September 23, 2025 • 19 mins
Most online courses give students a quick win—and then get forgotten. Nicole Beatty’s Grant Writing Accelerator Course is different. It’s a program students keep coming back to, because it offers more than information. With templates, tools, and a proven formula, the Accelerator becomes a reference point that builds confidence, leadership, and skills that last long after the first lesson.
In this episode of Brilliant Ideas, I sit down with Nicole to go behind the scenes of her course. We talk about why she created the Grant Writing Accelerator, how it evolved from a live program into a self-paced course, and the intentional choices she made to make sure the results stick.
If you’re a course creator, you’ll walk away with practical insight into what makes a program truly transformative—not just in helping students achieve outcomes, but in helping them grow into more confident, capable leaders.
🎧 Tune in to learn how Nicole designed a course that goes beyond quick wins and continues to deliver value every time students log back in.
Get 25% off the Grant Writing Accelerator course
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Alyssa (00:00):
What if learning to write a grant wasn't just about
getting funding, but aboutbuilding the kind of skills and
confidence that help you lead,grow and create impact long
after the grant is awarded?
Welcome to Brilliant Ideas, thepodcast that takes you behind
the scenes of some of the mostinspiring digital products
created by solopreneurs justlike you.
I'm your host, alyssa, adigital product strategist who
(00:22):
helps subject matter expertsgrow their business with online
courses, memberships, coachingprograms and eBooks.
If you're a solopreneur withdreams of packaging your
expertise into a profitabledigital product, then this is
the podcast for you.
Expect honest conversations ofhow they started, the obstacles
they overcame, lessons learnedthe hard way and who face the
same fears, doubts andchallenges you're experiencing,
(00:44):
from unexpected surprises tobreakthrough moments and
everything in between.
Tune in, get inspired and let'sspark your next big, brilliant
idea.
This week on Brilliant Ideas,I'm joined by Nicole.
She is a management consultant,executive coach and creator of
the grant writing acceleratorhow to Write a Proposal in a Day
.
Nicole talks about whatinspired her to create the
accelerator, how it evolved froma live program into a
(01:06):
self-paced version, and why theprogram isn't just about writing
strong proposals but developinga much more comprehensive skill
set.
We dig into how she designedthe curriculum to go beyond
quick wins, so people keepbuilding on what they've learned
, even years later.
Finally, nicole leaves us withone powerful piece of wisdom for
leaders who want to make alasting impact with the work
(01:27):
that they do.
If you've ever thought aboutgrant writing, or if you're
curious about the nonprofitspace, this conversation with
Nicole will inspire you to thinkbigger about what's possible.
Let's get started.
Welcome to the show, nicole.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
Nicole (01:41):
I'm really excited to be here.
Thanks for the invitation.
Alyssa (01:44):
I'm really excited to talk about your grant writing
accelerator course and for alittle backstory to share with
all of you listeners.
Nicole and I have actuallypartnered in the past where I
helped her build the courseitself, so I feel like I've seen
firsthand how much thought andstrategy went into all of it.
But I know that there is abigger story behind how it came
to be, so I want to start therefor a second.
(02:11):
What inspired you to create theGrant Writing Accelerator
course and how did it kind ofevolve from a live program into
the self-paced version that itis today?
Nicole (02:16):
Thanks, for that I have found over my 20 years in the
sector.
I am quite a well-roundedconsultant, but the biggest
demand has always been on grantwork and a lot of money goes
into hiring or outsourcing.
You know a grant writer and whatI was always finding was that
investment never really stayedwithin the organization.
(02:40):
So when I put on my capacitybuilding lens I was like what is
what's a great way for anorganization to invest in itself
?
And no better way than to teachthem how to write their own
grants.
So trying to convertcommunication staff or
fundraising staff skills intowriting and not only that, but a
(03:01):
lot of grant work, I see isjust trying to respond to a
funder's question.
Right, these are some greatwords and very emotional, very
philosophical, heavy, and I'vehad a grant writing formula that
has contributed to almost a 90%success rate for me throughout
my career.
I actually am giving away ornot giving away, but the lesson
(03:24):
is designed through that provenwriting strategy, that writing
formula that I use in my ownproposal development craft.
