Creating a culture of freelance grant writers, who work from home on flexible hours and make a higher revenue than inside a nonprofit J-O-B.
We provide grant writing and business acumen skills, so you can start or grow a grant writing business and serve causes that are meaningful while having boundaries to still live your life.
Courage
IT IS THROUGH COURAGE, AUTHENTICITY, CONNECTION AND CREATIVITY THAT WE HELP YOU THRIVE.
It takes courage to start and grow a business. Many grant professionals are women (82%) and come from the nonprofit industry.
What Courage looks like and how it shows up in our programs/business: We talk about things happening in the industry: nonprofit toxicity, inequity pay, how grant writers have /are being treated unjustly, when to 'release' clients, and so much more. This all takes courage to confront these discussions.
We provide mindset coaching and are courageous to give our students honest and direct coaching.
In our business, we stand in courage when making business decisions that even though they might not feel 'comfy' they are needed.
Authenticity
We have lived experience in writing grants for more than 20 years and having a full-time business since 2014. Therefore, we can share our learned lessons with students as they go through changes as entrepreneurs and in their identity of becoming a freelancer or business owner.
What Authenticity looks like and how it shows up in our programs/ business: We work with our students and give transparent examples (from our business and examples of our 20 years of being in the industry). If we don't know the answer, we pull in students from the program who may have more experience in certain areas, guest coaches, or refer out to our industry network.
Inclusiveness & Connection
We believe in relationships being important for real connection for changemakers in our programs, but also how they operate with funders in their businesses.
What Inclusiveness/Connection looks like and how it shows up in our programs/business: This shows up in the interaction in our community channels and sharing in coaching. We try to be aware as possible about what's happening in the industry and social changes that impacts people. We provide a safe place where change makers of all different races, ages, and gender representation, and varying abilities belong and have a voice.
Inside our business, we hire team members and vendors with diverse backgrounds as we believe it's important for change makers in our programs to be represented, and that it is important for equality. We believe that we, from different lived experiences, have much to teach each other.
Creativity
We believe in quality being important, with speed to market is equally important. We look at creative ways to get students resources, feedback, and connections that they need, when they need it.
What Creativity looks like and how it shows up in our programs/business: Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn't mean it's always right. We are disrupters in this space because we are completely looking at the way that grant writers have been treated for DECADES and changing up the narrative and beliefs around this. We think creatively and provide language and vocabulary to support folks as they change their pricing, confront urban myths about grant writing, etc.
Vision Statement
By 2030, causes are enhanced by $1 billion in funding and grant writers build $30 million in flexible, meaningful, and profitable businesses.
Grant Writing & Funding
Mission Statement
Build grant writers through skills, coaching, and community to secure 7–8 figure grant wins and multi–six-figure businesses.
Rustick
Meet the head coach + founder
Holly
I've been writing grants for 20 years and doing part-time freelance or working inside nonprofits.
Grant Writing & Funding (GWF) provides a community and support for grant professionals to have legacy businesses, on flexible hours, while delivering high-quality grant writing services for nonprofits. GWF has a Global Movement for our students to Secure $1 Billion in Grant Funding for Good and $30 Million in Grant Writing Businesses by 2030. Holly Rustick, CEO of GWF, is leading the movement; a world-renowned grant writer with 20+ years of experience, bestselling author, and business coach for new and seasoned grant writers to replace their full-time income writing grants part-time from home through her signature programs: theFreelance Grant Writer Academy and theGrant Professional Mentorship.
Holly has more than 20 years experience writing grants, is the podcast host of the top grant writing podcast in the world, “Grant Writing & Funding” and author of the bestselling book, “The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing.” Both Holly and co-coaches in her programs have extensive grant writing and business experience.
Holly has an MA in International Political Economy, BA in political science, is past-president of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, author of 4 books, was the governor-appointed business representative on the Guam Business Recovery Task Force during the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2017 was recognized under Resolution 33-34 COR under the 34th Guam Legislation for her dedication to combat human trafficking in the world, and is an unapologetic feminist. She lives on the island of Guam with her beautiful daughter, Isabella.
However, 10 years after that, and after working in nonprofits for a long time, I realized that they are toxic workplaces for grant writer, and especially women.
In addition to this grants are thrown at them at the last moment and they work evenings, weekends, and holidays. Most grant writers are also females. They end up feeling guilted to work these long hours and work 'in charity' and low salaries.
In 2004, I took a community development job in Indonesia after the Asian Tsunami in 2004. I started linking community members and writing proposals for them with the big UN orgs and didn't even realize what I was doing had a name "i.e. grant writing" but ended loving it and moving outside DC and working for a grant writing agency. I was able to live around the world doing different jobs while freelancing on the side.
Overall, grant writers are hard to pay inside a nonprofit, so they end up getting hired for other roles, but also have the responsibility of writing grants. they end up having to work two jobs but only get paid for one.
I landed in grant writing work - like SO many others - just because of a situation.
I also was asked how I became a grant writer from SO many people that I became coaching others in 2014! And I realized that all the work I did to figure out pricing, services, and nonprofit sales worked for others, too! I have created a movement for grant writers and now coach hundreds of people every week inside our group coaching programs to replace their full-time incomes, on flexible hours, writing grants from home.
