Notes from the field
Blog
Concrete, practitioner-to-practitioner writing on the fundraising stack.
- Every Bonterra product name, and what it used to be called
EveryAction, Network for Good, Salsa, CyberGrants: what each is called in 2026, which ones still exist, and two corrections everyone gets wrong.
- Federal vs foundation grants: which your shop should chase
Federal awards are larger, slower, and carry a compliance burden most small shops underestimate. Foundation grants are smaller and faster. How to tell which fits your capacity.
- Free grant research: how far Grants.gov and the library actually get you
You can run a credible grant research operation for $0. Here is exactly what the free sources cover, where they stop, and what the paid tools add that matters.
- Writing a letter of inquiry that gets a proposal invited
An LOI is a screening document, not a short proposal. What the program officer is checking for in two pages, and the structure that survives it.
- Hand-researching your top 25 prospects for free
Before you spend $4,000 on wealth screening, do this. The public sources, the order to work them in, and what a capacity estimate you built yourself is actually worth.
- What a grant budget actually has to show
Program officers read the budget before the narrative. What belongs in it, what indirect costs you can legitimately claim, and the four errors that get proposals declined without a conversation.
- The grant reporting calendar that keeps renewals
A missed reporting deadline costs the renewal, not just the report. The tracking fields that matter, when to build the calendar, and what to do when you are already late.
- What a grant writer costs, and when to hire one
Hourly, per-project, retainer, or commission, what each arrangement actually costs, why commission-based grant writing is a problem, and the cheaper fix most shops need first.
- Reading a 990-PF: the four numbers that matter
A private foundation's tax return tells you whether to apply, how much to ask for, and whether you have a chance. Here are the four figures worth finding and what each one means.
- Kindful is gone: what your options actually are
Bloomerang acquired Kindful and stopped selling it to new customers. What that means if you are still on it, and what migrating actually costs.
- Building a grant pipeline when you are the only writer
A one-person grant program fails on deadlines, not on writing. The tracking system, the realistic application volume, and what to cut when the calendar collapses.
- What a prospect research consultant does that software can't
A screening subscription gives you scores. A consultant gives you a portfolio with names, tiers and suggested asks. What each costs, and which one a first-time screen actually needs.
- Running a screening bake-off: the test-file method
Every wealth screening vendor is quote-only, which means your price reflects the negotiation. Here is how to compare them on output rather than feature lists, and get a real quote.
- Why your grant was declined, and what the funder won't tell you
Decline letters say the same thing every time. The real reasons are visible in the 990 before you apply, and most of them have nothing to do with how well you wrote.
- How many grants should a shop your size actually pursue?
Capacity math for grant pipelines: what a solo fundraiser versus a team can realistically submit, why renewals come first, and when a tracker earns its cost.
- How to build a grant calendar a two-person team can keep
How to build a grant tracking calendar a two-person team can actually keep: six columns, a weekly review, and the signals that you need software.
- Wealth screening on a budget: what to do before you can afford it
Hand research substitutes for a screening platform longer than vendors admit: giving lists, 990s, property records, and a top-25 prospect routine that works.
- Is Zeffy really free? The tip model, explained
Yes. Zeffy charges no platform or processing fees and is funded by optional donor tips at checkout. What that means in practice and which shops it fits best.
- Is paid grant research software worth it for a small nonprofit?
When paid grant research software is worth it for a small nonprofit, and when the free path of 990s and library Candid access covers the job instead.
- How to compare donation processing fees the right way
Add platform fee, processing fee, and subscription into one effective rate on your own volume. Then weigh donor experience, which moves more money than fees.
- Instrumentl vs GrantStation for a one-person shop
Instrumentl and GrantStation compared for a solo fundraiser: what the eighteenfold price gap buys and a decision rule based on your application volume.
- When does a small nonprofit actually need a CRM?
The real triggers: more than about 200 active donors, a second staffer touching donor data, slipping thank-yous, or lost history. Before that, free tools hold.
- How to vet a foundation before you apply
A repeatable 20-minute check that tells you whether a foundation is worth a full proposal, run before you spend a week writing for the wrong funder.
- Zeffy vs Donorbox: comparing the real cost of processing
Zeffy charges nothing and runs on donor tips. Donorbox charges about 2.95% plus processing and delivers stronger recurring-gift tools. Which fits your shop.
- When to buy wealth screening (and when it's a waste)
Wealth screening earns its cost only when you have major-gift work to point it at. The revenue level and two conditions that make it worth buying.
- Bloomerang vs Little Green Light for a growing shop
LGL wins on price and flexibility. Bloomerang wins on ease of use and retention reporting. The deciding factor is who actually updates your database.
- How to read a 990 to find your next funder
Which parts of a foundation's 990-PF matter for prospect research, what each section tells you, and a simple reading order that takes 20 minutes.
- When a funder's stated priorities don't match their 990 giving history
Foundation websites say one thing and their 990 giving history says another. How to read the gap and decide whether a funder is a real prospect.
- Moving from Excel to a donor CRM without losing your gift history
Soft credits, households, and gift history are what break when you move from Excel to a CRM. How to clean the sheet, test the import, and go live safely.