This blog post continues a recent blog post about nonprofit positions. Nonprofit employees are categorized as operations (general overhead) or programs (specific to accomplishing the mission). I’m writing about the operations side since program people are unique to each nonprofit. The most important employee is the executive director. However, many nonprofits have no other operations[…]
Blog
Heroes Need Friends
Recently I listened to a podcast* where the guest speaker talked about characters. One thing the guest speaker said was that a hero** should not be a hero alone. Every hero needs others to help them do heroic stuff. I’ve read stories or watched shows where the hero took on the villain alone with maybe[…]
Professional versus Volunteer Grant Writer
There are two types of grant writers—someone paid by the nonprofit and one who is not (a volunteer). I’m a volunteer grant writer which means I provide my services without compensation. But I know professional grant writers who each formed a company and are paid for their services. Professional grant writers are paid either hourly[…]
Making Changes
I worked on a novel for several years until putting it away to work on other writing projects and grants. When I put it away, I had in my mind that it was a great novel. Over time, it became even greater. Two weeks ago, I decided to work on it for publication later this[…]
Finding Local Grants
A nonprofit has a better chance of a grant if the foundation has a presence in the area where the nonprofit is located and operates. When I’m out in local shopping areas, I note the names of chain stores.* At home, I put “foundation” at the end of the name and most times there’s a[…]
Do Readers Read Table of Contents?
A table of contents (ToC) is a tool for a reader to use as navigation within a book. They can read the story the writer wants to tell. It is also an organizational tool for the writer to help them categorize their material and keep it all straight. A ToC is best used in nonfiction[…]
One Degree of Separation—The Grant Writer
Writing grants is not about the grant writer. Yes, they do the writing, which is important. But a grant writer also connects the people in the foundation with the nonprofit and vice versa. With the application, many times this is the first contact between the two organizations. It should be like a handshake and not[…]
To Tell a Story or To Learn
Some people think the purpose of creative writing is to tell a story, while a grant writer is to explain what the project is about. One is to entertain while the other is to teach. This is true, but the opposite is also important. I think creative writing and writing grants are linked by the[…]
Yes or No to Matching Grants
Some foundations and government organizations require grant recipients to match the grant funding one-to-one. As an example, if a nonprofit is approved for $10,000, they must have another $10,000 before getting the grant money. The good news about matching grants is less competition. Many nonprofits will not try for the matching funds. The bad news[…]
The Long and Short of Things
This blog will help creative writers and grant writers. It is about the length of a chapter, whether in a story or a grant. Editors talk about varying the size of sentences and paragraphs to maintain tempo or pacing. Shorter sentences and paragraphs increase the pace while longer ones slow things down. The opposite is[…]
Motivation Between Staff and Volunteers
Who is more motivated toward the nonprofit’s mission—paid staff or volunteers? I see them both as having different yet equal motivations. Salaries are one of the highest expenses in nonprofits and they do not survive without volunteers. While vital to keeping labor costs down, nonprofits should not be all volunteers. There needs to be paid[…]
Publish What You Write
Many people write stories, memoirs, essays, poems, or other work that could be published. Yet, for various reasons they never publish their work. I think every writer should consider publishing what they wrote and making it available for someone to read. Today, self-publishing a print book* can be done online or through a local printer[…]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- …
- 17
- Next Page »