I opened my own business so was able to charge a higher rate, create boundaries in my time/scope of work, and focus on writing grants instead of 'other duties as necessary'. This changed from me being able to earn a 6-figure income on less hours.
My life changed when:
Meet the Rest of the Team
Gwen Valentino
Head Support Coach (aka Resource Queen)
Home: Sandia Park, NM
Favorite Grant to Write: Federal
Favorite way to get Clients: Word of mouth
What I loved in the Academy as a Student: The access and support
What I love as a Coach: The connection to the students and the community
Looking forward to in 2026 & Beyond: Witnessing the changemakers hit 1 billion in awards!
Favorite Emoji: Eyelashes
Since 2018, I’ve been turning community dreams into funded realities. As the founder of NM Grant Writers, I specialize in helping small nonprofits, cities, and community organizations bridge the gap between vision and funding. My journey began at the South Central Council of Governments, where I learned the art (and strategy) of navigating federal, state, and foundation grants, from USDA and NMFA to private foundations across the Southwest. What drives me is simple: helping good people do great work. Whether it’s revitalizing rural communities, strengthening local nonprofits, or building sustainable programs, I believe grant writing isn’t just paperwork, it’s storytelling with purpose. When you work with me, expect strategy, structure, and a genuine partner who cares about your mission as much as you do. Gwen has been a student inside the Mentorship and Academy, as well as a Co-Coach inside the Academy for a year! You will get amazing support from her as she runs her own grant writing business, products, and knows our culture. We are SO Excited for her to be coaching you inside this program!
Since 2018, I’ve been turning community dreams into funded realities. As the founder of NM Grant Writers, I specialize in helping small nonprofits, cities, and community organizations bridge the gap between vision and funding. My journey began at the South Central Council of Governments, where I learned the art (and strategy) of navigating federal, state, and foundation grants, from USDA and NMFA to private foundations across the Southwest.
What drives me is simple: helping good people do great work. Whether it’s revitalizing rural communities, strengthening local nonprofits, or building sustainable programs, I believe grant writing isn’t just paperwork, it’s storytelling with purpose. When you work with me, expect strategy, structure, and a genuine partner who cares about your mission as much as you do.
Gwen has been a student inside the Mentorship and Academy, as well as a Co-Coach inside the Academy for a year! You will get amazing support from her as she runs her own grant writing business, products, and knows our culture. We are SO Excited for her to be coaching you inside this program!
D Abshire
Co-Coach (aka Motivator & Inspiration Cheerleader!)
Home: Bilbao, Spain
Favorite Grant to Write: Local Foundations / Community Grants & Sponsorships — loves the relationship building and helping change the trajectory of small/smallish nonprofits that have never had funding
Favorite way to get Clients: Referrals / Word of Mouth
What I loved in the Academy as a Student: The community — came for the grant expertise, found a brilliant & supportive family
What I love as a Coach: Supporting students to “get it” at a deeper level, witnessing the lightbulb moments, and seeing actions turn into results
Looking forward to in 2026 & Beyond: BILLION with a “B” in student-secured grants and what we will grow into to get there
Favorite Emoji: Sloth
Desiree
Online Business Manager & Client Support (aka Systems Diva)
Home: Madrid, Spain
Favorite wins to post: Slack group wins that showcase the variety of student achievements and the supportive community
What I love most as OBM: Seeing wins and revenue increase every week and tracking student progress
Looking forward to in 2026 & Beyond: Building new support systems and upgrading the community
Favorite Emoji: Fire heart
From Freelance Grant Writer to Business Owner. The Grant Professional Mentorship helps Grant Writers Double Your Monthly Business Revenue by Adding Another Stream of Income Outside of Grant Writing.
You can scale your grant writing business with a team your business can afford. You can reduce burnout and grow revenue. Scaling doesn’t mean working more, it means working more efficiently and taking time to work ON your business. Change your identity to change your revenue.
The Grant Professional Mentorship is a 12-Month Group Mastermind with Coaching to help you create a team, double your revenue with additional revenue streams. You will get everything you need to replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, while writing grants from home.
Grant Professional Mentorship
LEARN MORE
Ways to Work with Me
02.
THE MASTERMIND
LEARN MORE
The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is a 12-Month group coaching program, for aspiring and experienced grant writers, where you get curriculum, coaching, and community to create a financially stable and flexible Freelance Grant Writing Business.
You will get everything you need to replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, while writing grants from home.
Freelance Grant Writer Academy
01.
THE ACADEMY
TUNE IN TO THE PODCAST
The Grant Writing & Funding podcast is the #1 top-ranked grant writing podcast in the world! We have been around since 2017, coaching and bringing on expert guests to help aspiring and experienced grant writers replace their full-time income while writing grants part-time from home (or anywhere they want to live or travel in the world).
Every week, thousands of people tune in to hear about grant writing leading trends, how to navigate the changing nonprofit sector as a freelance grant writer, and how to build a successful business as a freelance grant writer.
The Grant Writing & Funding Podcast
LISTEN IN