So it's meant to be a capacitybuilding investment as well, as
(03:47):
you know, really taking peoplethrough not the grant writing
theory but the practical writingphases of developing a grant
proposal or how to respond to agrant application.
Alyssa (03:50):
I love that, and I love that you mentioned that the
organization would do thisinvestment.
Instead of outsourcing andspending money Again, they're
actually reinvesting into theirorganization so that they can
learn how to write a grant.
And so this makes me curiouswhat kind of shifts have you
seen in people who go throughthe accelerator course?
(04:11):
Like not just like in theability to get funding, because
we all know that that is a hugewin in itself, but more about,
like the emotional side, like inan organization who learns how
to write grants properly, whathappens to their confidence,
their leadership skills, howthey kind of show up in their
work.
Nicole (04:30):
Great question.
So three things come to mindwhen I hear that question.
One is I'm definitely hearingfrom past participants and
current clients.
Where I may use the program tocomplement or leverage some
other work is that they'rereally seeing a reduction in
their budget allocation onoutsourcing for grant writers,
(04:54):
fundraisers or communicationstaff who are taking the course
and, you know, have alwayswanted to excel or increase
their writing skills are feelingmore confident and they really
feel that they're understanding.
They can say I'm a grant writerand they are seeing that
success through submissions orfeedback from funders.
And then the third would be theefficiency and the time in being
(05:17):
organized and having aready-to-go product and being
able to adapt and shift to thefunders' needs.
And along with that confidence,what I love hearing the
participants say is we know ourcase for support, we know our
pitch, we know what we needfunded, and they're pursuing
(05:38):
that rather so being morestrategic rather than just
responding to, oh, this moneysounds nice, rather than just
responding to, oh, this moneysounds nice.
So they're feeling empoweredand taking that control back in
their own grant developmentprocess.
So to wrap up, I'd sayefficiency, a reduction in the
budget allocation to outsourcingto funders or sorry, to grant
(06:02):
writers, which is great, so thatthey can keep that into their
mission.
Funders, or sorry, to grantwriters, which is great, so that
they can keep that into theirmission, and just that
confidence and streamliningtheir overall grant development
process.
So budget time saving but alsoincreasing the confidence and
the morale of the internal staff, which is really my motto when
I approach my capacity buildingwork.
Alyssa (06:23):
No, that's really inspiring and I think it's such
an important reminder thatfunding itself is just one piece
of the puzzle, like the realtransformation is really in how
people grow their skills, theirconfidence, their ability to
keep making an impact, like longafter the grant is awarded.
It's those internal skills thatthey're gaining and then they're
keeping for years to come.
(06:43):
And that's one thing I kind ofreally love about your story is
that this course isn't justabout like a quick win, like
it's about something thatthey're going to continue to use
and reference back to for youknow how many years.
And it's a course that doesn'tjust you know, they finish it
and then that's it.
(07:03):
And most courses are like thatwhen, yeah, they're great, they
give you the quick win, youapply it, but then you know you
don't really go back to it.
It just kind of sits there,you've paid for it and it's just
kind of like we don't really,we only use this one time.
But your course seems to evolveand it also seems to be that
(07:25):
one thing that they willcontinue to use.
So my question is like how didyou come up with the curriculum
to make sure that the resultsstick and that they're going to
be using this for many years,not just a one time thing.
Nicole (07:40):
Yeah, Thanks for reflecting on my last answer,
because one thing I should thenalso tease out is it's not only
that first phase, which iswriting the grant and then
submitting it, but the greatthing about when the in-house
staff are also writing the grant, they also have to write the
impact report or follow thefunder or the opportunity for
(08:01):
renewal.
So again, that just helps withthe overall development
continuum within theorganization.
So the proven what I love aboutthis course I have to admit a
lot of this came through youradvisement.
You know we spent a lot of timestrategizing, going through the
learner's experience, and Isaid to you I just don't want to
(08:23):
be another talking head talkingabout grant writing theory, and
so you actually inspired me tookay, well, what's your formula?
And I said to you I just don'twant to be another talking head
talking about grant writingtheory, and so you actually
inspired me to okay, well,what's your formula?
And I realized that I had allthese templates and tools that
I've either used with clients orI myself have just designed for
my own writing.
And so that's what came from.
