Best Of
Re: Your Pathway to Grants
I have a BS in Family Studies & Human Development and a MS in Development and NGO Management. I worked mainly in the private/business sector out of college for about 5 years and then after I completed my Masters program, I took a position with a community health nonprofit as a Development Coordinator/Grant Writer. It was a big career jump. Because I had extensive program design and writing experience from courses and having written a dissertation I was able to land the position. My previous Sales experience also provided transferable skills that were similar to fundraising.
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Re: Career Paths in Fundraising & Development
The step I took directly after my grantmaking role was Donor Relations. I will say, it wasn't a great fit for me. I prefer to work with nonprofits and community funders over requesting funding from donors. That being said, one of my close colleagues moved from grantmaking to donor relations and is now the ED at a Community College Foundation.
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Re: Developing your grant and fundraising staff
@ElsieThomson - Awesome! I wish all states would do that!
Re: Developing your grant and fundraising staff
@AlyseBraaten - Ooo, I really like this idea! I'm definitely incorporating it into our professional development plans here!
Re: Developing your grant and fundraising staff
I believe the most important step I took (and now incorporate into professional growth for those that report to me) is understanding your community. Even staff that grew up in the community they are serving will hold biases and lenses based on their experiences. Mapping the data of your community and spending time with it can greatly broaden the perspective and effectiveness of staff. It is also a very friendly way to introduce people to using data in decision making, storytelling, and a host of other ways. Somehow it's less intimidating when the data is about the community you love and care about.
Re: Your Pathway to Grants
I have a BA in Communications. I spent my early career in college access work, running education programs for students and parents. I wrote my first grant to fund a FAFSA completion incentive program where we rewarded students with breakfast burritos for completing their FAFSA. The second grant I wrote was for scholarship funding for my community. This was both a fundee space (with reporting and accounting due to the funder) as well as acting as funder for students (writing, collecting, and evaluating applications and working with schools as payees). My scholarship expertise, nonprofit collaboration, and grant writing experience is was landed me the role as Manager of Grants and Scholarships at the Community Foundation.
