Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade

What actually happens when a room full of smart people sit down to write grants together for a week? In this episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade reflects on his latest in-person Advanced Grant Writing Course in Lacombe, Alberta, and shares 5 lessons from the experience that apply well beyond the classroom.

David has several upcoming events and courses worth knowing about. He is speaking at Strathcona County's Small Business Week in Sherwood Park on October 20th, 2026. He is also hosting a webinar on October 13th for municipalities on the complexity of finding grants.

As well, the last live Advanced Grant Writing Course of the year runs November 23rd to 27th in Sherwood Park, so reach out soon to secure a training grant before the October 22nd deadline. The next online cohort begins January 27th. David is also planning two in-person courses in British Columbia in February and March 2026; if you want him to come to your town, now is the time to reach out by email, [email protected] or by phone/text at (780) 297-6177. Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $71M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next 12-week online class started last week. Contact him immediately if you want to join. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing.

To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse.

Highlights From This Episode:

• Why grants are uniquely win-or-lose in a professional world where most results stay murky and the full list of skills required to win grants consistently [1:34]

• The ways that procrastination and poor organization can sink even the most talented grant writer and the powerful exercise David is now building into all his courses [5:10]

• A question at the Lacombe Chamber of Commerce breakfast about paid grant-finding services and what David told the room about free resources and focus [7:42]

• Details on all his upcoming speaking events, live and online courses, and David's plans for two in-person BC cohorts in early 2027 [9:29]

Future Forward: 2026 Business Conference (Strathcona County Small Business Week, October 20th)

Advanced Grant Writing Course

Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year)

YouTube

Book: Golden Grant Rules

Website

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 780-297-6177

In this freestyle solo episode of Winning the Public Purse, David records on a Friday evening before heading to Lacombe for a week of in-person grant writing training, and uses the moment to share what is on his mind heading into one of his busiest falls yet.

You'll also learn the difference between leaders who invest in their people and themselves, and those who don't. David also shares a personal win from the summer that has nothing to do with grants, and a whole lot more.

Equal parts life update, business reflection, and genuine encouragement, this one is worth a listen if you have ever talked yourself out of doing the hard thing.

Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $71M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is happening this week, September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing.

David's next online course starts October 1st, and he can help you secure a training grant to offset the tuition! Reach out to David by email at [email protected], or by phone at 780-297-6177 to learn more.

To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse.

Highlights From This Episode:

• Why David decided to keep the current podcast name after considering a rebrand, and what the name change would have got wrong [1:34]

• The two types of leaders he has observed over 10 years in business, and why one group keeps winning while the other stays stuck [3:38]

• David's full fall agenda: Lacombe in-person course, a business breakfast presentation with a fake newspaper, Small Business Week, and a possible Edmonton course in November [7:35]

• How he lost 20 pounds over the summer by applying the same work ethic in the kitchen that he brings to his business [9:03]

• The guest speaker joining the Lacombe course, and why building trust under scrutiny is directly relevant to winning grants [10:12]

• David's challenge to listeners heading into Q4 2026 and a future goal that is something he's wanted to do for a long time now [12:44]

John Lovink (Lovink Media Inc.)

Finding the Right Grants for Your Business with David Kincade (in Lacombe, Alberta, Friday, September 25th) - Tickets

City of Lacombe, Alberta

Burman University (Lacombe)

Advanced Grant Writing Course

Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year)

YouTube

Book: Golden Grant Rules

Website

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 780-297-6177

Some of the best lessons in government funding do not come from a grant portal. They come from watching how a real funding story unfolds in real time. In this episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade walks through a recent Alberta government funding announcement that quietly became a masterclass in stakeholder relations, grant timing, and what happens when organizations are caught off guard.

Starting with a May 2026 announcement of nearly $62 million for family violence initiatives, David traces how a swift and coordinated response from the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters triggered media coverage, public pressure, and ultimately an additional $16 million from the government by July. By September, grant applications were open with deadlines as tight as four weeks out.

This unfolding story drives home three lessons that apply to any sector: know your stakeholders before the announcements hit, have your master grant application ready before the deadlines appear, and never let the summer grind become an excuse to fall behind on funding intelligence.

Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $71M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is coming September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing.