(08:43):
I actually think is the anchorpart of the course, is the
impact builder tool of thecourse, is the impact builder
tool.
So it's quite a detailedworksheet that really breaks
down each component of a typicalgrant application, and so it
helps the learner.
And the module then isreflected on that writing
process.
So you're not sitting down andtrying to write an application
all at once.
We're taking you component bycomponent.
(09:04):
You are seeing how it's writtenalong the way and at the end of
each micro module within thecourse, you're left with the
draft positioning for that partof the application.
So you're writing as you go,not just learning and taking
notes.
You know, the idea is that ifyou're taking this course, you
understand great writing and thegrant writing theory, you have
(09:27):
a project that you're takingthis course, you understand
great writing and the grantwriting theory, you have a
project that you're ready towork on and we take you through
each module and your writing asyou go.
And what I love and again thisis Leslie, you inspired me to do
this is one of the first timesin my courses or in my teachings
where I'm actually pulling backthe curtain and I'm sharing
examples, real life examplesfrom winning proposals.
(09:49):
So again, just to help expeditethat drafting process, so that
the writer can understand,here's a great example of what a
funder is looking for whenyou're answering this question.
Alyssa (10:01):
No, I love that and it really shows how the real value
of the course isn't just aboutthe grants but giving them the
tools.
And what I found that I lovedabout your course and that we
worked on together is that itwas the examples.
It was the real life examples,but then also it was like the
templates that they could follow, it was like the scripts, it
was the frameworks.
You know, it's not justsomething that you watch.
(10:23):
You weren't just a talking head.
I mean, there is talking headvideos to guide every learner to
like the next stage, but itwasn't just a video and then
click Like.
I just recently invested in um,like a CapCut course, for
example, and you know I reallywanted to learn like the video
editing for Instagram, and whenI logged in, it was her just
(10:45):
talking and that's it.
There was no transcript, therewas no framework, there was no
um, any kind of examples, and Ifelt so like something was
missing from this and I didn'tthink it was like Ooh, the value
.
I'm not sure about that becauseyou know they didn't really,
she didn't really provide enoughinformation for me to actually
(11:06):
like go and learn and do it,whereas this one is like it's an
all in one, you have everythingyou need within that course in
order to be successful.
So that's where I found, um,that your course is very
different than a lot of theother courses out there that are
only thinking like, oh, let mejust like film this video and
(11:27):
they'll figure it out.
You've really like you holdtheir hand throughout the entire
course, so you know if they'redoing this, whether it is live
or self-paced, I mean, even ifit is just self-paced, they have
everything they need, which isvery different.
So now, before we wrap up, I'dlove to leave our listeners with
something that they can takeaway and apply right now.
(11:49):
So if there is an organizationor a business out there that is
listening right now, that isinterested in grant writing or
wants to learn the skills ofgrant writing and maybe have
their own initiatives thatthey're trying to reach out to
or to have Sorry, let me do thatagain.
(12:10):
Sorry, mike.
One second, okay.
So before we wrap up, I'd loveto leave our listeners with
something they can take away andapply right now.
What is one piece of advice orwisdom that you can share with a
business or an entrepreneur whohas a or is interested in grant
writing or wants to make abigger impact with their work
and their audiences?
(12:31):
What would you like to sharewith them?
Nicole (12:33):
I love that question because that's where my head was
at when I was working with youon designing this course, my
approach to the grant writingaccelerator.
It's completely different thanwhat I'm used to do in the past
and so, reflecting on that livedexperience, to answer your
question, there's that readinessfactor, just not jumping in and
(12:54):
being ready to write or makingyour pitch up as you go there is
a lot of things.
Have that preparation or thatreadiness phase.
What's your product or whatprogram are you taking to market
or are you going to present infront of the funder?
What's the level of alignment?
Do you have those outcomes andevaluation methodology already
(13:17):
in existence?
What's your budget?
What's your work plan?
All aspects that we dive intoin the course.
And I say all this like reallylooking at that continuum of the
project or the continuum of theidea.
The one thing a grant writer inparticular, or a social
entrepreneur should never getinto a web of doing is
(13:39):
responding or making upsomething just to satisfy a
funder or a potential partner.
