As a grant writer, juggling multiple deadlines, applications, and funding sources can be overwhelming. A well-organized grant calendar simplifies the process, keeping you on track and ensuring you apply for the most suitable funding opportunities. By dedicating time to designing a structured grant calendar, you create a roadmap for long-term fundraising success.

Why Use a Grant Calendar? A grant calendar helps you:

• Stay organized and meet deadlines efficiently.
• Focus on funding opportunities best suited to your organization.
• Maintain positive relationships with funders by submitting timely and well-prepared applications.
• Save time and resources by streamlining your application process.

Steps to Creating Your Grant Calendar
1. Choose a Format - Select a format that fits your organization’s workflow and team dynamics. Common options include:

• Spreadsheets – Organized by months, easy to track deadlines.
• Project management tools – Provide detailed tracking and collaboration features.
• Shared documents (e.g., Google Docs/Sheets) – Ensure team-wide access and updates.

Regardless of format, your calendar should provide a clear overview of deadlines, required actions, and the status of each grant application.

2. Review Past Grants - Examine grants applied for in previous years and decide which ones to pursue again. Consider:

• Funding amounts received.
• Time investment versus outcome.
• Likelihood of renewal based on previous success rates.
• Changes in funder priorities or requirements.

3. Research and Vet New Grant Opportunities - Identify grants your organization is eligible for and evaluate their fit. Focus on:

• Alignment with your programs and mission.
• Typical grant amounts awarded.
• Application complexity and workload.
• Funder priorities and past recipients.

A decision matrix can help assess which grants are worth pursuing.

4. Align with Your Organization’s Calendar - Consider internal and external factors that may impact your grant writing schedule:

• Major fundraising events.
• Staff availability and workload.
• Seasonal fluctuations in program activities.

This step ensures realistic planning and prevents overcommitting.

5. Enter Hard Deadlines - Start by adding grants with fixed deadlines to your calendar. These provide the foundation for organizing additional applications and tasks.

6. Incorporate Rolling Deadlines - Many corporate giving programs and foundation grants have rolling deadlines. Schedule these strategically, prioritizing early applications to avoid missed opportunities due to limited funds.

7. Outline Tasks and Milestones - Break down the grant application process into manageable steps:

• Research and eligibility confirmation.
• Data collection and financials.
• Drafting and internal reviews.
• Submission deadlines.

Setting mini-deadlines for each step prevents last-minute rushes and ensures high-quality submissions.

8. Be Strategic and Realistic - It’s better to submit fewer, well-prepared applications than to spread resources too thinly. Prioritize grants with the highest success potential and relevance to your mission.

9. Continually Update and Improve - A grant calendar is a dynamic tool. Regularly review and adjust it based on new opportunities, funding changes, and lessons learned from past applications. Reflecting on your strategy annually will enhance efficiency and success rates.

Final Thoughts
While creating a grant calendar requires upfront effort, it becomes an invaluable tool for organizing your fundraising strategy. By planning effectively, you can increase your chances of securing funding while reducing stress and inefficiencies in the grant writing process.

Burnout is a state of mental and physical exhaustion that can zap the joy out of your career, friendships, and family interactions. Continual exposure to stressful situations, like caring for an ill family member, working long hours, or witnessing upsetting news related to politics and school safety can lead to this stress condition.Burnout, however, isn’t always easy to spot. With that in mind, we’ve put together a guide to help you identify the signs of burnout, as well as ways to prevent it.
Interested in helping friends, family members, or co-workers who may be experiencing this stressful state? We’ve also included a list of our favorite burnout intervention tips and tricks.

What is burnout? Coined by the psychologist, Herbert Freudenberger in the 1970s, burnout describes a severe stress condition that leads to severe physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. Much worse than ordinary fatigue, burnout makes it challenging for people to cope with stress and handle day-to-day responsibilities.
People experiencing burnout often feel like they have nothing left to give and may dread getting out of bed each morning. They may even adopt a pessimistic outlook toward life and feel hopeless. Burnout doesn’t go away on its own and, if left untreated, it can lead to serious physical and psychological illnesses like depression, heart disease, and diabetes.

