Carinci Consulting: Strategy, Funding, Coaching, and Evaluation Services to Advance Nonprofit Impact
As Founder and Principal Consultant of Carinci Consulting, I bring two decades of non-profit leadership launching national strategic and research initiatives, conceptualizing networked improvement communities, and forging diverse partnerships to address gaps and improve stakeholder outcomes. Since launching a grants agency in December of 2022, I have helped clients win over $30 million in grant funding and have advanced a total of over $54 million in my career. How could leveraging my expertise advance your mission and free up your time?
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🗽 Ready for Freedom From Grant Overwhelm?
Published 4 months ago • 4 min read
July 2025
Declare Independence from Chaotic Grant Chasing
This July, while fireworks light up the sky, let’s talk about lighting a spark in your grant strategy.
At Carinci Consulting, we believe every nonprofit deserves the freedom to pursue funding with clarity, confidence, and purpose—not burnout. Just like the perfect fireworks display, successful grant seeking is all about timing, preparation, and strategic alignment.
So, here’s your permission slip to stop reacting and start leading your funding journey.
Because what if the real freedom this month came not just from celebration, but from finally having a strategic plan that sparks results—not stress?
What If Playing It Safe Is Actually Holding You Back?
"The riskiest thing we can do is just maintain the status quo." - Bob Iger
In times of uncertainty, the most natural instinct is to protect what you have. For nonprofits, this often means tightening budgets, pausing consulting engagements, and putting growth strategies on hold—especially when it comes to grant seeking. But what if that instinct to “play it safe” is exactly what’s keeping you from moving forward?
Let’s explore why cutting back might be costing more than you realize—and how proactive investment in grant strategy can position your organization to grow, even in a down cycle.
Education and Broadening Participation in Earth Sciences (EAR EBP)
Description: Supports research, education and professional development initiatives that engage a wide range of audiences and enhance participation in Earth sciences, including undergraduate research, postdoctoral fellowships and early-career faculty development.
Science of Science: Discovery, Communication and Impact (SoS:DCI)
Award Amount: While there is no funding limit for SoS:DCI has supported awards of varying sizes ($200,000-$700,000)
Deadline: September 9, 2025
Description: Supports research focused on advancing knowledge and theory on the social science of scientific discovery; theories, models and data improving our understanding of scientific communication; and how science advances evidence-based policymaking and public value.
Award Amount: Track 1: Small Scale Projects: Maximum budget of $475,000; Track 2: ATE Projects: Maximum budget of $1,000,000
Deadline: October 2, 2025
Description: Supports partnerships between two-year institutions of higher education, other academic institutions, industry and other entities to improve the education of technicians in science and engineering.
Award Amount: Planning: $60,000; Implementation: $400,000 (+additional $100,000 for Positions in the Public Humanities, if you choose to apply); Chair’s Special Awards: $1,000,000
Deadline: August 13, 2025 (anticipated)
Description: Supports projects that bring the ideas of the humanities to life for general audiences through public programming. Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history.
Award Amount: Unspecified, dependent on the proposal
Deadline: Rolling deadline for letters of inquiry, full proposals once every quarter
Description: Organizations across the world who work to support health, education, enterprise, and the arts to build strong and stable communities. Awards grants across four categories: Community Health & Wellness, Education & Educational Opportunity, Enterprise & Economic Innovation, and Arts & Expression, allowing for a wide variety of proposals and projects while focusing on organizations who have direct contact with their beneficiary populations and recipients.
🎯 Lessons Learned: What Grant Success Rates Really Mean—and What to Do About Them
If you've ever hit "submit" on a grant proposal and crossed your fingers, you're not alone. But what if there were better ways to set expectations—and increase your odds of winning? Understanding funder success rates isn't just trivia—it’s a strategic edge. And most nonprofits aren’t using this data to their advantage. Here’s what the numbers are really telling us—and how you can turn insight into action.
1. 📉 Low Success Rates Don’t Mean "Don't Apply"—They Mean “Apply Smarter. ”Some large federal programs have success rates under 10%. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for it—it means you need to invest in the right opportunity with the right strategy. Focus on fit, not just funding size.
2. 🔍 Use Funder History to Gauge Your Likelihood of Success. If a funder typically awards only 5–10 grants from hundreds of applicants, but you don’t meet all the eligibility criteria or haven’t built a relationship—maybe it’s not the right cycle to apply. Or maybe it’s a multi-year cultivation play.
🔗 Tip: Use Instrumentl’s 990 Snapshot to review past grantees and average award sizes.
3. 🧩 Matchmaking Matters More Than You Think. Funder alignment is one of the most common reasons applications are rejected—even solid ones. Build a grants pipeline where every opportunity is vetted for mission alignment, past giving, and relationship potential.
✅ Take Action: Review your current pipeline. Ask: Do we have a strong case for this funder? Are we just chasing dollars—or building partnerships?
4. ✍️ Invest in Fewer, Better Applications. Don’t spread yourself thin trying to chase every RFP. Success rates go up when you take the time to tailor proposals, tell compelling stories, and back them with strong data. 💡 Insight: Carinci Consulting clients who build a 12–18 month strategy and prioritize funder fit tend to see win rates 2–4x+ higher than national averages.
5. 🔁 Rejection = Refinement, Not Defeat. Even the best-prepared proposals sometimes don’t win. But if you’ve made it to review or received feedback—don’t waste that intel. Use it to revise and reapply. Many funders expect to fund applicants on the second or third try.
✅ Bottom Line: Knowing a funder’s success rate is only useful if you combine it with strategy. The magic formula? High alignment + smart timing + quality proposals.
Want help evaluating your current grant pipeline—or building one that gets results?📅 Let’s talk: Reply to this email to book a strategy call.
Don’t leave funding on the table.
Let Carinci Consulting revive your grant strategy with tailored support that helps you secure the funding your mission truly deserves.
Whether you need to sharpen your proposal language, align your ask with funder priorities, or rethink your approach—we’re here to help you get back on track.
📩 Ready to strengthen your strategy? Let’s connect, respond to this email to set up your free discovery call today!
🔔 Level Up Your Grant Game! 🔔 Subscribe to Carinci Consulting for expert tips on grant strategy, funding success, and nonprofit growth! 🚀✨
Carinci Consulting: Strategy, Funding, Coaching, and Evaluation Services to Advance Nonprofit Impact
Jennifer Carinci
As Founder and Principal Consultant of Carinci Consulting, I bring two decades of non-profit leadership launching national strategic and research initiatives, conceptualizing networked improvement communities, and forging diverse partnerships to address gaps and improve stakeholder outcomes. Since launching a grants agency in December of 2022, I have helped clients win over $30 million in grant funding and have advanced a total of over $54 million in my career. How could leveraging my expertise advance your mission and free up your time?
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