Behind the Grantmaker's Curtain

Go behind the grantmaker's curtain to learn from the perspective of foundations. Listen to this mini-series to learn how to craft an effective grant proposal that wins funding. We'll explore topics such as: - What are common mistakes grant seekers make? - What do grantmakers want to see more of? - How can grant-seekers better prepare their 501c3s for the proposals of the grantmakers? This podcast is brought to you by Instrumentl, the institutional fundraising platform. Start saving three hours a week and increase your grant application output by 78% by creating a free 14-day account at www.instrumentl.com. Save $50 off your first month with the code FOUNDATION50.

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Behind the Grantmaker's Curtain

How to Master the Art of Nonprofit Grant Storytelling: North Valley Community Foundation (Ep. 4)

May 22, 2022 • Instrumentl • Season 1 • Episode 4

Podcast Information

Want to win more grants for your nonprofit? Struggling to figure out how to position your nonprofit in the best light possible for grantmakers?

If you're trying to take a deep dive and learn what grantmakers are looking for in their applicants, this podcast interview episode is for you.

By the end of this 35-minute episode with Alexa Benson-Valavanis, you’ll learn:

How to craft a brilliant grant essay that will impress grantmakers
The importance of grant reporting
How to build a nonprofit narrative that will improve your chances of getting repeat grants

About Us
Instrumentl brings grant discovery, research, and tracking to one place. With Instrumentl, development staff are more effective and efficient at finding the right grants for their nonprofits.

Instrumentl helps save 3 hours a week on average and increases grant application output by 78% within a year.

Alexa has served as president and CEO since July 2005. She was recruited to play basketball at Chico State University and graduated with a degree in journalism, then worked in business development in Shanghai, China, before starting an organization supporting nonprofit development in Guatemala. Alexa was hired to rebuild NVCF in 2005, and engineered a new business model mobilizing social entrepreneurs and philanthropists locally and around the globe. Under Alexa's leadership the foundation has grown from serving a dozen clients to more than 500 clients, engaging tens of thousands of donors, generating revenue of more than $152 million, while reinvesting nearly $100 million to causes in Northern California, the United States and throughout the world. On Nov. 8, 2018, Alexa transformed NVCF into the lead philanthropic organization in the Camp Fire relief and recovery effort and has since built a COVID-19 response arm in efforts to help slow the pandemic and provide relief to at-risk populations. To date, NVCF has granted more than $53 million for wildfire recovery and has mobilized more than $3 million for COVID-19 response.

Additional Resources

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