There’s nothing worse than a blank screen.
There can be so much mulling around in our heads that it’s hard to know where to start. Or conversely, as soon as we sit down to write, every idea flies out of our minds.
Writer’s block is a common curse, but in this week’s edition, we’ll share tips, insights, and resources to help you kick it to the curb.
So grab your coffee and settle in. Welcome to The Impact.
Pitfalls and Pointers
⚠️ Pitfall: Not Having a Clear Plan When You Start Your Grant Application
Sure, you can draw inspiration from anywhere when it comes to writing a grant application—but it probably won’t be your best work.
Without a clear plan from the start, you’ll find yourself haunted by a blank screen and a blinking cursor. Even when you start writing, the output will often be too generic to stand out from the crowd.
💡 Pointer: Use the Funder’s Scoring Criteria to Guide Your Application
Many funders provide information on their grant application scoring criteria. You should use this information to structure your proposal and overcome any writer’s block.
Here’s how to develop a clear plan of attack:
- Locate the scoring criteria: If they are not readily available on the grant application, conduct a quick search. You can even reach out to the funder and ask. For example, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation has a great example of its scoring criteria available for prospective applicants.
- Integrate the criteria as your main headers: Not only will this help you start gathering information to write your application, but it will also show the funder that you did your due diligence to understand their needs and structured your application accordingly.
- Communicate your fit: Align your content to the main headers, locating statistics, data, and stories that demonstrate you’re a good fit. It’s not enough to keyword stuff. Funders can tell if you aren’t being authentic in your application.
👏 Check out 24 more tips for creating stronger grant proposals!
Resources You Should Know
What:
The Trust-based Philanthropy Project has put together a Glossary of Terms and Phrases to help grant writers understand what trust-based philanthropy is and how to apply it in their work.
How Grant Writers Can Use It:
- Look up unfamiliar terms. Unsure what relational rigor is? What about power-consciousness? Simply pull up the glossary so you can learn and start putting them into practice!
- Generate ideas. Review the guide to see if anything jumps out at you. You may be able to integrate trust-based philanthropy phrases that spark potential funders’ interests.
- Develop your own trust-based philanthropy approach. Trust-based philanthropy is all about relationships, shared power, and mutual accountability. It can transform how you partner with funders and the good work you can accomplish together.
Keep in Mind:
- Trust-based philanthropy is a relatively new approach, so potential funders may be resistant. Try to bring them along the journey with you, but respect their boundaries.
👀 Check out the TBP Glossary of Terms and Phrases and get started today!
Expert Perspectives
🏆 Holly Rustick on Writing Grants Like a Pro
Grant expert Holly Rustick, founder and host of The Grant Writing & Funding podcast, shared with us tips to help up our grant writing game.
Here’s her expert advice:
- Develop a problem/needs statement. A simple statement like “There are no X for Y in Z location” can be powerful in grounding funders in what you are looking to solve. Then, back it up with statistics, case studies, and more. They should be less than five years old to be most impactful.
- Flip your problem/needs statement into your goal. You need to be able to clearly articulate your goal, and one way to do this is to reverse your problem/needs statement.
- Narrow your objectives. Your objectives should help you accomplish your goals. Limit yourself to three objectives max so you don’t overcommit, and develop subtasks to help you obtain your objectives.
👉 Find even more nuggets of wisdom in the full webinar here!
🎁 A Gift for You 🎁
We work with grant professionals every day to learn how to win more funding—and we love sharing that knowledge back with you!
In the 10 Best Tips from 10 Grant Writing Experts, we provide actionable advice from the industry’s leading minds to help you hone your grant writing skills and take them to the next level.
Opportunities Spotlight
⭐ Scaife Family Foundation Grant
Who It’s For: Nonprofits with focus areas that cover women and children, addiction, and animal welfare
Next Deadline: Aug. 1, 2025
Grant Amount: $40,000 (median grant amount)
The Details:
- The Scaife Family Foundation has been helping the most vulnerable members of our society for more than 40 years, providing both general operating expense and program/project-based grants.
- They focus their giving in areas that empower women and children, support addiction treatment, and further animal welfare.
- While priority is given to South Florida and Western Pennsylvania, they have funded nonprofits across the United States.
📱 OneCause Cares Corporate Grants Program
Who It’s For: Mental health, community, and sustainability nonprofits within the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico
Next Deadline: Dec. 10, 2025
Grant Amount: Up to $10,000 (in-kind donation)
The Details:
- OneCause strives to build better tomorrows, helping nonprofits leverage technology to raise more funds.
- This grant is an in-kind two-year subscription to their software, which allows nonprofits to take advantage of cutting-edge fundraising solutions at no cost to them, including text to give, online giving, virtual consulting, and more.
🔍 Find your next grant today with Instrumentl!
Networking Nook
💻 Webinar: How to Find Good-Fit Funders in Under 60 Minutes
Thursday, July 10 | 1:00 PM CDT
Join Instrumentl for a crash course on how to find your best-fit funders and break free from messy spreadsheets! In this 60-minute webinar, you’ll learn how to optimize your grant management strategies and transform your grants pipeline.
Don’t Miss Out
📅 Conference: Independent Sector’s National Summit 2025
Oct. 27-29 | Atlanta, GA
Join Independent Sector for their annual conference. This year’s theme is “Building Collective Power for Nonprofits and Philanthropy,” and the programming underscores that we are better and stronger when we work together. More than 1,500 nonprofit professionals will join together to learn from each other, network, and build capacity at this compelling event.
Hurry!
To check out more recent and upcoming live events, go here.
In Case You Missed It
📑 Article: Best Grant Writing Courses
Check out our curated list of the best grant writing courses to help you invest in your development. These courses come highly recommended by industry experts and feature actionable insights that will improve your grant writing skills.
📼 Video: Using AI to create a grant proposal draft in 5 minutes
Instrumentl Apply makes creating a grant proposal a breeze, utilizing AI to tailor your drafts in just a few minutes. You’ll never have to worry about writer’s block again when you use this powerful feature.
🎙️ Podcast: Top Grant Writing Tips and Encouragement From 35 Industry Leaders
Holly Rustik celebrates her 400th podcast episode by reaching out to her network to share practical and encouraging grant-writing tips. You’ll learn how to build stronger relationships with funders, diversify your revenue, utilize AI, and more in this jam-packed episode.
Say Goodbye to Writer’s Block
When you have the right tools and structure in place, you’ll learn to embrace the blank page as a new opportunity rather than a hurdle to overcome.
Instrumentl matches you to your best-fit opportunities and makes it easy to locate the grant requirements that will inform your proposal’s structure. You can even leverage our AI-powered tool to craft your first draft.