ANYONE who’s continually exposed to high levels of stress can experience burnout. Helping professionals, such as first responders, doctors, and nurses are especially vulnerable to this health condition.Along with career-induced burnout, people caring for children can also have this type of extreme exhaustion. A recent study found that, just like doctors and business executives, mothers and fathers can also burn out.
Personality characteristics like needing to be in control, perfectionism, and being “Type A” can also increase your risk of burnout.

​Worried that you may be experiencing burnout but unsure of the signs?
​We’ve compiled a list of symptoms that you can use as a guide.

• Exhaustion. Feeling physically and emotionally depleted. Physical symptoms may include headaches, stomachaches, and appetite or sleeping changes.
• Isolation. People with burnout tend to feel overwhelmed. As a result, they may stop socializing and confiding in friends, family members, and co-workers.
• Escape fantasies. Dissatisfied with the never-ending demands of their jobs, people with burnout may fantasize about running away or going on a solo-vacation. In extreme cases, they may turn to drugs, alcohol, or food as a way to numb their emotional pain

• Irritability. Burnout can cause people to lose their cool with friends, co-workers, and family members more easily. Coping with normal stressors like preparing for a work meeting, driving kids to school, and tending to household tasks also may start to feel insurmountable, especially when things don’t go as planned.
• Frequent illnesses. Burnout, like other long-term stress, can lower your immune system, making you more susceptible to colds, the flu, and insomnia. Burnout can also lead to mental health concerns like depression and anxiety.

• ​Excessive drive/ambition. Common for people starting a new job or undertaking a novel task, too much ambition can lead to burnout.
• Pushing yourself to work harder. Ambition pushes you to work harder.
• Neglecting your own needs. You begin to sacrifice self-care like sleep, exercise, and eating well.
• Displacement of conflict. Instead of acknowledging that you’re pushing yourself to the max, you blame your boss, the demands of your job, or colleagues for your troubles.

• No time for nonwork-related needs. You begin to withdraw from family and friends. Social invitations to parties, movies, and dinner dates start to feel burdensome, instead of enjoyable.
• Denial. Impatience with those around you mounts. Instead of taking responsibility for your behaviors, you blame others, seeing them as incompetent, lazy, and overbearing.
• Withdrawal. You begin to withdraw from family and friends. Social invitations to parties, movies, and dinner dates start to feel burdensome, instead of enjoyable. 
• Behavioral changes. Those on the road to burnout may become more aggressive and snap at loved ones for no reason.

• Depersonalization. Feeling detached from your life and your ability to control your life.
• Inner emptiness or anxiety. Feeling empty or anxious. You may turn to thrill seeking behaviors to cope with this emotion, such as substance use, gambling, or overeating.
• Depression. Life loses its meaning and you begin to feel hopeless.
• Mental or physical collapse. This can impact your ability to cope. Mental health or medical attention may be necessary.​

Stress may be unavoidable, but burnout is preventable.
​ Following these steps may help you thwart stress from getting the best of you:

Exercise: Not only is exercise good for our physical health, but it can also give us an emotional boost.Stretched for time? You don’t need to spend hours at the gym to reap these benefits. Mini-workouts and short walks are convenient ways to make exercise a daily habit.

Eat a balanced diet: Eating a healthy diet filled with omega-3 fatty acids can be a natural antidepressant. Adding foods rich in omega-3s like flaxseed oil, walnuts, and fish may help give your mood a boost.

Practice good sleep habits: Our bodies need time to rest and reset, which is why healthy sleep habits are essential for our well-being. According to the National Sleep Foundation, avoiding caffeine before bedtime, establishing a relaxing bedtime ritual, and banning smartphones from the bedroom can help promote sound sleep hygiene.

Ask for help: During stressful times, it’s important to reach out for help. If asking for assistance feels difficult, consider developing a self-care “check-in” with close friends and family members so that you can take care of each other during trying times.
​
How to help friends or family members? How can you help someone experiencing burnout? While you can’t take away someone’s stress, offering support can help lighten their emotional load.

