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,...
25 days ago â˘Â 5 min read
February 2026 𧥠Welcome to New (and Returning!) Grant Gurus and Novices If youâre new hereâwelcome! đ This newsletter is written by me, Jennifer Carinci, Ed.D., PMP, Founder & Principal Consultant at Carinci Consulting and produced with help from my team. (Special shout out to Sam!) We partner with nonprofits, school districts, and higher education institutions to design smart grant strategies, write competitive proposals, and build sustainable funding pipelines. Weâve had a record number of...
about 2 months ago â˘Â 7 min read
January 2026 Smarter, Not Busier: Your 2026 Grants Reset January always comes with the temptation to âdo moreââmore proposals, more deadlines, more hustle. But if 2025 taught us anything, itâs this: Working harder isnât the same as winning more. This year, what if your guiding question wasnât âHow much can we squeeze in?â but âWhat will actually move the needle?â A smarter grants year is built on reflection: Which proposals in 2025 delivered the biggest impact for the effort? Where did we...
2 months ago â˘Â 6 min read
âł The countdown is on⌠Are you ready to jumpstart your 2026 funding strategy? If getting organized for grant season has been sitting on your to-do list, now is the moment to move. Every year, organizations miss out on hundreds of thousandsâand sometimes millionsâin potential funding simply because they donât have the time or expertise to navigate the ever-changing grant landscape. To set you up for success, weâre opening a limited number of discounted Strategy Client spots* for organizations...
3 months ago â˘Â 1 min read
December 2025 đ Carinci Consulting Turns 3! đ Three Years of Strategy. Three Years of Impact. Three Years of Turning Vision Into Reality. This month, Carinci Consulting celebrates three years in business â and we couldnât be more honored or grateful. What started as a leap of faith has grown into a mission-driven consultancy that has, in partnerships, helped nonprofits and higher education institutions secure nearly $200 million in competitive grants, launch transformative programs, expand...
4 months ago â˘Â 10 min read
November 2025 Show your mission some love with a grant strategy that actually works. November is a time for gathering, gratitudeâand if youâre playing the long gameâgetting strategic.Just like setting the table before the feast, laying the groundwork for your grant approach now sets your organization up for success in the months ahead. Why does this matter? Because data shows that nonprofits with a clear grant strategy are over 3 times more likely to secure funding than those that take an...
5 months ago â˘Â 6 min read
October 2025 đ§âď¸ Don't Let Grant Myths Haunt Your Mission October may be spooky seasonâbut letâs be honest, few things are scarier than missing a game-changing grant opportunity because of misinformation or hesitation. đť Whether it's the myth that "you need a full-time grant writer to compete" or the fear that "youâre too small to win federal funding," Iâve seen these ghost stories paralyze organizations that are more than capable. The truth? With the right guidance and strategic timing, even...
6 months ago â˘Â 5 min read
September 2025 đŚ Fall Funding Season Is Here: Are You Ready? As kids sharpen pencils and teachers prep their classrooms, itâs a great time for nonprofits to reset their grant strategy too. Fall marks one of the busiestâand most lucrativeâseasons for funding. But hereâs the catch: many organizations are still using last yearâs playbook while the grants landscape has already evolved.From AI-assisted applications to funders demanding deeper impact metrics, the old âcopy-paste from last yearâ...
7 months ago â˘Â 4 min read
August 2025 Building Momentum, Making Space August is often the overlooked middle child of the calendarâwedged between the buzz of back-to-school and the calm before fallâs funding flurry. But hereâs a secret: August can be your nonprofitâs most strategic month.This is your moment to pause and take stock. Whatâs working? Whatâs draining your energy? Where could a little clarity or consistency create more momentum?At Carinci Consulting, we believe sustained funding success isnât just about...
8 months ago â˘Â 5 min read