Quit your toxic nonprofit job and replace your full-time income while writing grants part-time, from home! Join our students in the Freelance Grant Writer Academy to create Financial Stability and Flexibility through writing grants for causes you are passionate about: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy World-renowned grant writing expert and Amazon bestselling author Holly Rustick provides coaching that helps new and experienced grant writers replace their full ...
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Creatives Exposed provides a dialogue-sharing platform for artists, authors, entrepreneurs, creatives, film makers, musicians, progressive minds, and the like. Guam and the Pacific region.
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Grants Beyond Borders: How Sophie Grew Her Grant Writing Team from Her Home in South Africa
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30:45In this conversation, Holly Rustick interviews Sophie Olivier, the CEO and founder of Flourish Fundraising, who shares her journey in grant writing and fundraising from South Africa. Sophie discusses the unique challenges and opportunities in the South African nonprofit sector, the importance of understanding different grant types, and the value of…
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My Superpower? Turning Every ‘No’ Into a ‘Yes’ with Grants, Sales Calls, and the Mentorship
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44:31
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44:31Learn about my super power - turning a no into a yes: from winning grants, to securing nonprofit clients, to having changemakers join the Grant Professional Mentorship. See this in action, as not knowing how to do this is hurting your grant wins and holding you back from getting clients.By Holly Rustick
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Mindset & Strategy Behind Growing Your Grant Writing Business in 2025
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20:56The word for grant writers to embrace in 2025 is current. This can be used in many ways, but one is that of following a current in a river. There might be rocks in the way, and sometimes it feels like a strong current, but remembering there is flow and change is vital. And currents aren't a bad thing, either! We need them so the waters aren't stagn…
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Kia Created Systems to Hire a VA and start a Blog in her Grant Writing Business
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33:10In this inspiring episode, Holly Rustick sits down with Kia Chatmon, founder of Heart for the Community Consulting, to explore her journey from working in the nonprofit sector to building a thriving grant writing and consulting business. Kia opens up about the diverse cause areas she serves—ranging from health and education to youth development—and…
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Ginny Secured $3.5 Million in Grants 18 Months When She Left Her Fundraising Job
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34:52
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34:52In this inspiring conversation, Holly Rustick sits down with Dr. Ginny Blankenship, founder of Lightmaker Grants and Strategy, to explore her unexpected path into grant writing and how she built a thriving business from the ground up. Ginny opens up about the challenges and opportunities in today’s grant landscape, the power of community and mentor…
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Is grant writing still a viable business in 2025? YES—and here’s the proof. In this episode of the Grant Writing & Funding podcast, Holly Rustick breaks down what’s happening in the U.S. federal grant landscape in 2025 and how freelance grant writers are still building thriving, high-income businesses even during times of funding uncertainty. Tune …
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Lydia moved to Germany—and raised $2.5M for Environmental Justice in 2025 for For-Profits
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30:01In this bonus episode, Holly Rustick interviews Lydia Vollmann, founder of Grant Our Community, discussing her transition from federal grants to for-profit opportunities, the integration of AI into her work, and the decision to move to Germany. Lydia shares insights on environmental justice, the importance of mentorship, and her recent move to Germ…
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Work Smarter, Not Harder: How to Hire Help and Streamline Your Grant Writing Business in 2025
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2:25:00Tune into the Replay Training: "Work Smarter, Not Harder: How to Hire Help and Streamline Your Grant Writing Business in 2025."By Holly Rustick
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Courtney Left Her Job, Hired Her Husband & Mom, and Now Helps Arts Orgs Fund Big Dreams
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27:24In this conversation, Holly Rustick interviews Courtney Oliphant, CEO and founder of Coastal Nonprofit Consulting. Courtney shares her journey from working at a performing arts small nonprofit to starting her own consulting business. She discusses how she added services (and hired her husband full-time and her mom) to help performing arts nonprofit…
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I've Spent $97,403 On Freelancers For My Grant Writing Business : Here's What I learned
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17:59In this episode, we delve into the crucial lessons learned from spending over $97,403 on hiring freelancers and agencies for a grant writing business. Discover the importance of developing the right hiring mindset, knowing which roles to hire for and when, setting clear job descriptions, and using test projects to find the best candidates. Join us …
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Proven Steps to Book Out Your Freelance Grant Writing Business
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28:43In this episode of the Grant Writing and Funding podcast, host Holly Rustic shares proven strategies to help freelance grant writers find and secure clients. Holly discusses the importance of short-term, medium-term, and long-term lead generation methods, including leveraging personal and professional networks, social media, and hosting training ev…
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Holly shares her expertise in grant writing and nonprofit sales strategies to help freelance grant writers create stable incomes and flexible schedules. Holly discusses the challenges of pricing grant writing services accurately and introduces the three primary pricing models: hourly, retainer, and packaging. She emphasizes the importance of value-…
