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.

Has your nonprofit—or the nonprofits you support—received CARES Act funding? If not, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

In this conversation, Tim Butler breaks down how nonprofits can still tap into CARES Act funding and why it’s critical to act quickly. With specific deadlines and distribution requirements set at the state and city level, there’s a limited window to access these funds—and waiting could mean missing out.

Tim shares insights into how these funds are being allocated, what nonprofits need to know to qualify, and how to position your organization to secure this funding before it’s gone. If you’re looking for timely, actionable guidance on accessing emergency funding opportunities, this episode will help you understand what steps to take right now.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Tim Butler is the Founder and Owner of Freelance Soul Professional Services, a grant writing and fundraising consulting firm based in Tulsa, Oklahoma—home of the historic Black Wall Street. As an unapologetically Black male-owned business, Tim is dedicated to closing the funding gap for historically underrepresented communities and vulnerable populations, including people of color, women, veterans, faith communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and disadvantaged organizations.

With over 15 years of experience and a 93.75% grant success rate, Tim has secured more than $1 million in funding for startups, nonprofits, and social entrepreneurs. His clients have seen returns on investment as high as 35:1. He is a Certified Nonprofit Professional through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and holds a Community Development Certification from Howard University.

Tim specializes in helping organizations become grant-ready, secure their first funding, and implement systems for long-term sustainability. His services include nonprofit formation, grant research and writing, corporate sponsorship development, board training, and grant review and editing.

Guided by his belief that “knowledge is just having information—wisdom is knowing how to use that information to get desired results,” Tim is passionate about creating equitable access to funding and ensuring more organizations have a seat at the table.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/freelancesoul

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.

Oh yes. Those pesky grant writing qualms.

Here are the top questions that I get.

#1: How Do You Get Funding From Grants for General Operating Expenses?

You can get funding for general operating expenses through 3 ways:

• Pursue specific grants that target general operating
• Include a certain percentage of your general operating expenses within the direct categories of a grant project budget
• Include up to 10% of the grant amount in the indirect category in a grant budget

#2: As a non-US grant seeker, is there funding available?

Yes! There is absolutely funding available! You can get that through the following:

• There are certain U.S. federal grants that give specifically to nonprofits (both U.S. organizations based abroad and to non-U.S. nonprofits)
• Certain foundations give out money to nonprofits around the world (think Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
• There are many international funding sources, such as EU organizations, UN organizations, foundations, Canadian funding, etc.

#3: Do you recommend college courses for beginning grant writers?

That depends. If you are in college already and want to get college credit toward a degree this could be great. However, if you are not in college nor seeking a degree, then I would recommend taking a grant writing course offered by a grant writer that is in the field.

Such as my 6-Week Live Grant Writing Course or DIY Grant Writing Course *wink-wink*

But the fact is these courses can cost way less and take less time, but give you the real tips of how grant writers are actually winning grants!

#4: What’s the best approach when a foundation states they don’t accept unsolicited applications?

Develop a relationship. A way to side-step the gatekeeper is to go on LinkedIn and start a relationship with decision-makers at the foundations. But remember – don’t go in blazing asking for money right away. Spend time liking their posts and making comments. Start sharing things with them that they may find interesting. And make sure they are a good fit. Does their mission statement align with your nonprofit’s mission?

#5: I am a freelance grant writer and my nonprofit client does not know how to guide me.  What questions should I ask to get information?

Ooh, I love this one. So first off you need to:

• Give them a list requesting certain documents

Then have a Kick-off Grant Writing Meeting

• Include the Executive Director, Bookkeeper, Grant Coordinator, and possibly an expert
• Write down the deadlines and tasks for everyone

Want to listen to the entire podcast with way more examples? Click above on the podcast link :)

To sum up, the 5 Most Popular Grant Writing Questions are:

1. How Do You Get Funding From Grants for General Operating Expenses?
2. As a non-US grant seeker, is there funding available?
3. Do you recommend college courses for beginning grant writers?
4. What’s the best approach when a foundation states they don’t accept unsolicited applications?
5. I am a freelance grant writer and my nonprofit client does not know how to guide me.  What questions should I ask to get information?

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 Moveme...

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.

This week, I’m going to teach you how to write winning grants with this 5-step How to Write a Grant Proposal.  This will help you with your confidence if you are a beginner grant writer or even an advanced grant writer.

If you want a free grant writing class you can watch NOW, check out this free grant class.