David is heading back to Lacombe on September 21-25 for one more live cohort, and he can help you secure a training grant to offset the tuition (as of the time of this recording, there are still a couple of spots left)! Reach out to David by email at [email protected], or by phone at 780-297-6177 to learn more.

To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse.

Highlights From This Episode:

• How a May 19th Alberta government announcement of nearly $62 million for family violence initiatives quietly set off a chain of events worth paying close attention to [3:08]

• The way that The Alberta Council of Women's Shelters responded within 10 days to this announcement and what happened next [4:35]

• Why having a superstar communicator representing your organization matters, and what one executive director's podcast appearance triggered [6:46]

• What the government returned with in July, including a notably different lineup of stakeholder quotes [7:37]

• Grant applications open September 2nd with deadlines as tight as four weeks out, and what that means for anyone who was not paying attention all summer [9:56]

• The three core lessons David pulls from the story and why you should be paying attention to each of them very closely [12:08]

May 19 Alberta Government Press Release (original $62M announcement)

ACWS Response / Media Coverage (May 28)

July 14 Re-announcement ($16M additional)

Alberta opens $15M grants to expand family violence aid (Sept 2)

Alberta Cuts Funding For Women's Shelters (Cat Champagne on Real Talk Ryan Jespersen)

Advanced Grant Writing Course

Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year)

YouTube

Book: Golden Grant Rules

Website

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 780-297-6177

Some lessons about winning grants do not come from a boardroom or a textbook. In this solo episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade draws a surprisingly sharp line between his fly fishing hobby and the patterns he has watched play out across 14 years of professional grant writing and over 174 students in his Advanced Grant Writing Course.

Equal parts practical and personal, this episode connects fly fishing, high cholesterol, productivity grants, and leadership into one of the more honest conversations David has had to date on the podcast.

David is heading back to Lacombe in September for one more live cohort, and he can help you secure a training grant to offset the tuition (as of the time of this recording, there are still a couple of spots left)! Reach out to David by email at [email protected], or by phone at 780-297-6177 to learn more.

Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $71M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is coming September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing.

To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse.

Highlights From This Episode:

• Why some organizations win grants consistently while others keep struggling, and what David believes is really behind this gap [1:08]

• How a two and a half hour fly casting lesson on the Margaree River in Cape Breton solved problems that years of casual practice never did [5:59] The CEO of a Deloitte Fast 50 company who cleared his calendar for grant strategy sessions with David, and what that commitment produced [8:12]

• The second key leadership lesson and how staying buried in day-to-day operations quietly erodes grant success over time [9:38]

• Why the hidden cost of not investing in the right people and skills stays invisible until the results finally force the issue [11:02]

• How you can still take part in next month's live cohort of The Advanced Grant Writing Course, while possibly having some of the costs covered [14:39]

Fishing on the Margaree

Regional Tariff Response Initiative

Canada-Alberta Productivity Grant

Advanced Grant Writing Course

Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year)

YouTube

Book: Golden Grant Rules

Website

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 780-297-6177

August can feel like a lost month. Guests reschedule, C-suites disappear, and the grind slows to a crawl. In this reflective solo episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade makes the case that the slow season is actually one of the most important times of year for grant writers, and for anyone building something worth funding.

For non-profit leaders, grant writers, and anyone who has ever felt guilty for slowing down in August, this one reframes the whole month.

David is heading back to Lacombe in September for one more live cohort, and he can help you secure a training grant to offset the tuition. Reach out to David by email at [email protected] to learn more.

Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $67M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is coming September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing.

To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse.

Highlights From This Episode:

• Why August is the number one vacation month for C-suites, and what grant writers need to have sorted before summer hits [1:10]

• The case for using August to think deeply rather than grind harder, and why competitive grants reward the people who planned ahead [2:31]

• An example of what David's subconscious mind helped him build and offer to clients of his [7:07]

• The agricultural grant that was initially declined, turned around by one relationship-building suggestion, and eventually won for $26,000 [14:39]

• Why David has journaled every August for 6 years, and how looking back on those notes has shaped his biggest decisions [10:34]

• David reads an original poem written at a Cape Breton farmhouse, and ties it back to what August is really for [19:56]

01: Winning a $5,000 Restaurant Grant with Mona Pinder

Advanced Grant Writing Course

Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year)

YouTube

Book: Golden Grant Rules

Website

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 780-297-6177

Grant season doesn't slow down in July, but some organizations do. In this mid-summer solo episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade cuts through the summer fog with three practical tips designed to save you pain later. Because the best grant application in the world, as David puts it, is a submitted one.

