilled grant writer consultant can be a valuable partner to nonprofit leadership.

If you want smoother workflows, stronger partnerships, and better grant outcomes, this episode is a must-listen.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Steve Boland is the founder of Next in Nonprofits, where he helps nonprofit professionals grow their careers and strengthen their organizations. With decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, communication, and training, Steve is known for his practical insights on how nonprofits and consultants can work together more effectively.

He is a speaker, trainer, and podcast host who focuses on helping nonprofit leaders improve collaboration, strategy, and operational success.

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 is a fully loaded question.

The thing is that freelance grant writers can make as much money as they want to make.

No, I am not trying to be cheeky. It’s true.

So, really the question underneath this one is:

Which brings us to another layer of a question…

You can see that these questions are all related, right?

The thing is the answers to these questions are not cookie-cutter or set in stone.

It depends.

Here are some things to consider when wanting to know how much you can make as a freelance grant writer.

Grant Writing Experience

If you have been a grant writer for several years and are comfortable with grant writing, you will be able to charge more than someone starting from scratch. That is true for anything.

When you have more experience, you can showcase:

• testimonials,
• grants secured,
• grants reviewed, and
• number of years writing grants

This is huge!

But even if you have taken one grant writing course and are just getting experience, you can also charge for your services too. You just won’t be charging as much until you develop more of a portfolio (like anything else!).

Ways to overcome the newbie grant writing position is to partner with more seasoned grant writers to review your work and give you feedback.

In that case, feel free to charge more as you will get those seasoned eyes on your grant awards. This is a great opportunity to have a mentor and develop your grant writing skills while also increasing your grant writing credibility.

Geography

If you are working with local nonprofit organizations, then it is important to know what market rates are for consultants. You can usually find out this information by checking out local department of labor wages or reaching out to other consultants and asking them what their rates are.

Some consultants may want to keep their pricing private, but it’s worth developing relationships with other consultants (not just grant writers, but service-industry consultants) and find out what the going rates are. These are also just great relationships to develop.

But many of you work online and have national and international clients so you can also see what other folks are charging online.

The problem with just googling other grant writer rates is that you will see prices all over the map.

I’m talking anywhere from $25 per hour to $150+ per hour. This does give you a baseline, but pricing is more nuanced then just pointing out a number.

Types of Services You Deliver

Writing foundation grants and federal grants are two different ball games.

A foundation grant of two-pages will not be the same price as writing a 50-page federal grant application.

Therefore, it is important to know what type of grant writing you will be doing.

You can still make the same amount of money, but you will have a different number of clients.

For example, if you charge $2,000 to write a 2-page foundation application and $12,000 to write a federal grant application, then you would need to write six foundation grants to make the same as writing one federal grant.

You can also combine both types of grant writing!

So that is something to take into consideration. Your specific tailored services should vary in pricing based on the level of expertise, time, and capacity it takes for each service.

Value Issues around Pricing

Here is my favorite one. We all have different emotions and values around money and especially around making money.

Research shows that women compared to men struggle with charging what they are worth.

This comes down to a slew of different reasons with most based on being born into a patriarchal system. This manifests itself with the following:

• Not feeling confident enough to price what we are worth (will people really pay it?)
• Giving way too many discounts (yes, I was there once too)
• Giving away the kitchen sink of all the deliverables you will do (it’s like we are convincing ourselves we are good enough before we even show our price!)

The other thing is that a lot of times you will see grant writing prices up to $150 per hour. As if that is the holy grail of pricing.

That does NOT need to be your glass ceiling. Raise your rates appropriately.

Expenses (overhead)

Here’s the thing. To know what your rates are, you also need to understand what your goals are.

Do you want this to be a side-hustle or full-time job?

It’s not always about working harder to make more money, but if you are a service-based consultant (versus having products and passive income – more on that later), then having more of the right clients does improve your overall bottom line.

If you are doing this as a full-time business, then additional expenses will come into play that include:

•   Taxes
•   Retirement
•   Health Insurance
•   All your personal bills! i.e., salary for YOU!
•   Profit
•   Office space ...

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.

Let’s be real. Being a nonprofit executive director isn’t always a walk in the park. There are definitely challenges that one faces with wearing the following hats:

• Leader and visionary
• Fundraiser
• Being the face of the organization
• Marketer
• Manager
• …and so much more.

It’s a good thing that Dolph Goldenburg, founder of Successful Nonprofits, comes on the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to discuss his lessons learned as an executive director and as a nonprofit consultant.

