Janeal Ford

By most measures, it looked like a success.   The Junior League’s annual gala filled a room. Volunteers had spent months gathering items. Entire rooms were dedicated to the silent auction. Tables overflowed with donated packages, experiences, baskets, and gifts. It was busy. It was full. It was exhausting.   And when the night was over and the numbers were tallied, the results were underwhelming. After months of planning and a room full of donated value, the silent auction raised less than...

Grant denials feel personal. I see it every day.  We submit hundreds of applications a year and denials are expected. Several denials in a row change the dynamic. The nonprofit looks to the grant writer for answers. The grant writer goes back to the program staff for more detail. The case gets refined. The language gets tighter. Another application goes out. Then another denial comes back.   From the outside, it looks like a writing problem. The truth is denials have very little to do with...