Today we look at how government fiscal years actually drive grant timelines, why August is the worst possible month to chase down a letter of reference, and how building a simple impact dashboard can quietly strengthen every application you submit. David also shares what it looks like when a student turns a $5,000 course investment into $741,000 in grants within 15 months, and why that kind of result starts with the unglamorous work you do in the off-season.

If you are currently mid-application or just keeping the lights on until fall, this episode is a useful reminder that the groundwork never really stops.

David is heading back to Lacombe in September for one more live cohort, and he can help you secure a training grant to offset the tuition. Reach out to David by email at [email protected] to learn more.

Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $67M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is coming September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing.

To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse.

Highlights From This Episode:

• Why summer is no time to coast and how some grant deadlines catch people off guard every year [4:37]

• The impact that Canadian provincial and federal fiscal years have on grant program deadlines, and what to watch for around December and early January [2:26]

• The real cost of chasing attachments and letters of reference while your contacts are on vacation [5:11]

• Why David recommends building an impact dashboard on your website and what to keep in mind when you're doing this [6:33]

• One alumni's result: three grants totalling $741,000 within 15 months, resulting in a 14,720% return on investment [8:51]

New Horizons for Seniors Program

Advanced Grant Writing Course

Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year)

YouTube

Book: Golden Grant Rules

Website

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 780-297-6177

Most grant applications don't lose because the applicant isn't qualified. They lose because of things that could have been caught: buried answers, last-minute scrambles, and advice taken from the wrong people. In this solo episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade reflects on a rare live, in-person delivery of his Advanced Grant Writing Course in Lacombe, Alberta, and unpacks the patterns he keeps seeing that cost people grants they should be winning.

If you've ever lost a funding application and couldn't quite figure out why, chances are the answer is somewhere in this episode.

David is heading back to Lacombe in September for one more live cohort, and he can help you secure a training grant to offset the tuition. Reach out to David by email at [email protected] to learn more.

Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $67M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is coming September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing.

To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse.

Highlights From This Episode:

• David reflects on delivering his recent Advanced Grant Writing Course live in Lacombe, Alberta, and what the experience taught him [0:42]

• The powerful Christmas tree story he heard in a project management course, and why procrastination costs grant writers more than just time [5:49]

• The way that a seasoned accountant and accomplished housing developer with an impressive track record lost a major grant and what it means for you when applying for your next grant [14:48]

• Why the advice you seek out matters as much as the work you put in, and how choosing the right sounding board can change the outcome [10:28]

• How a nonprofit social worker and a longtime manufacturing entrepreneur both won grants by using completely opposite approaches [21:17]

• The superpower lesson from Lacombe: why grants demand so many different skills, and what happens when a team lets each person lead with their strength [25:32]

Project Management Essentials Course

Advanced Grant Writing Course

Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year)

YouTube

Book: Golden Grant Rules

Website

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 780-297-6177

As Canada's senior population surpasses 8 million, one in five Canadians, the pressure on nonprofit housing organizations to do more with less has never been greater. In this episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade sits down with Tracy Elliott, Executive Director of the Sylvan Lake Lodge Foundation. Tracy shares her remarkable journey from hotel front desks to running a seniors' lodge, and how she used grant funding to solve a very real safety crisis hiding in plain sight.

Today we explore what it looks like to walk into a leadership role with zero grant-writing experience and come out the other side winning nearly $30,000 in security infrastructure funding, all on your first serious attempt. Tracy also opens up about the growing demand for senior housing in Alberta, what transient summer populations mean for vulnerable residents, and why AI and lifelong learning have become her secret weapons.

Nonprofit leaders, this one's for you. Tracy came in with no grant writing experience, a security crisis, and residents depending on her - and she figured it out anyway.

Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $67M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is coming September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing.

To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse.

