“Grant professionals ask hard questions because we've seen what happens when those questions don't get asked. I've watched organizations get funded for programs they couldn't sustain. I've seen the stress, the burnout, the mission drift that happens when you're just chasing money instead of building strategy.”

“A nonprofit exec seeks my help because they need funding, and they need it now. They’re surging with enthusiasm and passion for a project, or they’ve found the “perfect” open grant opportunity that just popped up. "Can you help us write the grant? We need the money in the next couple of months." And I usually have to be the bearer of bad news: Grants don't work that way.”