So if you’re a new grant writer, but you aren’t sure how you can write winning grants, or you’re an experienced grant writer looking to understand the basic formula of all grant structure, you’ll discover how grant writers like you and me can write winning grants – and why it’s critical you focus on this right now.

In last week’s podcast, we talked about a process for creating award-winning grant applications.  I shared how this is going to immediately help you simplify grant lingo, so you feel less overwhelmed, check out Grant Language Made Easy.  So, if you listened to that podcast go back and watch it now – and then come back to this one.

This week I am going to build on what we discussed by sharing the #1 thing you must master if you want to write winning grants.  Think of this as your “first step” towards making this happen.

This is an entirely new way of thinking about grant writing, so you will want to pay close attention.

I am also going to share how to write a budget.  When you know how to do this, you will know exactly what funding you can request.

The goal is to break you free of being unsure of how to ask for money.  This way, you will never have to worry about how to write winning grants which means you’ll with your confidence if you are a freelance grant writer or write a grant for a specific nonprofit.

We have got a lot to cover today, so be sure to have your pen and paper ready to take notes as you follow along.

Any time you are trying to write winning grants, it is inevitable you’ll hit roadblocks.  You might have experienced some of them already.

Things like pulling out your hair, staring at a blank screen, and even not even knowing where to start.

Well, here is what I know to be true: if any of this sounds familiar, it’s totally normal.

But if you simply accept this at face value, you will never write winning grants.

And I know where you are coming from.  I get that it feels like some of this is out of your hands.

It’s frustrating to come up against these things – again and again.  I’ve been there myself, and I’ve seen other Grant Writers go through the same thing.

And it’s especially stressful because you know that getting past these challenges is key in helping you write winning grants.

So, in this podcast and article, I’m going to make it easy for you.  I’ll help you avoid these usual headaches by showing you the simple steps I follow to write winning grants which will save you lots of frustration.

So let’s get into the meat and potatoes of today’s article and podcast with these 5 Hacks to Write a Grant Proposal.

Okay, so when starting to write a grant application the first thing you need to do is:

#1) Get the Funding Opportunity Announcement or Request for Proposal

I never start with a blank page because I copy and paste what it is in the FOA for the criteria directly into my Word document or Google doc.

Firstly, I do this because I need to make sure the nonprofit is eligible for the grant program, but secondly, I do this because I am writing in response to what the funding source has requested. Now if you spend time writing a flowery narrative but it includes WAY more (or none) of the information requested the funding source is going to be a bit frustrated.

Sound harsh?

It is the truth and it’s not meant to be mean at all. A lot of these funding sources receive hundreds of applications and they need to follow what their priorities are. If they do not see that you are directly responding to their individual request they won’t look favorably on your application.

Another helpful reason I copy and paste the criteria and then turn it into headers is that it takes my guesswork out and gives me a guide. No more blank pages.

#2) Research the Needs

To create a compelling case for a grant application, you need to provide statistics and facts. A flowery statement about how awful the situation might get some tears, but it will not get grants won.

The funding source wants to know how well you can meet their priorities, so they know there is a gap and a need. Chances are they are as passionate as you are about solving the problem. But sad pictures and horror stories do not paint a complete picture. They need to see statistics, surveys, and case studies to show the need.

So, if you are pursuing a grant to serve human trafficking survivors, do put in the number of prosecuted cases in your region, the number of trafficked victims, and geographic vulnerabilities such as interstate highways, etc. Also, use research when you can that is within the previous five years.

#3) Articulate the Goals & Narrow Your Objectives

The goal or goals in a grant is the overarching outcome. This needs to be clear for both you and the funding source. If you don’t have a goal then it will be confusing for both of you.

What is it you want to accomplish? What other community goals can you tie this into?

It might be: “To create safe homes for survivors of human trafficking in our region.”

This is important as it is the big picture.

The objectives are then what you can do to reach your goal. These objectives also need to be SMART, which stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timebound

For example, an objective to reach your goal could be, “By the end of quarter one, to lease a 4-plex apartment building that will provide housing for 8 survivors of human trafficking.”

What other objectives do you think would be needed to reach your broad goal: “To create safe homes for survivors of human trafficking in our region?”

What about hiring services workers, buying housing consumables, linking to food pantries 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.

As you may or may not know acronyms are grants best-friends.

If you’ve heard the terms FOA, RFP, SAM, DUNS, or a number of other terms, then you are in the grant world.

