September 2026 đ Whatâs In Your Grants Backpack? September brings a familiar sense of possibility. Students return to school with freshly sharpened pencils, carefully organized notebooks, and backpacks packed for the year ahead. For nonprofits and higher education institutions, it is also the start of one of the busiest grant seasonsâand a good time to ask: Is your organization equipped for the opportunities ahead? A strong grants backpack is not filled with more funding opportunities than...
1 day ago â˘Â 7 min read
Hi Reader Back-to-school season always brings a certain energy: sharpen the pencils, clean out the backpack, get a little more organized than we were in July, and brace ourselves for the return of deadlines (although in the grant world itâs like finals week every weekđ). For nonprofits, it is also the perfect time to do a little grant strategy reset. This summer on the Carinci Consulting blog, we explored three big shifts in the current funding landscape: federal grants, foundation grants,...
22 days ago â˘Â 1 min read
August 2026 âď¸ Did Your Grants Strategy Take a Vacation This Summer? August is that funny in-between month: vacations are winding down, back-to-school energy is picking up, and fall deadlines are suddenly a lot closer than they looked in June.So hereâs the question: Did your grants strategy take a summer vacation too?If so, no judgment. Summer can be a lot. But if your team is finalizing your 2026 budget, adjusting your fiscal roadmap, or looking ahead to fall and winter submissions, this is...
about 1 month ago â˘Â 9 min read
July 2026 Freedom From Funding Chaos đ˝ July is full of independence talkâso letâs claim a kind of independence nonprofits rarely get enough of: đ Freedom from grant chaos. đ Freedom from last-minute deadline sprints. đ Freedom from chasing low-fit opportunities. đ Freedom to focus on mission while your funding strategy runs like a systemânot a fire drill. This month, weâre focusing on two practical ways to get there: 1. Using July as your strategic drafting window (so fall deadlines donât run...
about 2 months ago â˘Â 4 min read
Hello, community. July is often framed around independence, fireworks, and freedomâso letâs talk about a kind of freedom nonprofits donât celebrate enough: đĽFreedom from funding chaos.â¨Freedom from chasing every RFP.đFreedom from last-minute proposal sprints.đĽFreedom to focus on impactâŚwithout burning out your people. Here are a few âfreedom movesâ you can make this monthâpulled from Carinci Consulting resources and a few external reads that pair well with summer strategy. 1) Declare...
2 months ago â˘Â 1 min read
Warm greetings, mission-driven leaders: If youâre anything like me, June is a great month for a little âread + recalibrateâ before fall deadlines start crowding the calendar. Below is a short roundup of what Iâve been reading latelyâeach with a quick takeaway you can actually use in your grant strategy. 1) The donor base is shrinkingâeven when headline giving looks âfineâ This SSIR piece highlights a major trend: total giving can look healthy while the number of giving households declines,...
3 months ago â˘Â 1 min read
June 2026 âď¸ Mid-Year Check-In (No Panic Required) Letâs be honest, nonprofit teams are juggling a lotâprogram delivery, staffing, events, board needs, and about 47 other priorities. June is that month where the year quietly clears its throat and says, âHeyâŚhowâs that plan going?â đ
If this question has you sweating like undecided seniors being asked for college or career plans, the good news is you donât need a total overhaulâyou usually just need a quick reset and a clearer game plan for...
3 months ago â˘Â 5 min read
May 2026 Fund What Works: The May Grants Mindset Shift đąMay has a way of making everything feel like it should be growingâplants, plans, programsâŚproposal pressure included. But in grantland, âbiggerâ isnât always better. In fact, one of the most strategic moves a nonprofit can make is resisting the urge to chase growth for growthâs sake. This month, weâre leaning into a more fundable (and sustainable) idea: depth over hype. The organizations that win consistently arenât always the ones doing...
4 months ago â˘Â 5 min read
April 2026 đą From One Workshop to Whatâs Next April often feels like a resetâthe moment when ideas that have been sitting quietly start to take shape. Recently, I had the opportunity to lead a grant strategy workshop at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), and Iâm still thinking about the conversations that came out of it. Thank you to AACTE for the invitationâand to everyone who showed up ready to think differently about funding. One thing that stood out: the...
5 months ago â˘Â 6 min read
March 2026 đĽMarch Matchups â Make Your Grants Portfolio Work Harder March is where the year gets real. Q1 momentum is building, deadlines are starting to stack, and the question becomes: Are you choosing the right opportunitiesâor just the next ones? This monthâs theme is March Matchupsâbecause grant success isnât only about writing well. Itâs about picking battles you can actually win and punching above your weight. When your proposals go to funders that truly match your mission, capacity,...
6 months ago â˘Â 5 min read