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If you've been following recent shifts in federal funding—particularly the challenges facing cultural heritage and diversity-focused organizations we discussed last month—you've probably realized that simply having great programs isn't enough anymore. Organizations need stronger internal systems, better data collection, and more sophisticated fundraising capabilities to compete in today's landscape.

Federal funding cuts. Terminated grants. Uncertain policies. If your nonprofit focuses on diversity, equity, inclusion, or cultural history preservation, you've felt the impact of the past year's policy shifts. But here's what many organizations are discovering: while federal funding has contracted, private philanthropy is stepping up in significant ways.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept in the nonprofit sector. It’s already here drafting, summarizing, reorganizing, and accelerating work that once took weeks. The real question facing nonprofits and funders today isn’t whether AI is being used in proposal development. It’s how we use it responsibly, transparently, and in service of real community change.

“Why didn’t my grant proposal get awarded?” It’s a question many nonprofit leaders ask themselves, and it’s easy to assume the answer has something to do with the writing. Maybe the language needed polishing? Maybe the tone wasn’t quite right? Maybe one more round of edits would have made the difference? In reality, funders don’t fund writing. They fund programs.

The end of the year brings a natural pause, a moment when nonprofit leaders look at everything they’ve accomplished, everything that still needs attention, and everything they hope to strengthen in the coming year. It’s also one of the most powerful times to reset your organization’s approach to seeking grant support.

Nonprofits across the country are facing one of the most volatile funding periods in years. Recent surveys show that one-third of community-serving nonprofits experienced government funding disruptions in early 2025, including delayed contracts, cancelled grants, and stop-work orders. At the same time, 87% of foundation leaders report that demand for funding has increased since January—many noting that organizations are seeking more flexible, unrestricted, or multi-year support.

Across the country, nonprofit leaders are feeling the squeeze. Budgets are stretched, community needs are rising, and the competition for grant funding has grown more intense. According to recent reports from the Urban Institute and Candid, nearly 60% of U.S. nonprofits are seeing flat or reduced government funding, while foundation giving is expected to increase only slightly in the coming year — mostly to organizations already known to funders.

If a self-proclaimed ‘expert’ wants to teach you ‘grantwriting,’ you might want to question whether they really know what they are doing. Could you be wasting your time and money? You want grant funding, right? You’re doing vital work in your community and you need more money to carry on. Somebody claims they’ll help you get a grant. Buyer beware if the ‘grantwriting expert’ is uninformed about these basics . . .

In a grant proposal, the Introduction to the Applicant Organization has two roles: · It highlights your organization’s qualifications to address the problem described in the proposal; and · It demonstates competence to implement the Methods, or program plan.

Just as it is important to define terminology in a proposal so the reader understands what it means at your local level, it's also important to define what I will call concepts. Concepts are often general phrases used to describe conditions or behaviors that are the foundation of a proposal.