Why Grant Writers Must Learn to Say No

In the grant writing industry, especially within nonprofits, we need to be honest about a truth that often goes unsaid. Not every program is engineered purely from the heart of the mission. And if you are being honest with yourself, you will admit that there is at least some truth in this. Sometimes, when we take a particular nonprofit job, it is not entirely because of the mission.

I remember when I took the job that helped homeless people. I'd have family members say, “What a noble thing you are doing.” It felt good to hear, but the truth was more complicated. I took the job because it was an exciting project. I took it because it gave me an opportunity to grow and gain experience I wouldn't elsewhere. It was not purely altruistic.

And this is not unique to me. Many nonprofit founders and leaders create organizations not only to serve but also because of the personal opportunities it brings. This is the part of the story that rarely gets acknowledged. But if we want to change the way funding and facilitation works, we have to look at it directly.

As grant facilitators, this matters. We cannot simply take on any client just because they are willing to pay us. Otherwise, we end up perpetuating nonprofits that were engineered more for the benefit of the founder than for the mission. It is on us to be selective, to use discernment, and to advance the work of organizations that are truly aligned with their stated purpose.

Now sometimes you take the client because you have rent due. We've all been there in some way. But this is exactly why we are building a program that creates a new kind of space. A place where funders support grant writers, and where the measure of a nonprofit goes beyond surface-level mission statements.

Funders need to build processes that go deep enough to empower grant writers to say no. To say no to the nonprofit that is not operating from a place of integrity. To say no to the program that is more engineered for personal gain than public good. That is the kind of depth we are after.

And it circles back to the original point. Motivation is mixed. Altruism and self-interest often coexist. When we stop pretending otherwise, we give ourselves the clarity to start having more authentic conversations. We can then ensure that grant writers, funders, and nonprofits alike are working in alignment, not just in appearance.