Dolph goes in deep, starting off the discussion with sharing his experience being completely burned out as nonprofit executive director. At the time, he resigned and took a year off as a sabbatical to reflect. 

This led to his current position as a nonprofit consultant. 

The lessons he has learned along the way include:

• Taking time to recognize red flags of old habits
• Negotiating with funding sources
• Writing grants for enough money instead of settling
• Being values-based
• And so much more

What We Discuss:

• Grant Reviewer Course
• Overcoming Burnout
• How to Know if a Job isn’t a Good Fit
• Looking Inward into Nonprofit Pain Points
• How to Look for Signs of Nonprofit Burnout
• How Being Values-Based Helps to Attract the Right People
• Why Paying Your Nonprofit Staff a Living Wage is Vital to Nonprofit Health
• Why Nonprofit Attrition Rates Can Be the Funder’s Fault
• Why You Need to Not Underbid on a Grant Application
• How to Renegotiate with a Funding Source
• Why Talking to Funders is so Important

About Dolph Goldenburg

Dolph is recognized as a leader within the nonprofit sector who has a track record of guiding organizations through leadership transitions, strategic planning and board development. 

He started Successful Nonprofits in 2014 to provide consulting, podcasting and publishing services that strengthen the nonprofit sector. Goldenburg’s consulting focuses on strategic planning, executive transitions, board development and coaching. His clients have included large nonprofits like Sheltering Arms and HOPE Atlanta and also small but mighty nonprofits like the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund and Zebra Coalition.

Prior to starting his consulting practice, Goldenburg was a successful nonprofit CEO for about a dozen years with a demonstrated history of leading organizations to financial stability and growth.  As a CEO, Goldenburg helped organizations transform deficits into healthy surpluses, increase fund balances, dramatically expand services, and increase revenue.  In addition to extensive CEO experience, Goldenburg also has more than a decade of fundraising experience, which includes soliciting six -figure gifts and writing millions of dollars in funded grant proposals. 

Goldenburg holds a masters degree in public administration from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University and graduated summa cum laude with a bachelors degree in social work from Georgia State University. 

Dolph lives in Lawrenceville, GA with his husband, has traveled to five of the seven continents, and is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Connect with Dolph:

• www.successfulnonprofits.com
• www.linkedin.com/in/dolphg
• Check out his podcast! 
• Want to see Holly on Dolph’s Podcast? Click here to listen to “Connecting Money to Mission”

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.

One of the best ways to improve your grant writing is to become a federal grant reviewer. This and, of course, writing grants.

Grant reviewing is when you put on your critique hat and analyze a variety of grants. This is SO beneficial to understand how federal grants are scored.

A federal grant reviewer is someone (non-federal) who reviews federal grant applications.

Why is this beneficial for you as a grant writer?

#1: Increases your grant writing skills

#2: Improves your ability to get grants

#3: Increases professional development

#4: Increases your income

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.

Nonprofit Consulting Series #1

Understanding how much time to spend working on your business versus working in your business can be a head scratch. 

Even the most seasoned nonprofit consultants and freelance grant writers can find themselves going down the rabbit hole of non-prioritized tasks. 

For example, if you find yourself spending 80 percent of your time on social media and are getting a lot of likes but no clients, then it definitely isn’t a good use of your time.

Vice versa, if all you are doing is writing grant applications but never invoicing then that isn’t great either.

Mike Michalowicz, author of Profit First (an excellent read, by the way) states that:

“In the early days of a company, when annual revenues are below $250,000…you are likely the only employee… And that means you must be doing 90 percent of the work… Basically, you are a true entrepreneur 10 percent of the time, and a hardworking, hard-selling employee of your own company 90 percent of the time.”

That means, yes, you do most of the work and might hire a virtual assistant to do bits and pieces, but even then…how much of that 90 percent of the time do you work in your businesses vs. on your business?

In this episode, Mandy Pearce and Mazarine Treyz come on the show to discuss what formulas can look like for nonprofit consultants (and a LOT more!). 

You get to hear how these influencers and nonprofit consultants have learned how to create systems, plan, and even say no to what they do not want to do. 

This has created streamlined businesses and learning what their formulas are that make them keep going. 

What does that mean for you? 

Well, you get to fast-track your business by learning from others who have figured some things out through some amazing shared lessons!

