135: TEDx Talk: The Real ROI of Grant Writing

<p>Join me on the Fast Track to Grant Writer: <a href= "https://www.teresahuff.com/vip">www.teresahuff.com/vip</a></p> <p dir="ltr">As a grant writer for about two decades and winning over $7M for my clients, I’ve learned that grant writing isn’t magic, but there is a formula to increase your chances of winning grant. Today I’m sharing my secret sauce with you in my TEDx Talk! You can read the abbreviated version below or watch the full presentation (complete with pictures!) on <a href= "http://www.teresahuff.com/tedx22">YouTube</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Where NOT to Start with Grant Writing</strong></p> <p>Imagine you're at work when your boss walks by and says, "Hey, I need a favor. I’m supposed to help at the youth shelter fundraiser on Saturday and I can't make it. Can you step in for me?"</p> <p>As a team player and fan of the youth program, you say, "You bet! Happy to."</p> <p>Relieved, he says, “Thanks, you’re the best!” On the way out, he adds, "Oh, by the way, it's a marathon. Just get some good running shoes and you'll be fine."</p> <p>Wait - what? A <em>marathon</em>?</p> <p>I don’t know about you, but I’m sure not ready for a marathon on Saturday.</p> <p>…Yet I hear the equivalent of this all the time in the nonprofit world.</p> <p>People hear someone wants to start a nonprofit and say, "Oh, you should just get a grant for that!"</p> <p>Or, "You need a new building? I've heard there's grant funding out there.”</p> <p>Grants <em>aren’t</em> that simple. You don’t “just” get a grant. Like training for a marathon, grants require preparation, strategy, and hard work. Successful grant writing takes consistent effort, uncovering misconceptions, and willingness to approach strategy through a new lens. We must look at grants as part of a much bigger process.</p> <h3><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Start with ROI</span></strong></h3> <p>In business, we know investors are looking for a Return on Investment, or ROI. We put money in and calculate, "How much profit will I get back?"</p> <p>In the nonpr