Listen: Before jumping into “fixing” mode, offer to listen to your friend or family member’s difficulties. Having someone to talk to can make a world of difference. Often people need someone to witness their stress and suffering, and listening can go a long way.

Validate feelings and concerns: When friends and family members are feeling the effects of burnout, saying It doesn’t sound that bad or I’m sure things will get better — while meant to offer reassurance — can feel invalidating if someone is really feeling low and hopeless. Instead, offer validation by saying, “You’ve been working so hard, I can understand why you feel depleted.”

Offer specific types of help: Individuals who are burnt out are often too tired to think of ways that others can help them. Instead of asking, “How can I help?” offer to drop off a meal, pick up dry cleaning, or do a load of laundry.

Kind gestures: Sending flowers, a thoughtful text message, or a written card can remind friends and family members that they’re not alone. Because they’re often working long hours, people with burnout can feel lonely and underappreciated. But small gestures of kindness can be nurturing.

Research resources: If friends or family members need additional support, like childcare, a house cleaner, or a psychotherapist, offer to research and crowdsource for specific resources to help ease the stress.

Takeaway: Being exposed to continual stress can cause us to burnout. Feelings of exhaustion, anxiety, and isolating from friends and family members can be some of the signs. However, eating a balanced diet, regular exercise, and getting a good night’s sleep may prevent this stressed state. Worried about friends and family members who may be burnt out? Listening to their concerns, validating their emotions, and offering specific types of support can help lighten the load.

Burnout can be avoided by making self-care part of your daily routine: Even if you’re working long hours, studying for exams, or taking care of young children, remember to sprinkle some joy into each day. Try going for a walk, talking to a friend, or watching an enjoyable program on television. Small self-care gestures like these can stop stress from turning into something more serious, like burnout.

Since launch, the organization has raised over $16,000, which is 75 percent of their goal.
Online fundraising has proven to help many nonprofits during this time as it removes traditional barriers to asking for support. Crowdfunding can be an effective means for small nonprofits to raise donations through friends, family, customers, and individual investors. This approach taps into the collective efforts of a large pool of individuals and leverages their networks for greater reach and exposure.
The Lyric Theatre and Alabama Theatre, which both earn 90 percent of their operating budget by hosting events, recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to survive the upcoming months. Since its launch on Monday, September 7, 2020, the campaign has raised over $55,000 in six days, more than 10 percent of its goal.
GoFundMe is one of the best-known crowdfunding sites for nonprofits. It suggests fundraising tips and ideas so nonprofits can maximize results and offers specific services to nonprofits such as data and reporting. (One such tip is to boost your crowdfunding success rate, increase your promotions on Fridays—the most popular day for GoFundMe donations.)

Other platforms crowdfunding nonprofits can consider include:

• MobileCause offers a variety of methods for fundraising, from text-to-donate and online giving to mobile messaging, live event thermometers, peer-to-peer pages, volunteer signups, etc.
• Fundly allows nonprofits to customize by adding logos, a background image, custom colors, and more to make their campaign unique.
• Bonfire allows charities to design shirts and spread the word about the sale. Once orders are printed and shipped to supporters, the charity gets the profit.

• Snowball offers a complete suite of fundraising software that works to maximize revenue for any cause. The platform features online donation pages, fundraising thermometers, text-to-give services, and more.
• 99Pledges automatically gives each participant in a nonprofit’s campaign a donation page to share with friends, family, and followers over email and on social media.
• DonateKindly is a free donation tool designed for organizations with a small staff that don’t have a huge technology budget. Features include multi-user permissions, the ability to create unlimited donation widgets, and donation reporting.

