You Have a Hammer: Building Grant Proposals for Social Change

With so many challenges to meet right now in our communities, the country and the world, understanding how to build proposals that win grant funding for nonprofits is one powerful way to make a difference — if you “get” how to do it right. That’s the sharp focus of this short, unique and really useful new book by Barbara Floersch, longtime chief of curriculum and training at The Grantsmanship Center in Los Angeles. “Thinking of a grant proposal strictly as a funding request diminishes much of its changemaking potential,” she argues; instead, nonprofit leaders and writers of grant proposals can achieve a whole lot more if they focus on the people they serve, the problems they can help solve, and the results they aim to achieve. The book’s subtitle, “Building Grant Proposals for Social Change,” says it in a nutshell — but Floersch builds on that with clear, concise guidance on researching grantmakers, on building partnerships, on evaluating outcomes in ways that help to keep the good going. This little book can itself make a very real difference ... and I hope it does.

This book is an important statement about the "whys" of grant seeking. There is an impression out there that a "grantwriter" will solve an organization's financial problems. They'll write some magic words, find some fat foundation or government agency, upload the paperwork and wait for the money to flow. This book goes through the core components of putting together winning proposals, but from the mindset that it's not about the organization, or the activities or the money--it's about change. It's about addressing important social issues (and that can include the arts). The smart funders out there (and they're getting smarter all the time) are looking for partners that share common concerns and are prepared to do something meaningful to bring about change. If you're ready to take that approach, this is the book for you.

You Have a Hammer fully describes the core principles and reasons for pursuing the highest purpose, practices, and ethics of grantsmanship. Everyone interfacing with grants should thoroughly absorb and take to heart these principles prior to reading the "how-to" books or embarking on formal training on grant proposal writing. As an experienced grant pro and trainer, this book was re-inspiring, and I have already purchased copies for clients and colleagues.

Whether you are a new or experienced grant-seeker or grant-maker, YOU HAVE A HAMMER is a timely must-read . Never has so much of such importance been squeezed into so few pages! Concise but inspiring, informational, accurate, and practical, this is an essential addition for your library of resources. Buy it today, read it tonight, and read it again any time your motivation flags.

Providing context to grant writing is one of the hardest things for the average grant writer (NOPE! grant specialist or other job descriptor of choice) to accomplish; see Chapter 1). Barbara Floersch provides a comprehensive, soup to nuts guide to the whole grant ecosystem. I found this view of the grant process to be fresh and inspiring. Individuals who write grant proposals and non-profit organizations who depend on grant funding will find this resource extremely valuable as they pursue new grant opportunities.

How do you write a powerful grant proposal that can drive positive social change? This compelling, short but insightful book highlights what effective and personal relationships between advocates and funders can accomplish. The author’s 40 year experience in the grants and nonprofit world offers a readable blueprint for effective partnerships between donors and the nonprofits they fund. Both will benefit from this excellent guide!

This book is a must read for both non-profit managers and board members. Too often boards fall into the traps and pitfalls that are identified in this book. My career included over 15 years as a non-profit executive and the advice in Floersch's book would have been beneficial for my organizations. I recently joined the board of a non-profit cultural organization and will recommend this book to my fellow board members.