Category Archives: Fundraising

As seen in the current issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy…

The current issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy includes this year’s Continuing Education Guide. There you will find an article entitled, “A Mightier Pen Can Help Charities Spread Messages,” full of great information about the need for strong writers in the nonprofit sector. I was pleased to serve as one of the sources for this article, which shares some of my tips for boosting your writing skills.

In the article, my colleagues and I agree that many nonprofit professionals see the need for improving their written communication skills, even after college. They often lack that essential training but can get it from books (such as Writing to Make a Difference), websites, workshops, and writing coaching.

A resource that was not mentioned in the article is my free Writing Wednesdays series, which offers training and feedback twice a month by phone (listen to the recordings in the archive). You can also watch my free webinars. If you’re looking for more customized training, check out the affordable custom services I offer.

If you are a subscriber to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, you can access the article HERE. Otherwise, check out the PDF right HERE.

I’d love to hear your comments!

 

 

New Video on Today’s Grantwriting Now Available

I recently released a new video full of highlights from my Sept. 2011 keynote speech to the Grant Professionals Association, Miami Valley, OH chapter. I made it very accessible to both emerging and veteran grantwriters, as the 5 bite-size chunks are easy to watch during a lunch break. Topics include:

  • The Challenging Economy: what it means for grantseekers
  • Establishing trust with funders
  • What are funders saying?
  • Making the Connection with Funders
  • Cutting Costs

The text version of the video is available to members of CharityChannel.com, one of the leading online communities for nonprofit professionals. Stephen Nill, editor of the site, said of the article:

It is one of the more engaging articles I’ve read about how to think about your work in our becalmed economy.”

You can watch the full video here: Fly with the Fundamentals in this Challenging Economy!

Do you collaborate on grants? (You should!) Get tips here.

I was pleased to offer a webinar for the NonprofitWebinars series on 3/21/12, titled Collaborating with Partners on Joint Grants: Do’s And Don’ts.” I really appreciated all of the enthusiastic participation!

If you were there, you know that we discussed:

  • Reasons to collaborate
  • Essentials in selecting collaborators
  • How to streamline joint proposals
  • Pitfalls to avoid: showstoppers

Here are a few things participants said they took away:

  • What steps to take when talking with someone else about collaborating
  • The importance of intentionally planning with other organizations
  • The great idea to have real clarity and agreement around shared and individual goals, self-interests, and expectations
  • Checklist of things to consider before and during a partnership (you can modify it to use as a meeting agenda!)
  • Suggestion to define conflict resolution strategies (before trouble starts)
  • Idea to offer each partner a role in the process that they can specialize in and take ownership of
  • How to manage and streamline the collaborative proposal writing process, with genuine involvement from all parties
  • Tips on what to lay out on the table from the start
  • Suggestion to be open and inclusive in every process, including the proposal writing
  • Advice to focus on mutual recognition and reward

A few commented:

“We do often work with partners but had not thought about some of the topics mentioned today!”

“Dalya gave good examples and was able to provide insider tips from her own experiences.”

“I just want to send you a huge ‘thank you’ from southwest Florida for the terrific webinar you did this week! I don’t always get to tap into them, but this week I did. Am I ever glad the session was yours!… It was a wonderful rejuvenating ‘shot in the arm’ for me to keep holding fast to a collaborative vision. All of your material was *so* very thoughtfully and clearly prepared!”

You can watch the recording for free HERE.

Here are the free handouts I referred to during the webinar:

  1.  HANDOUT_1_Collaborative Proposal Excerpt
  2. HANDOUT_2_Twenty_ Factors_Influencing_Collaboration_Success
  3. HANDOUT_3_Recommended Resources

 

Upcoming multi-session class in Oakland, CA: How can you improve your grant proposals?

Do you want to win a grant to fund your project, program or organization? Are you exploring grantwriting as a career? Start by sharpening your grantwriting skills to appeal to today’s funders!
I’m looking forward to working with new and intermediate grantwriters in my upcoming Great Grantwriting class at Media Alliance in Oakland, CA! It starts on February 29 and runs through March 21.
In this highly interactive workshop, you will learn to “sell” your work to foundation and corporate funders with a well-crafted grant proposal. We’ll focus on your readers’ interests and how best to tell them your story. The class will allow time for you to clarify your thoughts, commit your ideas to paper, and process lots of new information.
This is not just another cookie-cutter grantwriting class! Here, you will have the opportunity to learn from hands-on exercises and feedback on YOUR specific document.
This unique class features:
* An easy 4-step method for planning before you write
* Extensive handouts
* Class discussions and role plays
* Hands-on exercises
* Homework that gets read by several people
* Focused funding research training and practice
* Lots of personalized feedback from your classmates and me!
Check out this video sample of a grantwriting webinar I recently offered. The Great Grantwriting class at Media Alliance will expand on many of these concepts and help you take the next step.
Please let me know if you have any questions.

Webinar recording now available: “Writing for the Web : Today’s Best Practices”

 

This week, I offered a free webinar through Network For Good, an online fundraising platform used by untold numbers of nonprofits around the country. I was pleased to speak to over 750 people! I know that not everyone who wanted to participate was able to make it, so I’m posting the recording here: http://bit.ly/ws5LkY

During the webinar, we explored many topics related to how you can move forward in developing your web content. I also offered an exclusive discount on “Writing to Make a Difference” (good through Friday, 2/24) on a special webpage, where you can also find lots of great online resources.