I once heard a grant writer speak an entire sentence using only acronyms!

Ugh! If you are overwhelmed already, don’t worry, I’m going to start breaking it down right now!

Let’s first dissect the main different types of grants and contracts.

There are federal grants, state contracts, and foundation grants. Think of those like your three main hubs.

Federal Grants

Federal grants are monies allocated from the federal government.

There are more than 900 grant programs offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies. These programs fall into 20 categories. These categories include topics such as Agriculture, Food & Nutrition, and Community Development.

Yes, there are a ton of federal grants.

State and Local Government Contracts & Grants

State and local government contracts often receive much of their funding from the federal government as they can promote economic efficiency due to localized knowledge to implement a program more efficiently and effectively than the federal government (i.e., pass-through funding).

Contracts are basically either made through grant formulas or discretionary funding through federal, state, or government agencies. If we were to compare the two mechanisms, we would say that a contract has two parties exchanging promises where one party delivers and the other party pays.

A grant, however, has two parties wherein one party gives the money and another party performs the objectives in hopes of achieving them. A contract is legally binding, and nonperformance can be dealt with in court whereas nonperformance of a grant can result in the organization paying back monies and essentially being blacklisted.

Foundation Grants

A foundation grant is a monetary assistance provided to individuals and small businesses by companies, citizens, government, and non-government organizations. The money awarded as a grant is meant to meet particular needs and is not required to be repaid.

When you think of private foundations, think the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, local insurance companies in your community that have foundations, and the like.

Which grants should your nonprofit go after? Well, the wide answer is all of them.

Listen to the full podcast to get all the details!

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.

Navigating the road of freelance grant writing can feel lonely and overwhelming at times—but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, I sit down with Tawanda Ellis, whose journey is a powerful example of what’s possible when you follow a clear roadmap and stay committed.

Tawanda shares how she built a thriving grant writing business from home, landing 25+ clients in under three years using primarily word-of-mouth marketing. We talk about how she’s helped secure over $2.8 million in grant funding, how she supports nonprofits with strategic planning, and why she expanded her work to launch an additional business, MirrorMom360.

We also dive into her “Write It Out” Method, the importance of reflection time, and the intentional thinking behind her business branding. This conversation is packed with insight, encouragement, and real-world strategies for building a sustainable grant writing business. If you’ve been looking for proof that this path works—and a roadmap to follow—this episode will leave you inspired.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Tawanda Ellis is the Owner and Principal Consultant of DNA 360 Consulting, a minority-owned business that provides training and consulting services to government agencies, startup nonprofits, and organizations seeking sustainable funding strategies.

She founded DNA 360 Consulting out of a passion for helping nonprofits increase their impact, strengthen programs, and secure funding. Tawanda works closely with organization leaders to develop community-focused services, evaluate program effectiveness, and win grants to support their missions.

With her team, she brings decades of combined experience in program development, management, and evaluation. Together, they have helped nonprofits secure over $2.8 million in funding in just three years.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

Website: https://dna-360-consulting.jimdosite.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tawanda-ellis-83476a198/

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 week’s podcast, I’m joined by special guests Shinedelight Enterprises! This episode is perfect for nonprofits that want to become ADA compliant and attract more donors through effective digital marketing.

Together, we explore how improving accessibility and strengthening your online presence can help you reach a wider audience and increase engagement.

We cover simple tech solutions to help your nonprofit become ADA compliant, along with practical strategies for conducting effective digital marketing. We also share easy (and free) online marketing hacks, ways to attract more donors, and real-world case studies highlighting successful nonprofit digital marketing efforts.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Shinedelight Enterprises specializes in helping organizations enhance digital accessibility and marketing strategies, supporting nonprofits in becoming ADA compliant while growing their visibility and donor base.

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.

There always comes a time when starting a business that stumps people. Creating the best name for your grant writing business is one of those times. Sometimes it completely throws people off the tracks that they never get back on and actually start their business.

Don’t let this stop you!

To help you navigate this process I have identified three different ways (and the pros and cons) to help you find the best name for you grant writing business.

