A No-Wrong Door Approach to Supporting Nonprofits through Grant Writing with Jodi Riley

This episode, Jodi Riley explains the helpful systems and strategies you can use to scale a grant writing business, how to get involved with a community of grant writers, and different ways to build relationships with nonprofits.

Jodi Riley is the Principal Consultant and Certified Grant Writer at Innovant, where she leads her team and spearheads the grant writing & development processes.

Jodi explains how to understand where the need for grant writing is in your field, the different ways to connect with funders, and who you should hire to help you scale your grant writing business.

She also talks about the benefits of being part of a grant membership program, why talking to people who understand grant writing is so valuable, and how to use systems and strategies to scale a grant writing business.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to get involved with a community of grant writers.
• Ways to understand where the need for grant writing is in your field.
• How to build relationships with nonprofits.
• How freelance grant writers can connect with community foundations.
• Different ways to connect with funders.
• Who you should hire to help you scale your grant writing business.
• The benefits of being part of a grant membership program.
• Why talking to people who understand grant writing is so valuable.
• Helpful systems and strategies to scale a grant writing business.

About Jodi Riley

Jodi began her nonprofit sector career in education in 2008 and, since then, has worked in development roles focused on human trafficking prevention, workforce development, basic human rights, advocacy, and social justice.

Jodi holds an A.A. degree in Human Services, a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management, and an Executive Certificate in Transformational Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Notre Dame. Her devotion to nonprofit causes is evident not only in her work but also in her service on various boards as well as her involvement in local volunteer projects.

Jodi holds credentials as a Certified Grant Writer (CGW) through the American Grant Writers Association and also as a Grant Professional Certified (GPC) through the Grant Professionals Certification Institute. Jodi currently serves as President of the Grant Professionals Association- Central Florida Chapter. 

Jodi is passionate about the arts, equality, and developing transformational leaders within the nonprofit sector. In 2016, Jodi decided to begin her own firm focused on filling gaps in grant writing and development needs within the nonprofit sector. In her role as Principal Consultant/Certified Grant Writer at Innovant, Jodi leads her team and spearheads the grant writing & development processes.

Connect with Jodi Riley:

• LinkedIn
• Website

Quotables:

• “I didn’t want to say no to organizations, so rather than saying no I’m much better at hiring someone and expanding and growing so we can help everyone here.”
• “I felt really alone before the grant mentorship program, I felt like I had no one to talk to about how to run my business, and before the mentorship program I’d talk to other business consultants but they didn’t understand grant consultancy and it feels like Holly integrally does understand it.”
• “There aren’t any grant people where I’m at, so having those professional connections through the mentorship program, I didn’t know how much I missed it so thank you for that and making me not alone in this.”

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Freelance Grant Writer Academy
• Foundant Technologies
• Lessons Learned in Partnerships
• Finding a Community of Grant Writers
• How This Federal Grant Writer Advanced Her Freelance Grant Writing Business
• Do you have a grant writing business and want to scale to multi 6 figures while building an agency? Join the Grant Professional Mentorship Waitlist
• Are you a new or seasoned grant writer and want to start or grow a freelance grant writing business and replace your full-time income with writing grants part-time from home? The Freelance Grant Writer Academy might be more your speed. Join the waitlist here.

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