Highlights From This Episode:

• Tracy shares her path from hotel front desk to General Manager, and the way that decades in hospitality shaped her approach to senior living [6:22]

• How a six-year role overseeing 300 beds and 200 staff members became the career turning point that defined her leadership philosophy [8:10]

• The startling statistic that 30% of Sylvan Lake residents are seniors, and why the wait list for the Lodge has grown to 58 people for just 59 suites [16:31]

• The security crisis that prompted Tracy to go searching for grant funding [22:03]

• How Tracy discovered the Alberta Security Infrastructure Program and assembled a three-stream application totalling nearly $30,000 in her first major grant [24:13]

• The five-minute email that won Tracy a spontaneous $5,000 grant mid-conference, plus what being "grant-ready" actually made possible [28:20]

Tracy's LinkedIn

Sylvan Lake Lodge Foundation

Older Adults and Population Aging Statistics (Statistics Canada)

Advanced Grant Writing Course

Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year)

YouTube

Book: Golden Grant Rules

Website

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 780-297-6177

One of the most common dilemmas facing small-town industries and local economies today is how to reinvent themselves when a foundation piece of the community collapses. In this episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade sits down with Brian Williams, the President of the Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce, who shares his fascinating transition from a 30-year career in the intense BC lumber industry to becoming a driving force for economic development and grant funding in the Pacific Northwest.

Today we look at where you should start in terms of recognizing local business barriers, how a physical poster on a wall sparked a journey into advanced grant writing that led to securing funding for 18 local workers and Indigenous entrepreneurs, and so much more.

If you are trying to break into government funding, navigate large-scale procurement, or find practical ways to stabilize and scale a local workforce during a major economic shift, Brian's experience and what he reveals in this conversation will offer a straightforward, real-world blueprint for what to do next.

Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $61M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is coming September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing.

To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse.

Highlights From This Episode:

• Brian shares how a 30-year career in the British Columbia lumber industry prepared him to take on the role of president at the Terrace District Chamber of Commerce [2:49]

• The severe economic impact of American tariffs and rising production costs on rural forestry communities across BC [7:05]

• The way that a $5,000 public funding opportunity discovered on a physical poster sparked Brian's interest in advanced grant writing [19:46]

• Brian's story of successfully drafting applications which secured $5,000 grants for 18 local workers and Indigenous entrepreneurs impacted by mill closures [22:32]

• What he and the Chamber are now doing to prepare small and mid-sized contractors for massive supply chain and procurement opportunities with international giants [28:52]

Brian's Email: [email protected]

His Phone: 250-641-6116

Terrace District Chamber of Commerce

Export Navigator

Alberta Self-Employment Program

Advanced Grant Writing Course

Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year)

YouTube

Book: Golden Grant Rules

Website

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 780-297-6177

Every podcast has a reason it exists. In this episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade gets personal and shares the story behind why he does what he does, where it all started, and where this podcast is headed next.

As you'll hear, David traces the winding road that led him here. And at the center of it all is a mission that hasn't changed since 2012: building trust between business and government.

With Alberta separation on the ballot this fall and the relationship between citizens and government feeling more strained than ever, David makes the case that this mission matters now more than it ever has. You'll also hear what's coming next for the podcast, including a front row seat to real grant winning stories from alumni of the Advanced Grant Writing Course, starting with Tracy, who won a $26,000 grant for a seniors housing project.

Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $61M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is coming September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing.

To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse.

Highlights From This Episode:

• How two questions from Peter Drucker helped David finally clarify something about himself, and why they might do the same for you [3:49]

• David's story of scoring a 98 in world issues and nearly failing everything else, and how that one class ended up quietly shaping his entire career [7:47]

• A critical moment sitting in the Alberta Legislature library that set the direction for everything that followed [12:11]

• The mindset shift that separates the grant writers who win consistently from the ones who keep coming up short [14:20]

• Why David named his first company after his grandfather and what that decision says about how he approaches working with government [14:39]

• The reason he walked away from a decade of grant writing to start teaching it instead, and what he saw in the market that nobody else was filling [15:36]

• What's coming next on the podcast and why hearing real alumni grant stories is going to be more valuable than almost anything else out there [17:47]

• Why the mission David started with in 2012 feels more urgent and necessary now than at any other point in his career [18:38]

03: 7,761 to 1. Winning the Zayed Sustainability Prize: Melanie Dussaye and Ray Frankenhauser

01: Winning a $5,000 Restaurant Grant with Mona Pinder

10: Your Podcasting Anchor: The One Thing That Keeps You From Drifting (Matt Mawhinney/PodAssist)

The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker

Advanced Grant Writing Course

Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year)

YouTube

Book: Golden Grant Rules

Website

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 780-297-6177