Lifting Each Other Up: Building a Stronger Grant Writing Community
Last week, I received a call from someone who'd been referred by another grant writer. The caller had developed what he described as a "supercomputer that could scale up businesses fast" and was looking for help, though it wasn't entirely clear whether he needed a grant writer, a strategist, or something else entirely.
As he tried to explain his technology, I could hear his growing frustration. From his perspective, I just wasn't "getting it." The product sounded impressive in theory, but when I asked practical questions about applications and target markets, the answers got vague. Since for-profit grants aren't my specialty, I listened politely, thinking I might be able to refer him to someone with that expertise.
But the more he talked, the more familiar this conversation became. Here was someone with sophisticated technology, and genuine passion for what he'd built, but no clear understanding of how it solved real problems for real people. He wanted me to be impressed by the innovation itself, rather than its practical application. His frustration seemed to stem from having a solution looking for a problem, and expecting that I could somehow wave a magic wand to bridge that gap for him.
Sound familiar? We're seeing this same pattern more and more with technology companies targeting our profession. They develop impressive-sounding AI tools or databases promising to revolutionize grant writing, but when you dig deeper, it becomes clear they don't really understand how our work actually functions.
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Building each other up through action
Here's what I love about our profession: we know how to ask the right questions. We're skilled at digging deeper, evaluating claims, and making informed decisions. Of course we are, we're grant professionals. Research is literally what we do for a living. And we don't do it alone. We support each other through the process.
Take that phone call I mentioned. The referral came from a colleague who thought I might be able to help, even though it wasn't ultimately a fit. When I realized it wasn't my expertise, I listened anyway, hoping to connect him with someone better suited. That's what we do. We lift each other up and share opportunities.
This collaborative spirit shows up everywhere in our work. Just last month, a grant writing firm reached out asking if I had any new graduates to recommend. I did. But their question got me thinking: wouldn't it be valuable for our community to learn more about how grant writing firms operate? I quickly pulled together a together a webinar, and three firms jumped in to participate. The response was incredible, and we all learned something new about different business models in our field. The webinar is now an ongoing monthly series.
I see this same supportive energy when I recommend tools that are genuinely helping our profession. I love championing Grant Frog, software built by fellow grant writer Hannah Wiginton, precisely because it comes from someone who does this work. She's created something practical while bringing humor and positivity to everything she does. That's the kind of innovation I get excited about: tools made by grant writers, for grant writers, by people who understand the job from the inside.
This is how our profession grows stronger, through genuine support, shared knowledge, and celebrating each other's successes rather than competing destructively.
Navigating new technology together
As more technology solutions emerge targeting our profession, this research expertise becomes even more valuable. We're seeing an explosion of AI-powered tools and databases promising to revolutionize grant writing, and our natural instinct to dig deeper serves us well.
The key questions we ask haven't changed. What problem does this actually solve? How does it work? What are the costs, not just financial, but in terms of professional relationships and ethics? Who benefits, and how? And here's a crucial one: do they have grant professionals on staff from the start? Better yet, several with varying perspectives?
These aren't hostile questions. They're professional due diligence. When a new service launches, it's perfectly reasonable to ask about their business model, their data sources, their track record, and how they align with our professional standards. Companies genuinely committed to serving our profession should welcome these questions and answer them transparently.
The most successful technology partnerships in our field come from companies that take time to understand our work before trying to improve it, the ones that treat grant writers as the experts we are and ask us to weigh in before they build. I'm upfront that I use and am an affiliate of Instrumentl for prospect research; I'll always tell you when I have that kind of relationship so you can weigh my recommendation accordingly. But the tools I truly champion are the ones created by people who've actually written grants, because they build for problems that really exist.
When we evaluate these tools collectively, sharing experiences in forums, discussing pros and cons at conferences, and asking the hard questions together, we make better decisions for ourselves and our clients. Our shared professional judgment is one of our greatest assets.
Professional ethics and trust
All of this collaborative evaluation happens most effectively when we have strong ethical foundations to guide us. Our professional standards aren't just guidelines. They're our compass, helping us navigate complex decisions about partnerships, tools, and business practices.
This is also why I pursued and obtained my GPC (Grant Professional Certified) credential this year. Did I need it after years in this profession? Not technically. But literally anyone can hang out a shingle and call themselves a grant writer. Certification is one of the ways we maintain our standards and distinguish true professionals from those who have no idea what they're doing. The credential represents a commitment to ongoing education, ethical practice, and professional accountability, and I believe in what it stands for.
But a code of ethics is only as strong as our willingness to live by it, especially when it's inconvenient. Ethics standards work only when we have safe spaces to discuss them openly. Professional dialogue requires trust and confidentiality: the ability to ask hard questions and raise concerns among colleagues without wondering whether our words will travel somewhere we never intended.