You know there's empowerment inthe work that we do because we
are tasked with implementing andfunding a project or a program
or a capital project.
That's advancing ourorganizational mandate.
(13:59):
Our board has mandated thispriority, so we are our own
experts.
Sometimes we give thatexpertise away to the funder,
thinking that the funderdictates the work that we do,
but what the funders really wantto see is understanding, taking
them through the blueprint ofthe work that you do do and are
you going to be good stewards oftheir investment.
So I can't emphasize enough thatreadiness or that preparation
(14:23):
phase and really understandingwhat is your priority project,
what is the alignment witheligibility criteria, and then
making sure that you have yourown outcomes, evaluation, work
plan and budget put together.
Because then you wrap that allup into kind of that full
product or that full ask or thatfull package, rather than, hey,
(14:44):
this sounds like a greatopportunity, and working
backwards from that, becausethen you're really making
something up and then should youget that investment or that
really great partnership, areyou then able to sustain that
right?
Because when a transfer paymentagreement comes through or a
funding contribution comesthrough, you need to be able to
look at that in confidence andsay or a funding contribution
(15:05):
comes through, you need to beable to look at that in
confidence and say, well, wepitched that Like we actually
realized that, so don't giveaway that empowerment and that
expertise.
You are the expert.
Sometimes we all need a littlebit of advice or a learning
opportunity to sharpen ourskills or to understand a
formula or a strategy that works.
But essentially, organize,prepare and be ready before you
(15:28):
make, click that submit buttonor make that leap into a
partnership.
Alyssa (15:33):
Amazing.
That is really great advice andsomething to sit and reflect on
, because there are a lot offactors like the prep and the
readiness, the level ofalignment, and so that is
something that is in your course, the level of alignment, and so
that is something that is inyour course, try to always come
full circle, but I think you cantake that those principles.
Nicole (15:52):
You know I do that, whether I'm, you know, writing
policy for something else, or ifI'm working on an organization
registration, or if I'm lookingat, you know, entering into a
member understanding withanother community partnership,
you know you really need to bedriven by answering that
question, that curious questionof how can we deliver on this.
(16:14):
So, you know, in such aresponsive and fast paced world,
we jump all of that preparationwork and we explore this in the
course.
You know, if you take the timeand invest in that readiness,
your efficiency and gettingfunded faster, your performance
and productivity is going tobenefit from that Definitely.
Alyssa (16:35):
Now I know that there's going to be listeners that are
going to be thinking well, okay,so I need to get all of these
maybe prepared, or to think, ormaybe they need to take the next
step, um, and they would wantto connect with you and maybe
even work with you, take yourcourse, um, because these are
all really great things that Ithink, um, that are first in the
(16:57):
course, but also that they needto do the prep work in
beforehand to make sure thatthis is a good investment for
the organization, their businessand you know whatever they're
doing.
And so where, would you say thebest place is to find this
course, also to connect with youpersonally, and where can they
(17:17):
find you online?
Nicole (17:19):
Excellent, Capacityforcommunitycom is my
website.
You can book.
I always encourage people tostart with a complimentary
consultation, regardless of whattheir needs are.
I've done a few consult callswhere I've actually taken people
through a behind the scenestour of the course and I just
find that people deserve theright to understand and see what
(17:42):
they're investing in and thisjust isn't a static self-paced
course.
You know I have integrated thisin other consulting and
coaching programs.
A lot of people will go and doit self-paced and then re-engage
with me to kind of do a reviewand edit of a final proposal.
I can do some live wraparoundcoaching with the course, but
(18:04):
the course and all thoseadditional features and ways to
engage are all oncapacityforacademycom.
You just click on the GetFunded Faster button and it will
redirect you to the course pageand has all the details there.
Alyssa (18:20):
Awesome.
Well, thank you so much, Nicole, for coming on the show today
and sharing such valuableinsights with us.
I know this conversation isgoing to be really helpful for
anyone curious about grantwriting or looking for ways to
strengthen the work that they'realready doing, and so for
everyone listening.
Thank you for tuning in.
Thank you, Nicole, for comingon the show.
Nicole (18:39):
Thank you so much, really appreciate it.
Alyssa (18:46):
And if you love this episode, send me a message on
Instagram at yeslabca, and letme know the one thing that
Nicole shared today that reallystood out to you.