#1 Use Your Name

Pros:

• It is more personalized
• If you have a unique name it won’t be taken!
• It works for the 80% connection of social media (I am commenting on other people’s post, not a business name).
• It is easier to get started (you don’t need to spend months trying to figure it out)

Cons:

• If you have a common name, you will need to add a little more in, i.e. “Holly Rustick Grant Writing Consultancy”
• If your name changes (get married, divorced, etc.) then your name shift can be difficult
• If you decide to dissolve your business, then you may need to rebuild your social media and website branding
• You can’t separate yourself from your business so easily

#2 Basic Company Name

Pros:

• It tells the story very quickly of what you do; i.e. Grant Writing & Funding
• It is found more easily when people are searching online (i.e. someone looking for grant writing and my business pops up. They aren’t looking for my name, but for what I do).

Cons:

• A lot of the popular super basic domain names; i.e. www.grantwritingandfunding.com, are taken
• It can feel a little sterile
• Some people forget to personalize their branding because their business name is what they do and not who they are (i.e. they use stock photos and not pictures of themselves).

#3 Whimsical Name

Pros:

• It can be fun and exemplify your character
• You might be passionate about the words

Cons:

• It can be too abstract that you won’t get noticed; “Wish Granted!” vs. “The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing.”
• It can confuse your ideal client because they won’t know what you do
• It can be cute to you, but hard to pronounce and doesn’t connect to other people

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.

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.

Have you ever known deep in your gut what your dream is, but you aren’t currently living in it? Or maybe you commit to living your dream but don’t even know where to start.

If you could sit down and have coffee with someone who turned $1,000 into $15,000 during the pandemic while helping others and working less, then would you? Because today we are doing just that as we listen to how Dr. Omotola Akinsola as she shares all her secrets and how she overcame challenges.

But even if you are not looking to open a freelance grant writing biz, and you run a nonprofit, you will also want to catch this as she is going to spill all in how she has also continued to grow a thriving nonprofit after doing a needs assessment. Due to that, her nonprofit has served more than 8,000 students and teachers in Nigeria.

This episode is definitely for you if:

• You want to start or grow a nonprofit
• You want to turn leads from being those that ghost you into high paying customers
• You are a parent and need to balance running a business with being home with your kids
• You want to find out how to price and charge clients
• You want to be inspired because you need something positive to listen today (yes, Tola is that amazing!)
• You want a free coupon on Tola’s Grant Writing Made Easy for Nonprofit! Click here.

Dr. Akinsola shares behind-the-scenes on:

• How she grew up in poverty in Nigeria and followed her dreams by taking big risks
• How the education strike made her start to do her own personal and professional development
• Her Fab 6 heroes include: Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, and her parents
• How she burned all her bridges to do massive things
• Why and How she did a focus group before launching a nonprofit
• How she opened a nonprofit in Nigeria while being a student in the States
• How her nonprofit in Nigeria has trained more than 8,000 students and teachers
• When and how she opened her freelance grant writing biz: The Funding Magnet
• How she created a product after talking to 300 nonprofits
• How the Freelance Grant Writing Master Course changed her business and she 15X her investment within a matter of months
• How she has diversified her streams of income
• How she learned how to create passive income
• How she learned her value and how to price
• How a one-hour consultation helped her raise $5,000 for her nonprofit
• How she realized she was wasting her time with dead leads and started getting clients with less drain

About Dr. Omotola Akinsola

Omotola has over seven years of experience as both an in-house grant writer and as a freelance grant consultant to various nonprofit organizations across the United States and the continent of Africa.  A Social Worker by trade, Omotola combines her passion for education, youth, leadership, homelessness, community service, nonprofits and social entrepreneurship with her skills as a writer and researcher.

Omotola holds a master’s from George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. She focused on nonprofit development, social enterprise development & management, grant writing, and fundraising during her master’s and received a specialization in social entrepreneurship. She earned a bachelor’s in social work with a double minor in leadership studies and psychology from Columbia College. She is completing her Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Her interests are in educational & economic disparities, international youth development, youth unemployment, youth asset development, community development, social entrepreneurship, mentoring, and nonprofit management & fundraising.

She founded JumpStart Dream Academy, a nonprofit organization in Nigeria that works with youth to develop them into agents of positive change. She has worked and consulted for various nonprofit organizations in different capacities such as creating and designing programs, evaluating programs, structuring nonprofits to run effective, budgeting, grant proposal writing and reviews, and coming up with fundraising strategies.

Omotola is sold out to helping young nonprofit organizations be a force for good and guiding nonprofits in getting funded and being effective.

Where you can find Dr. Omotola Akinsola:

• Website: https://thefundingmagnet.com/
• Instagram: @thefundingmagnet
• Nonprofit: JumpStart Dream Academy

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 s...