Jun 30, 2026 · 24 min · 12 segments
Erin Davison explains why the best grant funding comes from alignment, relationships, and thoughtful research, not sending more applications. In this episode of Nonprofit SnapCast, Mickey Desai…
Erin DavisonGuest
Mickey DesaiHost
But any type of AI support, new software, new this and that, all the algorithms, all the coding, I love it.
It was the funders that you knew, you know, your community foundations, your United Ways, your, you know, all of those regional or strictly local foundations.
And then when the internet came about, And all of these different softwares are built for you to be able to put your keywords in, all of that good stuff.
And then when AI came in with the algorithm and said, wait a minute, let's completely enhance this experience to where you can, you can actually pinpoint so closely to a hundred percent strategic alignment with that funder.
Meaning you have your keywords, say your youth development, or say you provide cancer support services, whatever your mission is, you can drill down so closely into so many different keywords that that AI will give you a short list of funders that are so close to alignment, you have better odds of receiving funding.
And so in that aspect of it, with the research part, use it, use the AI, use all the algorithms, use everything at your disposal.
There's so many free avenues, there's economic avenues, and then you've got your Rolls Royce of AI that is you know, pretty much doing it for you, keyword search, notifications, things like that.
AI in the writing sense, it's a little tricky because I believe as a grant writer, as a contractor that works with nonprofits, I do my best to write the grant in their words.
So say you're the nonprofit executive director or you're the development director and you and I are partnering.
to be able to find alignment with funders and also to be able to write the best version of the compelling story.
So there's a lot of conversations, there's a lot of back and forth, like you have final review on the proposal, the narrative, all of that, because it's your baby.
But any type of AI support, new software, new this and that, all the algorithms, all the coding, I love it.
It was the funders that you knew, you know, your community foundations, your United Ways, your, you know, all of those regional or strictly local foundations.
And then when the internet came about, And all of these different softwares are built for you to be able to put your keywords in, all of that good stuff.
And then when AI came in with the algorithm and said, wait a minute, let's completely enhance this experience to where you can, you can actually pinpoint so closely to a hundred percent strategic alignment with that funder.
Meaning you have your keywords, say your youth development, or say you provide cancer support services, whatever your mission is, you can drill down so closely into so many different keywords that that AI will give you a short list of funders that are so close to alignment, you have better odds of receiving funding.
And so in that aspect of it, with the research part, use it, use the AI, use all the algorithms, use everything at your disposal.
There's so many free avenues, there's economic avenues, and then you've got your Rolls Royce of AI that is you know, pretty much doing it for you, keyword search, notifications, things like that.
AI in the writing sense, it's a little tricky because I believe as a grant writer, as a contractor that works with nonprofits, I do my best to write the grant in their words.
So say you're the nonprofit executive director or you're the development director and you and I are partnering.
to be able to find alignment with funders and also to be able to write the best version of the compelling story.
So there's a lot of conversations, there's a lot of back and forth, like you have final review on the proposal, the narrative, all of that, because it's your baby.
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