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Grant Writing Pricing Models Explained: Hourly, Package & Retainer
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18:54In this episode Holly delves into the various pricing models for freelance grant writers, emphasizing the importance of tracking time to accurately estimate pricing. She discusses the drawbacks of charging on commission and explains why it is against best practices. Holly presents three core pricing models: hourly, package, and retainer, outlining …
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The Future of Philanthropy: 2025 Trends and Insights
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37:45Explore how cause-driven giving, advocacy, and innovation are reshaping nonprofits in 2025 and beyond. Tune in to listen to Micheal Thatcher from Charity Navigator. In this conversation, Holly Rustick speaks with Michael Thatcher, CEO of Charity Navigator, about the evolving landscape of nonprofit evaluation and philanthropy. They discuss the launc…
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Bridging Divides: Connecting for Impact in Today's Fundraising Landscape
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25:08
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25:08Navigating political divides in fundraising—learn how connection, storytelling, and strategy can drive nonprofit success. In this conversation, Holly Rustick and Kamy Akhavan discuss the intersection of politics and fundraising, emphasizing the importance of human connection in nonprofit work. They explore how social division impacts community enga…
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Find out What Freelance Grant Writers Charged for their Services in 2024
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52:33Go behind the scenes with Global Development Solutions and their 2024 Freelance Grant Writer Pricing Survey! Rachel Waterman and her team have done a 3rd annual Pricing Report! We love everything about this! Find out what freelance grant writers are pricing their grant writing surveys. Connect with Rachel Waterman: Global Development Solutions Webs…
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Gabrielle Quit Her Job When Pregnant & Built a $12K Per Month Grant Writing Business
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24:10In this conversation, Holly Rustick interviews Gabrielle Perry, a successful grant writer who shares her journey of transitioning from a 9-5 job to running her own grant writing business. Gabrielle discusses the challenges she faced, the importance of community and mentorship, and how she has achieved significant financial success through value-bas…
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First $100K as a Freelance Grant Writer: What These 3 Academy Students Did
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1:16:07Join Payton, Dr. Lauren, and Daphney to discover how they made their first $100,000 inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy. Find out more about the Academy: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/academyBy Holly Rustick
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First Grant & First Client: 3 Stories Inside the Academy
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41:13Listen to how Gabrielle, Christina, and Eowyn all got their first grants or clients inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy.By Holly Rustick
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Transformations from the Academy: From Stay-at-Home Mom to Making More Than Her Husband and Relocating to Spain
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53:25This episode is from the Freelance Grant Writer Academy “Cultivating Community: Peer Spotlights and Networking” with our very own co-coaches - Gwen Valentino and D Abshire! They share about how they got into grant writing, what their biggest challenges have been, what has been useful in changing their lives in the Academy, and what they see student…
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5 Reasons to Join the Academy in This Round
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16:08Here are 5 reasons you should join the Freelance Grant Writer Academy in this Round (i.e. before the doors close on June 22nd). #1) Live Discovery Sales Call Day Lab: Learn, Practice, Convert Happening on Tuesday, June 24th at 2:30 pm - 5pm EST (replay available) We will have a LIVE SALES CALL DAY for Academy students. This will be part of our annu…
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Will Create a Done-For-You Grant Writing Business Plan AND Find 25 Nonprofit Leads
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9:43BONUSES END JUNE 13th, 2025***Not sure where to start with a freelance grant writing business? It sounds amazing, but you just don’t know where to start. Should you start with getting grant writing skills? Should you start with a website? Should you start reaching out to nonprofits? Do you need to start learning (or honing) grant skills first? This…
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Replay: Work From Home. Replace Your Paycheck, on Part-Time Hours, as a Grant & Funding Strategist in 2025
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1:48:52The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is the #1 Grant Writing and Nonprofit Business Acumen Program in the Industry…and the doors are finally open! Each part of the Academy is a simple process, even if you work a full-time job. You get 12 months to do the curriculum, community, and coaching to learn grant writing and business acumen. Plus, there are 2…
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How to Start a Freelance Grant Writing Business: Tips & Logistics
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14:16Learn how to kickstart your freelance grant writing business, whether as a full-time income source or a part-time side hustle. We'll cover essential administrative logistics like incorporating your business, choosing a business name, and the benefits of going freelance. Discover the flexibility and earning potential of grant writing, ideal for vari…
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HOW EOWYN WENT FROM WORKING IN HIGHER ED TO GETTING HER FIRST GRANT WRITING CLIENT (AND OPERA NONPROFIT)
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45:53Holly Rustick interviews Éowyn Melaragno, who shares her journey from a career in higher education to becoming a successful grant writer. Éowyn discusses her motivations for transitioning into grant writing, the valuable support she received from the Freelance Grant Writer Academy, and the importance of community in building confidence and skills. …
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