The GRANTS Formula: The 6-Step System Behind Every Grant I've Ever Won

How do you actually write a grant proposal that wins funding?

Grant writing is both technical writing and an art form. You need to understand the funder’s requirements, speak directly to their rubric and mission, and build a compelling case backed by specific data. In this episode, Holly Rustick breaks down the process she has developed over more than 20 years of grant writing, training grant writers, and reviewing federal grant applications.

You’ll learn the six-step GRANTS Formula for building stronger proposals—from getting the funding instructions and researching the need to developing measurable objectives, creating an implementation timetable, and building a strategic budget. Holly also shares two common grant writing mistakes that can weaken an application, why funder alignment matters, and what organizations should do before writing and after submitting a proposal.

Whether you’re a nonprofit board member, staff member, executive director, startup, or grant writer, this episode will help you understand what funders are actually looking for and how to approach grant writing with a clear, strategic process.

ABOUT HOLLY RUSTICK

Grant Writing & Funding (GWF) has a Global Movement 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: the Freelance Grant Writer Academy and the Grant Professional Mentorship.

Rustick is the host of the top grant writing podcast “Grant Writing & Funding” and the author of the Bestselling book, The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing. With an MA in International Political Economy, past-president of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, serving on numerous boards of directors, Holly is also an unapologetic feminist. She lives on the island of Guam with her beautiful daughter, Isabella.

CONNECT WITH HOLLY RUSTICK

Website: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-rustick-0765b817/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyrustick

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GrantWritingandFunding