Grant Writing Tips for Success
By Dr. Fatimoh Harris

 Are you new to grant writing and looking to improve your chances of success? Whether you're just starting or seeking to refine your approach, these best practices will help you craft competitive grant applications and increase your funding success.
1. Follow the Five R’s of Grant Seeking - Grant reviewers come from various backgrounds, making it essential to present your proposal in a way that resonates with them. One of the best ways to do this is by following the Five R’s of Grant Seeking:

• Readiness – Ensure your organization is prepared with the necessary registrations and documentation.
• Research – Conduct thorough research on potential grantmakers and their priorities.
• Relationships – Build meaningful connections with funders before and after submitting applications.
• Writing – Craft clear, concise, and compelling proposals.
• Reporting – Provide strong reports that demonstrate the impact of received funding.

By applying these principles, you not only increase your chances of securing funding but also establish long-term relationships with grantmakers.
2. Understand the Qualities of a Strong Proposal - Successful grant proposals share key characteristics:

• Clarity: Goals and objectives should be measurable, and evaluation plans should be well-defined.
• Conciseness: Answer questions directly and provide only relevant information.
• Compelling Narrative: Write in a way that motivates reviewers to support your project.

3. Be Grant-Ready Before Applying - Grant readiness refers to having all required registrations (IRS, grants.gov, state-specific filings) and understanding if your organization aligns with a grantmaker’s focus. Assessing your readiness before applying prevents wasted effort on unsuitable grants.
4. Research Each Grantmaker Thoroughly - Before applying, investigate a funder’s:

• Funding priorities
• Application process and deadlines
• Past grantees and award amounts
• Geographic focus

This information helps tailor your application and ensures alignment with the grantmaker’s mission.
5. Maintain a Grant Calendar - A grant calendar is essential for tracking deadlines and planning submissions. Use it to:

• Schedule application drafts and submission timelines
• Plan relationship-building activities with funders
• Organize reporting deadlines

Ensure the calendar is accessible to your grant team and framed as a rolling 12-month schedule rather than tied strictly to a fiscal year.
6. Build Strong Relationships with Grantmakers - Relationship-building is key to securing grants. When reaching out to funders, be prepared to:

• Introduce yourself and your organization
• Deliver a 30-second pitch on why you’re a strong funding match
• Ask thoughtful, research-based questions to refine your application

7. Express Gratitude Beyond Required Reports - After receiving a grant, show appreciation through:

• Personalized thank-you notes
• Invitations to site visits or events
• Impact updates beyond standard reports

Demonstrating gratitude fosters lasting relationships with funders.
8. Use SMART Objectives in Your Project Description - Your project goals should be:

• Specific – Define clear “who” and “what” details.
• Measurable – Quantify expected outcomes.
• Achievable – Ensure goals are realistic within the timeline.
• Relevant – Address the problem effectively.
• Time-bound – Specify deadlines for measuring success.

9. Develop a Strong Evaluation Plan - Grantmakers want to see how success will be measured. Your evaluation plan should include:

• Who is responsible for tracking outcomes
• What tools will be used for measurement
• When outcomes will be assessed
• Why the evaluation method was chosen

Use existing tools and data collection methods where possible to avoid unnecessary complexity.
10. Ensure Your Budget Aligns with Your Narrative - Your budget should tell a clear story about your project’s needs and funding sources. Ensure it:

• Aligns with the goals outlined in your proposal
• Reflects other secured or pending funding sources
• Is easy to understand at a glance

11. Get External Review Before Submitting - Self-editing can lead to missed errors and unclear explanations. Have a colleague review your proposal to ensure it is:

• Free of jargon
• Clear to someone unfamiliar with your project
• Well-structured and compelling

12. Conduct a Mock Review Process - Before submission, conduct a mock review:

• Compare your application to the funder’s guidelines and scoring criteria
• Have someone outside your team assess clarity and completeness
• Make necessary refinements based on feedback

13. Follow Grant Writing Best Practices - To make your proposal competitive:

• Maintain a consistent narrative throughout
• Avoid industry jargon and acronyms
• Use data and visuals when possible to support your case
• Ensure the proposal is engaging and easy to read

Final Thoughts - By implementing these strategies together—not in isolation—you will enhance your grant-seeking approach and improve your chances of securing funding. Successful grant writing is about preparation, relationship-building, and compelling storytelling. Start applying these best practices today to create stronger, more competitive grant proposals.