What We Discuss In This Episode:

• Time Working In vs. On Business
• Consulting Goals
• The Upper Limit Problem
• Business Sustainability
• Outsourcing Tasks
• Starting Your Consultancy when Working Full-Time
• How to Not Compromise Your Values as a Consultant
• How to Plan Your Services
• You Can Turn Clients Away                     
• Boundaries & Values in Your Consultancy
• Nonprofit Consulting Conference Sneak Peek

About Mandy Pearce

In 2009, visionary, Mandy Pearce, founded her flagship company, Funding for Good, to equip organizations with all of the skills and tools needed to become successful and sustainable.

She continues to enjoy evolving this company to meet the changing demands of the nonprofit world. For over two decades, Mandy and her team of experts have shared their proficiency in fundraising through executive coaching, strategic and development planning, seminars and specialized consulting programs.

Mandy’s dynamic teaching style has brought thousands of people to her presentations at conventions, training workshops and online platforms. Mandy established Funding for Good, Inc. upon the core values of honesty, efficiency, direct communication and bringing sustainable dollars to local communities.

Ways to Connect with Mandy:

• Website: Funding for Good
• LinkedIn: Connect with Mandy

About Mazarine Treyz

Mazarine Treyz is a nonprofit leadership coach, speaker and best selling author of “The Wild Woman’s Guide to Fundraising”, serving people in over 70 different countries.

Mazarine specializes in helping nonprofit leaders with fundraising goals through authentic relationships both online and offline.  As a result, clients have doubled monthly donors, taken their schools from 10K to 170K in recurring revenue, and created their own global nonprofits. Treyz has co-founded a nonprofit and has over a decade of experience as a nonprofit fundraiser in small shops. Today, Mazarine Treyz leads the nonprofit workplace justice movement to create a better nonprofit work culture through her writing, training, podcast and keynote speeches.

Connect with Mazarine Treyz:

• Work with Mazarine
• Need a speaker? Chat with Mazarine

Related Episodes:

• How to Identify What Rates to Charge as a Grant Writer
• Why the Nonprofit World Has a Bias Against Women and How to Break the Bias

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 f...

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.

A question I often get is, “How do I create a logic model?” 

This is a great question, and in today’s episode Dr. James Pann describes how to create a logic model.

But one also needs to understand what a logic model is and why it’s important to the grant writing process. A logic model is really a process in a visual display. This visual process helps grant reviewers, grant writers, and your nonprofit team really understand the program you are developing.

A lot of grant writers even like to develop the logic model as one of their first steps in the grant writing process so they stick to the plan while writing the grant.

Grant reviewers like to see a visual representation of what your program is all about to help supplement the text narrative in your grant. Your nonprofit team will benefit from creating this logic model as the program will become clear on what you are trying to accomplish.

All in all, a logic model is a healthy way to guide your grant writing process and gives you another tool in your box to earn more points in securing grants and having a successful program.

What We Discuss In This Episode:

• What a logic model is
• All the elements in a logic model
• The difference between outcome and output
• How a logic model can help create your evaluation plan
• Added logic model samples and examples

About Dr. James Pann

James Pann received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his M.S.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami. Dr. Pann completed his clinical internship at Nova Southeastern University Community Mental Health Center in neuropsychology, behavioral medicine, and adult and child psychotherapy. Additionally, he had a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric behavioral medicine at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami/ Jackson Memorial Medical Center. He also completed a Family Therapy Externship at the Center for Family Studies at the University of Miami.

Dr. Pann is a Professor at the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education, School of Criminal Justice at Nova Southeastern University where he focuses on teaching program evaluation as well as conducting research and evaluation projects. Dr. Pann is interested in the use of program evaluation approaches to study and improve educational, health and human service programs. He is an evaluation consultant working with education, health and human service organizations and grant making entities. He has worked on a wide variety of projects, from systems of care and other collaborations, to substance abuse, mental health and afterschool programs, with organizations of all sizes. Dr. Pann is a licensed psychologist in Florida and an active member of the American Evaluation Association.

Connect with Dr. James:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jpann
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evalnetwork/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pannjames/ 
• Website: https://evalnetwork.com/

Related Episodes & Links in Podcast:

• EvalNetwork Podcast: How to determine the impact of your mindfulness
• Ep. 112: How to Write a Successful Evaluation Section in Grants with James Pann
• Ep. 123: Holly Rustick on Grant Writing Lessons Learned
• Ep. 172: Top Expert Tips to Write the Evaluation Section of a Grant Proposal

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.