Thanks for listening and I'llsee you next time with more
brilliant ideas to inspire yourbusiness.
Thanks for tuning in to thisepisode of Brilliant Ideas.
If you love the show, be sureto leave a review and follow me
on Instagram for even moreinsider tips and inspiration.
Ready to bring your next big,brilliant idea to life?
Visit AlyssaVelsercom forresources, guidance and
(19:08):
everything you need to startcreating something amazing.
What if learning to write a grant wasn't just about
getting funding, but aboutbuilding the kind of skills and
confidence that help you lead,grow and create impact long
after the grant is awarded?
Welcome to Brilliant Ideas, thepodcast that takes you behind
the scenes of some of the mostinspiring digital products
created by solopreneurs justlike you.
I'm your host, alyssa, adigital product strategist who
(00:22):
helps subject matter expertsgrow their business with online
courses, memberships, coachingprograms and eBooks.
If you're a solopreneur withdreams of packaging your
expertise into a profitabledigital product, then this is
the podcast for you.
Expect honest conversations ofhow they started, the obstacles
they overcame, lessons learnedthe hard way and who face the
same fears, doubts andchallenges you're experiencing,
(00:44):
from unexpected surprises tobreakthrough moments and
everything in between.
Tune in, get inspired and let'sspark your next big, brilliant
idea.
This week on Brilliant Ideas,I'm joined by Nicole.
She is a management consultant,executive coach and creator of
the grant writing acceleratorhow to Write a Proposal in a Day
.
Nicole talks about whatinspired her to create the
accelerator, how it evolved froma live program into a
(01:06):
self-paced version, and why theprogram isn't just about writing
strong proposals but developinga much more comprehensive skill
set.
We dig into how she designedthe curriculum to go beyond
quick wins, so people keepbuilding on what they've learned
, even years later.
Finally, nicole leaves us withone powerful piece of wisdom for
leaders who want to make alasting impact with the work
(01:27):
that they do.
If you've ever thought aboutgrant writing, or if you're
curious about the nonprofitspace, this conversation with
Nicole will inspire you to thinkbigger about what's possible.
Let's get started.
Welcome to the show, nicole.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
Nicole (01:41):
I'm really excited to be here.
Thanks for the invitation.
Alyssa (01:44):
I'm really excited to talk about your grant writing
accelerator course and for alittle backstory to share with
all of you listeners.
Nicole and I have actuallypartnered in the past where I
helped her build the courseitself, so I feel like I've seen
firsthand how much thought andstrategy went into all of it.
But I know that there is abigger story behind how it came
to be, so I want to start therefor a second.
(02:11):
What inspired you to create theGrant Writing Accelerator
course and how did it kind ofevolve from a live program into
the self-paced version that itis today?
Nicole (02:16):
Thanks, for that I have found over my 20 years in the
sector.
I am quite a well-roundedconsultant, but the biggest
demand has always been on grantwork and a lot of money goes
into hiring or outsourcing.
You know a grant writer and whatI was always finding was that
investment never really stayedwithin the organization.
(02:40):
So when I put on my capacitybuilding lens I was like what is
what's a great way for anorganization to invest in itself
?
And no better way than to teachthem how to write their own
grants.
So trying to convertcommunication staff or
fundraising staff skills intowriting and not only that, but a
(03:01):
lot of grant work, I see isjust trying to respond to a
funder's question.
Right, these are some greatwords and very emotional, very
philosophical, heavy, and I'vehad a grant writing formula that
has contributed to almost a 90%success rate for me throughout
my career.
I actually am giving away ornot giving away, but the lesson
(03:24):
is designed through that provenwriting strategy, that writing
formula that I use in my ownproposal development craft.
So it's meant to be a capacitybuilding investment as well, as
(03:47):
you know, really taking peoplethrough not the grant writing
theory but the practical writingphases of developing a grant
proposal or how to respond to agrant application.
Alyssa (03:50):
I love that, and I love that you mentioned that the
organization would do thisinvestment.
Instead of outsourcing andspending money Again, they're
actually reinvesting into theirorganization so that they can
learn how to write a grant.
And so this makes me curiouswhat kind of shifts have you
seen in people who go throughthe accelerator course?
