Win With Gwen
Small Steps, Big Momentum
🌱 Momentum Is Built, Not Found If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to get your nonprofit organized… this is your gentle (but enthusiastic) nudge 💛 Momentum doesn’t magically appear. It’s built, one small step at a time. And those steps don’t have to be huge to matter 👇 🌱 researching just one funder 🧹 cleaning up one paragraph in your Master Grant Application 📊 tightening your outcomes just a little 📧 sending the email you’ve been avoiding These […]
Readiness Over Hustle
🌱 Hustle Isn’t the Goal — Readiness Is Hi friend 🌿💛 There will always be more grants. More deadlines. More things you could do. But readiness is what separates reactive writing from powerful, strategic funding work. Readiness looks like: 🌱 a clean MGA 🌱 a clear logic model 🌱 your calendar mapped for the month 🌱 your data organized and accessible When you’re ready, you don’t hustle — you flow. And funders feel that confidence in every application. Win With […]
Clarity Beats Chaos
🌱 Confused Writing = Confused Funders (and Confused Funders Don’t Fund) Hi friend 🌞✨ Clarity is one of the most powerful tools you have in grant writing. When your writing is clear, logical, and simple, funders feel it immediately. Clear writing builds trust. A clear narrative quietly communicates: ✔️ we know our community ✔️ we know our approach ✔️ we know what success looks like ✔️ we are ready to implement That confidence shows up on every page. Clarity is […]
Define Who You Help
👥 Who You Help = The Foundation of Every Strong Proposal Hi friend 💛✨ Let’s simplify something powerful today. 🌱 Funders fund clarity. Not long proposals. Not fancy language. Not perfect data. Funders fund organizations that can clearly answer one question 👇 👉 Who exactly do you serve? When the “who” is clear, everything else gets easier. ✨ Your need statement becomes sharper ✨ Your outcomes become stronger ✨ Your stories become more emotional ✨ Your funding alignment becomes obvious […]
Clarify Your Ideal Funder Fit
👥🎯 Want easier wins? Get clear on your ideal funder fit. Hi friend 💛✨ One of the biggest mistakes nonprofits make in grant writing is chasing every grant that pops up. It feels productive at first. But over time, it leads to: 😵💫 burnout 📄 busywork ❌ “not quite the right match” rejections Here is the mindset shift that changes everything 👇 ✨ You do not need more funders. You need the right funders. 🎯 When you get clear on […]
Stop Trying to Serve Everyone
👥 You’re Not Meant to Help Everyone – And That’s the Magic Hi friend 💛✨ Here is a gentle truth that changed my entire business. ✨ You do not need to serve everyone to make a massive impact. ✨ When we try to reach “everyone,” we usually end up resonating with no one. But when we choose a clear audience, the people who truly need what we offer, everything starts to feel easier: ✔ your writing gets sharper ✔ your […]
Reframe “We’re Too Small”
🔍 “We’re Too Small” Is NOT a Weakness — It’s Your Superpower Hi friend 💛✨ I hear this all the time from nonprofit leaders 👇 “We’re too small.” “We don’t have enough staff.” “We’re not as established as other nonprofits.” Here is the truth funders do not always say out loud 👀 🌟 Small organizations often make some of the biggest, fastest, and most measurable impact. You are closer to your community. You are more agile. You adapt quickly. You […]
Dealing With ‘No’
💬 A “No” Isn’t a Door Closing — It’s the Data You Need Hi friend 💛✨ Hearing “no” can sting. I get it. You put your heart, your brain, and your time into a proposal. Of course you want that yes. Here is the mindset shift that changes everything 👇 ✨ A no is feedback, not failure. ✨ Every denial tells you something valuable if you are willing to listen: 📌 what to refine 📌 what to clarify 📌 what […]
Getting Organized Is a Funding Strategy
💬 Why readiness—not hustle—is what actually moves nonprofits forward. Hi friend 💛 Most nonprofits don’t struggle with passion. They struggle with organization. Loose documents. Scattered files. Grant deadlines that sneak up too fast. A sense that funding is always urgent—but never quite strategic. Here’s the quiet truth I’ve seen again and again since 2018: 👉 Funding flows more easily when your nonprofit is organized. Not flashy. Not rushed. Just ready. When your documents are centralized, your messaging is consistent, and […]
Why Most Nonprofits Feel “Behind” (And Aren’t)
How missing systems—not missing effort—create the feeling of constant catch-up If you lead or work inside a nonprofit, there’s a good chance you’ve felt this at some point: “We’re behind.” “We should be further along.” “Everyone else seems more organized than we are.” That feeling can be heavy. And it often shows up quietly, sitting underneath everything else you’re trying to do. What I want to say clearly—because it matters—is this: 👉 Most nonprofits don’t feel behind because they’re failing. […]
The Hidden Cost of Scattered Documents
Why disorganization quietly drains time, energy, and funding momentum On paper, scattered documents don’t seem like a big problem. They’re not dramatic. They don’t show up as a line item in your budget. And they often get pushed down the priority list because there’s always something more urgent. But over time, scattered documents become one of the most expensive problems a nonprofit can have. Not in dollars alone — but in time, stress, and missed opportunity. What “scattered” really looks […]
What Grant Readiness Actually Looks Like
Why being “grant-ready” has nothing to do with perfection—and everything to do with clarity “Are we grant-ready?” This is one of the most common questions nonprofits ask. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. Grant readiness is often imagined as a finish line: Perfect programs Perfect data Perfect language Perfect timing In reality, most nonprofits delay applying for funding because they believe they’re not “ready enough,” when what they’re actually missing is clarity. Grant readiness is not perfection Let’s clear […]
Why Great Programs Still Don’t Get Funded
And why clarity, not passion, is often the missing piece. This is one of the most painful realities in nonprofit work: Some truly excellent programs never receive funding. They serve real needs. They change lives. They are run by people who care deeply and work tirelessly. And yet, when grant decisions are made, they are often passed over. This can feel confusing and deeply discouraging — especially when you know the impact your organization is having. Here’s the truth funders […]
The Difference Between Writing Grants and Preparing for Funding
Why the work that happens before the application determines everything that comes after. Many nonprofits believe grant writing begins when a deadline appears. A funder releases an opportunity. Someone forwards the link. The clock starts ticking. And suddenly, grant writing feels urgent. But here’s the truth most people don’t learn until much later: 👉 Successful grant writing begins long before a single word is written. The difference between organizations that feel constantly overwhelmed and those that feel steady and confident […]