I'm not writing this abstractly. Standards on paper mean nothing if we don't protect the people who rely on them. Protecting an institution's comfort or its relationships can never come at the expense of protecting a member who spoke up in good faith. Our associations have to hold that line. When they don't, they ask us to carry alone the risks we took on for the good of the profession.
The strongest professional communities are built on trust, where members can engage in good-faith discussions, share experiences honestly, and support each other through complex decisions without wondering whether their words will be used against them. When that trust is respected, we all benefit. When it's broken, everyone becomes a little more guarded, and the whole profession is poorer for it.
Transparency in professional relationships
This foundation of trust extends to how we handle business relationships within our professional community. Transparency isn't just good ethics. It's good business. When we're open about our partnerships, affiliate relationships, business models, and potential conflicts of interest, we strengthen rather than undermine our professional credibility.
I'm always upfront when I recommend tools I use and believe in. If I have an affiliate relationship, I say so. If I'm enthusiastic about something because it genuinely works, I explain why, and if I have no financial stake, I say that too. This transparency lets my colleagues evaluate my recommendations appropriately and builds trust over time.
The same principle applies to any service provider in our space. Companies that are transparent about how they operate, who they partner with, and how they generate revenue make it easier for grant professionals to make informed decisions. Those who are secretive, evasive, or defensive about legitimate professional questions raise red flags.
We have a right to know if someone promoting a service has a financial stake in it. We have a right to understand business models that might affect our work or our clients. And we have a right to ask these questions, in good faith and among peers, without facing legal threats or professional retaliation for doing so.
When transparency is the norm, everyone benefits. Grant professionals make better decisions, ethical companies thrive, and our entire profession maintains its integrity.
Choosing to lift up, not tear down
How we handle disagreements and challenges says everything about our professional character. I've noticed some practitioners build themselves up by putting competitors down, even naming them specifically when comparing grant training services or approaches. I believe we're stronger when we focus on lifting each other up instead.
So what does that look like in practice? It means celebrating colleagues' successes genuinely. When someone launches a new service, wins a major grant, or reaches a professional milestone, we cheer them on. It means sharing opportunities, like when that firm called looking for new graduates, or when I spot a perfect job posting for someone's skill set.
It means offering constructive feedback when asked, and giving credit where it's due. Most importantly, it means responding to challenges with grace and professionalism. There's not one grant writing class that's the best fit for everyone, and I'm genuinely impressed with what my colleagues are creating to make their work more sustainable while helping people learn grants. That's my lane and my passion, and I love seeing the creativity happening in grant writing education. When students want to go deep on federal grants, I refer them to Diane Leonard's federal grant training, because that's her expertise.
“The grant writing world is big enough for all of us to succeed—when we focus on serving our clients excellently and supporting our colleagues generously. ”
Amanda Pearce at Funding for Good is exceptional at uplifting others. She even has a conference for grant consultants and a great Boot Camp program, and no, I'm not a business affiliate, I just genuinely like what she's doing. Lifting each other up and speaking honestly about what's broken aren't opposites. Both come from the same place: caring enough about this profession to want it to be better.
Moving forward together
As our profession continues to evolve, we have incredible opportunities ahead. New technologies will emerge, business models will shift, and fresh challenges will test our standards. But I'm optimistic about our future, because I see how we support each other every day.
And if you're a tech company genuinely looking to solve problems in our field, here are some real ones. We need common grant applications, or at least standardized sections, so we don't have to retype basic organizational information dozens of times. We need applications available in advance in Google Docs and Word formats, not PDFs, so we can draft them on our desktops first. We need clear, consistent instructions from funders.
Notice what these have in common? They're all about grantmakers improving their processes, not grant professionals needing AI to do our jobs. AI is a tool. It can make us more efficient, and used well, it helps. But it isn't a substitute for our expertise, and too many companies are racing to solve problems we don't actually have. It's not that we need AI to find grant prospects for us; we need foundations to get clearer about what they want to fund. It's not that we need AI to help us write grant applications; we need grantmakers to streamline their questions and requirements.
“It’s not that we need AI to find grant prospects for us; we need foundations to get clearer about what they want to fund. It’s not that we need AI to help us write grant applications; we need grantmakers to streamline their questions and requirements.”
We're a profession built on research, relationship-building, and service to our communities. These core strengths serve us well whether we're evaluating a new AI tool, mentoring a colleague, or navigating industry change. When we stay true to these values, asking good questions, maintaining transparency, and lifting each other up, we create a professional environment where everyone can thrive.
The conversations we have in forums, at conferences, and in informal networks shape our profession's future. Every time we choose collaboration over competition, transparency over secrecy, and honest professional growth over self-protection, we strengthen the entire grant writing community.
I'm committed to continuing this work, through my teaching, my writing, and my daily interactions with colleagues. Whether you're just starting your grant writing journey or you're a seasoned professional exploring new directions, there's a place for you in this community. Together, we can ensure grant writing remains a profession marked by integrity, excellence, and genuine care for the causes we serve.
Cheering you on,
Allison