(04:11):
Like not just like in theability to get funding, because
we all know that that is a hugewin in itself, but more about,
like the emotional side, like inan organization who learns how
to write grants properly, whathappens to their confidence,
their leadership skills, howthey kind of show up in their
work.
Nicole (04:30):
Great question.
So three things come to mindwhen I hear that question.
One is I'm definitely hearingfrom past participants and
current clients.
Where I may use the program tocomplement or leverage some
other work is that they'rereally seeing a reduction in
their budget allocation onoutsourcing for grant writers,
(04:54):
fundraisers or communicationstaff who are taking the course
and, you know, have alwayswanted to excel or increase
their writing skills are feelingmore confident and they really
feel that they're understanding.
They can say I'm a grant writerand they are seeing that
success through submissions orfeedback from funders.
And then the third would be theefficiency and the time in being
(05:17):
organized and having aready-to-go product and being
able to adapt and shift to thefunders' needs.
And along with that confidence,what I love hearing the
participants say is we know ourcase for support, we know our
pitch, we know what we needfunded, and they're pursuing
(05:38):
that rather so being morestrategic rather than just
responding to, oh, this moneysounds nice, rather than just
responding to, oh, this moneysounds nice.
So they're feeling empoweredand taking that control back in
their own grant developmentprocess.
So to wrap up, I'd sayefficiency, a reduction in the
budget allocation to outsourcingto funders or sorry, to grant
(06:02):
writers, which is great, so thatthey can keep that into their
mission.
Funders, or sorry, to grantwriters, which is great, so that
they can keep that into theirmission, and just that
confidence and streamliningtheir overall grant development
process.
So budget time saving but alsoincreasing the confidence and
the morale of the internal staff, which is really my motto when
I approach my capacity buildingwork.
Alyssa (06:23):
No, that's really inspiring and I think it's such
an important reminder thatfunding itself is just one piece
of the puzzle, like the realtransformation is really in how
people grow their skills, theirconfidence, their ability to
keep making an impact, like longafter the grant is awarded.
It's those internal skills thatthey're gaining and then they're
keeping for years to come.
(06:43):
And that's one thing I kind ofreally love about your story is
that this course isn't justabout like a quick win, like
it's about something thatthey're going to continue to use
and reference back to for youknow how many years.
And it's a course that doesn'tjust you know, they finish it
and then that's it.
(07:03):
And most courses are like thatwhen, yeah, they're great, they
give you the quick win, youapply it, but then you know you
don't really go back to it.
It just kind of sits there,you've paid for it and it's just
kind of like we don't really,we only use this one time.
But your course seems to evolveand it also seems to be that
(07:25):
one thing that they willcontinue to use.
So my question is like how didyou come up with the curriculum
to make sure that the resultsstick and that they're going to
be using this for many years,not just a one time thing.
Nicole (07:40):
Yeah, Thanks for reflecting on my last answer,
because one thing I should thenalso tease out is it's not only
that first phase, which iswriting the grant and then
submitting it, but the greatthing about when the in-house
staff are also writing the grant, they also have to write the
impact report or follow thefunder or the opportunity for
(08:01):
renewal.
So again, that just helps withthe overall development
continuum within theorganization.
So the proven what I love aboutthis course I have to admit a
lot of this came through youradvisement.
You know we spent a lot of timestrategizing, going through the
learner's experience, and Isaid to you I just don't want to
(08:23):
be another talking head talkingabout grant writing theory, and
so you actually inspired me tookay, well, what's your formula?
And I said to you I just don'twant to be another talking head
talking about grant writingtheory, and so you actually
inspired me to okay, well,what's your formula?
And I realized that I had allthese templates and tools that
I've either used with clients orI myself have just designed for
my own writing.
And so that's what came from.
(08:43):
I actually think is the anchorpart of the course, is the
impact builder tool of thecourse, is the impact builder
tool.
So it's quite a detailedworksheet that really breaks
down each component of a typicalgrant application, and so it
helps the learner.
And the module then isreflected on that writing
process.
So you're not sitting down andtrying to write an application
all at once.
We're taking you component bycomponent.
(09:04):
You are seeing how it's writtenalong the way and at the end of
each micro module within thecourse, you're left with the
draft positioning for that partof the application.