If you are a nonprofit executive director or nonprofit leader, this episode is for you! Many nonprofit executive directors feel overwhelmed wearing 25 different hats — from fundraising and grant strategy to board management, staff oversight, and operations. According to The Nonprofit Fixer, Sean Kosofsky, nonprofit executive leadership does not have to feel this chaotic or unsustainable.

I have Sean Kosofsky on the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to discuss executive leadership for nonprofit organizations, including how executive directors can strengthen board engagement, improve fundraising systems, and manage their time more strategically.

You are going to get so many goodies to overcome common executive director challenges — especially around onboarding, engaging your board of directors, fundraising strategy, and time management so you can effectively lead your nonprofit organization without burning out.

What We Discuss In This Episode:

• Different grants available
• How to overcome executive director challenges
• Employment contracts for executive directors
• New board member churn
• Board member term limits
• How to create a calendar for tasks
• Why an ED should outsource
• How to know what to focus on
• Sean’s focus on executive directorship

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Sean Kosofsky is the NonProfit Fixer and has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 27 years. Sean has worked in the areas of policy, communications, grassroots advocacy, direct service, development, management and served on numerous boards. He has raised millions of dollars for causes, candidates, and campaigns. His work has appeared in news stories around the world, and he has offered webinars or blog posts through AFP, Candid, Idealware, Bloomerang, Wild Apricot, and Pamela Grow’s Motivate Mondays.

He has worked on a wide range of issues including LGBTQ equality, reproductive justice, voting access, bullying prevention, climate change, and more. He offers coaching, consulting, training, and free tools at his website Nonprofitfixer.com and courses at http://Learn.MindTheGapConsulting.org.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

Website: https://nonprofitfixer.com/
Courses: http://Learn.MindTheGapConsulting.org

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.

Budgets can be unnerving for nonprofit organizations. Understanding what all goes into a budget can seem simple until you start adding into your budget:

• Programs, 
• Operating expenses,
• Indirect costs, 
• In-kind 
• Donations, and 
• Income

At this point, your nonprofit may want to consider hiring an accountant or having some training.

It’s a good thing that Damien Scott of My Summit CFO comes on the podcast show to give you specific nonprofit budget tips!

About Damien Scott

Damien Scott, owner of My Summit CFO an accounting and tax practice based in Pennsylvania with clients across the United States. He is also the founder of a non-profit called The Seven Summits of Lupus, an organization devoted to spreading global awareness of Lupus and a nationwide program called The Lupus Warrior Outdoor Adventure Program. He is a financial professional and as a leader in a non-profit organization with an MBA in Accounting and over 23 years of experience assisting business owners in reaching their summit. Damien believes that all entrepreneurs need and deserve a competent guide in order to navigate the intricacies of this ever-changing business environment.

Damien draws on his 23 years of experience, education and his mountaineering background in order to guide his clients to increased revenues and greater cash flow to elevate your business to new heights.

When Damien is not assisting you in reaching new heights, he is traveling the world on a quest for the Mountaineers Grand Slam, to reach the highest peak on each of the 7 continents (also known as the 7 Summits) and a traverse of the North and South Poles.

Links:

• Website: The Seven Summit of Lupus
• Meet The Team
• Book a time with Damien
• Email Damien
• Facebook
• Twitter

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, I’m joined by nonprofit expert Patton McDowell to explore what it really takes to transition into a nonprofit executive role. 

We dive into how to navigate lateral moves within organizations, understand philanthropy and volunteer management, and build essential governance knowledge for working with boards. Patton also shares how to recognize and break through career plateaus, assess the skills you need to grow, and identify key areas of expertise when shifting from the corporate sector. 

We also discuss current job market trends, the rise of Gen Z in the nonprofit workforce, and the broader economic impact nonprofits have—plus insights from Patton’s new book.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Patton McDowell is a nonprofit expert, author, speaker, and coach. He leads PMA Nonprofit Leadership, a consulting practice he founded after a successful twenty-year career in the nonprofit sector. His leadership experience includes work at Special Olympics International and Special Olympics North Carolina, and he has led fundraising teams at both public and private universities.

Patton is a sought-after consultant and speaker on strategic planning, organizational development, and staff and board leadership. He holds a BA from UNC Chapel Hill, an MBA from Queens University of Charlotte, and a Doctorate from the University of Southern California. He is a Certified Fundraising Executive and a Master Trainer for AFP International.

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.