Storytelling for Grantseekers

Second Edition, Updated 2009

ISBN 978-0-470-38122-9
$29.95 U.S./$32.95 Canadian - Jossey-Bass

Book of the Month

— Fundraising Institute Australia, January 2009

Featured in About.com's Guide to Nonprofit Charitable Organizations

"Clarke's book is easy to read and follow, and her contention that grantmakers will be persuaded by a compelling story that demonstrates both knowledge of program and need for funding is spot-on."

— Catherine Fisher, trustee, The Thomas J. Long Foundation

"I recommend this book to all my students."

— Vivienne French, part-time faculty, Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno, NV

"This book demystifies the process of writing grants"

— Sarah Durham, principal and founder of Big Duck in blogging about Storytelling for Grantseekers

Amazon.com says:
Grantwriters, it turns out, have plenty in common with fiction and nonfiction storytellers. Like these other writers, says Cheryl A. Clarke in Storytelling for Grantseekers, grantseekers need to "transport readers to another location and teach them about people they may know nothing about." Grantwriting is often a tedious experience. Make it creative, says Clarke. To better capture the imagination (and wallet) of your audience, observe your agency in action as would a reporter, then craft what you see into a narrative as would a novelist. Your nonprofit agency is your hero; your story is about "people being helped, and their lives possibly being changed forever" because of the services provided by your agency. This is a passionate, clear, knowledgeable guidebook, sure to "put the joy and creativity back into the grantseeking process." With additional chapters on finding and cultivating appropriate grantmakers, forming a budget, and packaging your proposal. --Jane Steinberg

Grant Proposal Makeover

ISBN 0-7879-8055-2
US $29.95 from publisher - Jossey-Bass or Amazon.com

"Since a bad proposal can sour your future relationship with a funder (and their peers at other organizations--yes, they do talk to each other), it is imperative that you analyze your proposal with a discerning eye before you submit it... And that is exactly what Clarke and Fox help you to do. They take proposals that are badly flawed in some way and then critique and rewrite them."

- from the review by non-profits expert Joanne Fritz, Ph.D. of http://nonprofit.about.com

Grant Proposal Makeover transforms "ugly duckling" grant proposals to persuasive winners. This book differs from other traditional grantwriting books because it illustrates common flaws in proposals and shows how to fix them. Grant Proposal Makeover also incorporates opinions from the other side of the desk, including helpful tips and quotes from foundation program officers and others from the funding community. These were gleaned from an extensive survey of foundation professionals throughout North America.