Why Nonprofit Grants Get Rejected and How to Improve Your Chances

Written By Allison Welch, M.Ed., GPC

The Nonprofit MBA Podcast 

PRESS RELEASE

October 7, 2026

Why Nonprofit Grants Get Rejected and How to Improve Your Chances - Nonprofit MBA 9.10

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Grant funding is becoming more competitive, and even strong nonprofit organizations are seeing proposals rejected. 

In this episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast, Stephen Halasnik of Financing Solutions speaks with Allison Welch, founder of Spark the Fire Grant Writing Classes, about what grant reviewers actually look for and why some seemingly strong applications fail to receive funding. 

Welch brings more than 25 years of grant-writing experience and the perspective of having served as a grant reviewer. The conversation explores how AI is changing grant writing, why generic proposals struggle to stand out, how nonprofits can demonstrate measurable impact, and why funding diversification and organizational credibility matter. 

Nonprofit leaders will also learn why answering every part of a funder's question is critical, how data and storytelling can work together, and why a grant proposal should focus on the mission rather than presenting the organization as a financial rescue project. 

For executive directors, CFOs, development leaders, and grant writers, the episode offers practical guidance on building stronger, more credible grant proposals in an increasingly competitive funding environment. 

About Stephen Halasnik, Financing Solutions

Stephen Halasnik is the co-founder of Financing Solutions, the largest provider of lines of credit to small nonprofits in the United States. With over 15 years of experience, he has worked with thousands of organizations as they navigate financial and operational challenges.

About Allison Welch, M.Ed., GPC, founder of Spark the Fire Grant Writing Classes

Allison brings more than 25 years of grant writing experience to her work and has trained more than 7,000 people. Her funded grant proposals include awards from the Gates Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson, HRSA, and SAMHSA. She also serves as a grant reviewer, which means she has read grant proposals from both sides of the table. Her book, The “Of Course” Factor: A Guide to Meaningful Grant Writing, is now available at all bookstores.

Allison Welch, M.Ed., GPC

Allison Welch, M.Ed., GPC, is the author of The "Of Course" Factor: A Guide to Meaningful Grant Writing and the founder and CEO of Spark the Fire Grant Writing Classes, LLC. Spark the Fire is an internationally recognized professional development provider that has trained more than 7,000 individuals from nonprofit, Tribal, government, and educational organizations across all fifty states and globally. Allison is an approved trainer with the Grant Professionals Association, and Spark the Fire is an approved provider for both the Grant Professionals Certification Institute and CFRE International. She brings more than 25 years of grant writing and nonprofit management experience to her work, along with advanced studies in brain-based learning for adults.

Allison's training is grounded in her own track record as a practitioner. Her funded proposals include awards from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, HRSA, and SAMHSA. She also serves as a grant reviewer for foundations and government entities, and what she learns there continually sharpens her training. She is a former adjunct professor of grant writing at several universities and a frequent speaker at national conferences.

https://sparkthefiregrantwriting.com
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E1: Building Strong Grant Writing Teams