So you're writing as you go,not just learning and taking
notes.
You know, the idea is that ifyou're taking this course, you
understand great writing and thegrant writing theory, you have
(09:27):
a project that you're takingthis course, you understand
great writing and the grantwriting theory, you have a
project that you're ready towork on and we take you through
each module and your writing asyou go.
And what I love and again thisis Leslie, you inspired me to do
this is one of the first timesin my courses or in my teachings
where I'm actually pulling backthe curtain and I'm sharing
examples, real life examplesfrom winning proposals.
(09:49):
So again, just to help expeditethat drafting process, so that
the writer can understand,here's a great example of what a
funder is looking for whenyou're answering this question.
Alyssa (10:01):
No, I love that and it really shows how the real value
of the course isn't just aboutthe grants but giving them the
tools.
And what I found that I lovedabout your course and that we
worked on together is that itwas the examples.
It was the real life examples,but then also it was like the
templates that they could follow, it was like the scripts, it
was the frameworks.
You know, it's not justsomething that you watch.
(10:23):
You weren't just a talking head.
I mean, there is talking headvideos to guide every learner to
like the next stage, but itwasn't just a video and then
click Like.
I just recently invested in um,like a CapCut course, for
example, and you know I reallywanted to learn like the video
editing for Instagram, and whenI logged in, it was her just
(10:45):
talking and that's it.
There was no transcript, therewas no framework, there was no
um, any kind of examples, and Ifelt so like something was
missing from this and I didn'tthink it was like Ooh, the value
.
I'm not sure about that becauseyou know they didn't really,
she didn't really provide enoughinformation for me to actually
(11:06):
like go and learn and do it,whereas this one is like it's an
all in one, you have everythingyou need within that course in
order to be successful.
So that's where I found, um,that your course is very
different than a lot of theother courses out there that are
only thinking like, oh, let mejust like film this video and
(11:27):
they'll figure it out.
You've really like you holdtheir hand throughout the entire
course, so you know if they'redoing this, whether it is live
or self-paced, I mean, even ifit is just self-paced, they have
everything they need, which isvery different.
So now, before we wrap up, I'dlove to leave our listeners with
something that they can takeaway and apply right now.
(11:49):
So if there is an organizationor a business out there that is
listening right now, that isinterested in grant writing or
wants to learn the skills ofgrant writing and maybe have
their own initiatives thatthey're trying to reach out to
or to have Sorry, let me do thatagain.
(12:10):
Sorry, mike.
One second, okay.
So before we wrap up, I'd loveto leave our listeners with
something they can take away andapply right now.
What is one piece of advice orwisdom that you can share with a
business or an entrepreneur whohas a or is interested in grant
writing or wants to make abigger impact with their work
and their audiences?
(12:31):
What would you like to sharewith them?
Nicole (12:33):
I love that question because that's where my head was
at when I was working with youon designing this course, my
approach to the grant writingaccelerator.
It's completely different thanwhat I'm used to do in the past
and so, reflecting on that livedexperience, to answer your
question, there's that readinessfactor, just not jumping in and
(12:54):
being ready to write or makingyour pitch up as you go there is
a lot of things.
Have that preparation or thatreadiness phase.
What's your product or whatprogram are you taking to market
or are you going to present infront of the funder?
What's the level of alignment?
Do you have those outcomes andevaluation methodology already
(13:17):
in existence?
What's your budget?
What's your work plan?
All aspects that we dive intoin the course.
And I say all this like reallylooking at that continuum of the
project or the continuum of theidea.
The one thing a grant writer inparticular, or a social
entrepreneur should never getinto a web of doing is
(13:39):
responding or making upsomething just to satisfy a
funder or a potential partner.
You know there's empowerment inthe work that we do because we
are tasked with implementing andfunding a project or a program
or a capital project.
That's advancing ourorganizational mandate.
(13:59):
Our board has mandated thispriority, so we are our own
experts.
Sometimes we give thatexpertise away to the funder,
thinking that the funderdictates the work that we do,
but what the funders really wantto see is understanding, taking
them through the blueprint ofthe work that you do do and are
you going to be good stewards oftheir investment.
