Hello, community.

July is often framed around independence, fireworks, and freedom—so let’s talk about a kind of freedom nonprofits don’t celebrate enough:

💥Freedom from funding chaos.​
✨Freedom from chasing every RFP.
🌟Freedom from last-minute proposal sprints.
🔥Freedom to focus on impact…without burning out your people.

Here are a few “freedom moves” you can make this month—pulled from Carinci Consulting resources and a few external reads that pair well with summer strategy.

1) Declare independence from low-ROI grants🎯
If an opportunity hijacks your strategic plan, requires contortions to fit, or isn’t worth the effort, it’s okay to pass.
Read: “Not All Grants Are Worth the Trouble: How to Spot a Time-Suck in Disguise.”

2) Stop treating grants like a solo sport🤝
The fastest way to lose time is to make one person carry the entire process. Grants move best when program, finance, leadership, and storytelling are aligned early.
Read: “Grants Are a Team Sport: Why Your Development Staff Shouldn’t Go It Alone.”

3) Build a grants calendar so deadlines stop sneaking up on you📅
Your future self will thank you for doing this in July. A calendar creates breathing room—and better proposals. Here’s a related post from our blog archive on “How to Build a Winning Grants Calendar: A Nonprofit’s Year-Round Guide to Success.”

4) Use data to choose opportunities that match your capacity📊
Your team’s time is precious. A simple “funder fit” screen saves hours—and increases win potential. (If you want our one-page Funder Match Worksheet, download it here.)

5) Remember: resilience is a funding strategy🧭
When the environment shifts, diversified revenue and strong relationships help you keep serving. Check out our timely 3-part blog series on readiness , relationship-building, and diversification as key levers going forward for the second half of 2026.

🎉If you want more freedom in your funding work this year, hit reply with “FREEDOM” and tell us what you want to escape (scrambling? unclear roles? too many low-fit opportunities?). We’ll respond with a quick suggestion—or you can book a 30-minute chat and we’ll talk through your best next move.

With you in the work,

Jennifer

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