Goodwin Deacon, a master grantwriter, and Ken Ristine, a senior program officer with decades of experience, have teamed up to take us into the mind of the grantmaker and provide a step-by-step guide to crafting a proposal that is simply irresistible. Grantsmanship for the GENIUS gives us an insider's perspective that will quickly put us miles ahead of the game.
Deacon and Ristine make it clear that it’s not enough to write a grant proposal. They emphasize that we must understand how the funder will perceive it. They have woven into this book’s fabric a 360-degree view of grantsmanship we won't find anywhere else.
Besides being veterans in the grantsmanship field, the authors are experienced teachers of the subject. Tapping into their years of classroom experience, mentoring to their professional peers, and consulting for innumerable nonprofit organizations, they have mastered the fun, conversational style common to all For the GENIUS® books. In other words, they know how to explain even murky concepts so they are easily grasped. They provide plenty of examples and tips throughout and even have a bit of fun with their “Pure Genius!” and other sidebars.
Becoming a skilled and accomplished grant professional takes years of experience. But let's face it—in the real world, we don’t have years to gain competency. We have to get started quickly, and we have to get started on the right foot. Even so, as we grow in experience we also need an authoritative guide to help us broaden and deepen our skills and to fill in the inevitable gaps. Therein lies another remarkable contribution of Grantsmanship for the GENIUS: The authors have organized this book to give us both a quick start and a full treatment of the subject.
The authors dive right in with a “Quick-Start Letter” in Part 1 to help us create a rough draft of a letter of inquiry.
In Part 2 the authors lay the groundwork by thoroughly covering the fundamentals. They want to make sure we have a solid understanding of where grants fit in the overall scheme of things, what kinds of funders are out there, why these funders make grants, what types of grants they make, and more.
In Part 3 they discuss organizational readiness to write grants, how to research grants, how to increase our chances of success, and how to approach funders.
In Part 4 they get us ready to write to get our organization’s message across. In Chapters 14 and 15 they provide a thorough discussion of letters of inquiry—the perfect complement to the Quick-Start Letter they provide in Part 1.
In Part 5 they lead us through the process of writing a full proposal. They lay out each aspect clearly and in the kind of detail we need to succeed.
In Part 6 they talk about what happens after the proposal is submitted, focusing on site visits, acknowledgment, and stewardship.
About For the GENIUS Books
Since this is a For the GENIUS book, it is down to earth and pragmatic. It is written in an upbeat, conversational style that you'll instantly connect with. You'll find the fun and useful sidebars sprinkled throughout especially helpful and relevant. This and all For the GENIUS books are written as comprehensive guides to complex subjects for beginners as well as for those seeking a refresher. You don't have to be a genius to read one, but you'll sure be smarter once you do!™
Goodwin Deacon earned a PhD in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and began her career as an English professor at the Universities of Utah and Idaho. In 1980 she moved to Seattle and began a second career as a grantwriter, working for Seattle Opera, Seattle University, Children’s Hospital Foundation, and later Edmonds Community College. At the same time, she continued teaching humanities at Antioch University Seattle, including writing classes.
In 1992 she became a consultant, offering grantwriting and prospect research services through her business, Deacon Consulting. She has worked with a wide variety of nonprofit organizations in the Puget Sound region in the fields of the arts, education, healthcare, social services, and the environment.
In 1990, Goodwin founded the Puget Sound Grantwriters Association, a networking and training organization that helps grantwriters improve their skills, meet funders, and form a community with each other. She has also taught grantwriting at Discover U., the University of Washington Fundraising Management Program, and Antioch University Seattle. She is a frequent speaker on panels and at conferences, and offers workshops on grantwriting and research. Goodwin continues to serve on the board of the Puget Sound Grantwriters Association.
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Ken Ristine has worked in the nonprofit sector since 1977, though his experience working with people and understanding financial systems began with several jobs he held during college. He began honing his writing skills as a ghostwriter for a ghostwriter.
After college, he worked as a research analyst for a nonprofit alcoholism program on labor/management agreements that were precursors of employee assistance programs. He moved on to United Way, first with fundraising and later in the community affairs division.
In 1984, he became the planning, allocations, and community affairs director for another United Way. Five years later, he joined the staff of a private family foundation where he is now the senior program officer. Throughout his career in nonprofits, he’s consulted with dozens of nonprofits on program design and implementation, fundraising, proposal development, nonprofit tax issues, and organizational development. Ken is a frequent speaker at conferences and classes on nonprofit work.