So I can't emphasize enough thatreadiness or that preparation
(14:23):
phase and really understandingwhat is your priority project,
what is the alignment witheligibility criteria, and then
making sure that you have yourown outcomes, evaluation, work
plan and budget put together.
Because then you wrap that allup into kind of that full
product or that full ask or thatfull package, rather than, hey,
(14:44):
this sounds like a greatopportunity, and working
backwards from that, becausethen you're really making
something up and then should youget that investment or that
really great partnership, areyou then able to sustain that
right?
Because when a transfer paymentagreement comes through or a
funding contribution comesthrough, you need to be able to
look at that in confidence andsay or a funding contribution
(15:05):
comes through, you need to beable to look at that in
confidence and say, well, wepitched that Like we actually
realized that, so don't giveaway that empowerment and that
expertise.
You are the expert.
Sometimes we all need a littlebit of advice or a learning
opportunity to sharpen ourskills or to understand a
formula or a strategy that works.
But essentially, organize,prepare and be ready before you
(15:28):
make, click that submit buttonor make that leap into a
partnership.
Alyssa (15:33):
Amazing.
That is really great advice andsomething to sit and reflect on
, because there are a lot offactors like the prep and the
readiness, the level ofalignment, and so that is
something that is in your course, the level of alignment, and so
that is something that is inyour course, try to always come
full circle, but I think you cantake that those principles.
Nicole (15:52):
You know I do that, whether I'm, you know, writing
policy for something else, or ifI'm working on an organization
registration, or if I'm lookingat, you know, entering into a
member understanding withanother community partnership,
you know you really need to bedriven by answering that
question, that curious questionof how can we deliver on this.
(16:14):
So, you know, in such aresponsive and fast paced world,
we jump all of that preparationwork and we explore this in the
course.
You know, if you take the timeand invest in that readiness,
your efficiency and gettingfunded faster, your performance
and productivity is going tobenefit from that Definitely.
Alyssa (16:35):
Now I know that there's going to be listeners that are
going to be thinking well, okay,so I need to get all of these
maybe prepared, or to think, ormaybe they need to take the next
step, um, and they would wantto connect with you and maybe
even work with you, take yourcourse, um, because these are
all really great things that Ithink, um, that are first in the
(16:57):
course, but also that they needto do the prep work in
beforehand to make sure thatthis is a good investment for
the organization, their businessand you know whatever they're
doing.
And so where, would you say thebest place is to find this
course, also to connect with youpersonally, and where can they
(17:17):
find you online?
Nicole (17:19):
Excellent, Capacityforcommunitycom is my
website.
You can book.
I always encourage people tostart with a complimentary
consultation, regardless of whattheir needs are.
I've done a few consult callswhere I've actually taken people
through a behind the scenestour of the course and I just
find that people deserve theright to understand and see what
(17:42):
they're investing in and thisjust isn't a static self-paced
course.
You know I have integrated thisin other consulting and
coaching programs.
A lot of people will go and doit self-paced and then re-engage
with me to kind of do a reviewand edit of a final proposal.
I can do some live wraparoundcoaching with the course, but
(18:04):
the course and all thoseadditional features and ways to
engage are all oncapacityforacademycom.
You just click on the GetFunded Faster button and it will
redirect you to the course pageand has all the details there.
Alyssa (18:20):
Awesome.
Well, thank you so much, Nicole, for coming on the show today
and sharing such valuableinsights with us.
I know this conversation isgoing to be really helpful for
anyone curious about grantwriting or looking for ways to
strengthen the work that they'realready doing, and so for
everyone listening.
Thank you for tuning in.
Thank you, Nicole, for comingon the show.
Nicole (18:39):
Thank you so much, really appreciate it.
Alyssa (18:46):
And if you love this episode, send me a message on
Instagram at yeslabca, and letme know the one thing that
Nicole shared today that reallystood out to you.
Thanks for listening and I'llsee you next time with more
brilliant ideas to inspire yourbusiness.
Thanks for tuning in to thisepisode of Brilliant Ideas.
If you love the show, be sureto leave a review and follow me
on Instagram for even moreinsider tips and inspiration.
Ready to bring your next big,brilliant idea to life?
Visit AlyssaVelsercom forresources, guidance and
(19:08):
everything you need to startcreating something amazing.
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