Vanessa (00:05)
I'm going to keep this high level, but really talking about messaging and grant and how the two
Vanessa (00:09)
today is managing funding who
are closely related and really what your brand is saying really reflects on what you're saying in a grant application.
Vanessa (00:22)
a little bit more about me.
Vanessa (00:22)
me.
Vanessa Burns pronoun she her from Vanessa Burns grant consulting.
Vanessa (00:27)
I am
a few things. Number one, I am
Vanessa (00:31)
I'm a
bit of an adventure seeker in 2024. All. Did three and a half weeks on the Everest three. Altitude of 20,000 feet. It was a lesson in resilience. The hike is rated 9 and a 10 and a difficulty. I did not know that until a few days before going into the track.
Vanessa (00:33)
I trekked around Nepal for six weeks. did a classes trek and got to
But I finished and I lived to tell the truth and it was a
Vanessa (00:52)
tail. It was
really an eye opening experience to visit that part of the world I'd never been and I would love to go far because we all like pets is my dog, who is a border collie turning five in May and he is my therapist, my employee, my roommate, everything. And I also have two lovely dogs, Olivia and Lily, who are actually 27 and 22 who are lovely adults out their own doing the thing.
Vanessa (00:58)
back. On the right is Arthur.
I
The middle image I'm very, proud of. It's the Grand Professional Certificate.
Vanessa (01:24)
certification,
accreditation. I'm basically like the CPA of the grant world. I'm one of six in Canada to hold this designation. So I'm very happy. Three and a half years because of test anxiety. Name it and I passed the exam, the six hour exam this past December. So I was very happy about that. So I'm one of six accredited GPCs in Canada and I'm also the GPC ambassador for Canada. So if anybody works in the grant field and is looking to be
Vanessa (01:33)
Happy both that, I put that off for three.
Vanessa (01:36)
ADHD, you
Vanessa (01:52)
accredited like a CPA or a PMP. That's what I am and that's what I promote. Hey, let's get into it. Reality. What do I mean by that? Basically, what happens when people don't understand what you're trying to say?
Vanessa (01:58)
All right. Scattered.
What I find when I talk to a lot of folks is...
Vanessa (02:09)
is,
what I find is I and I say to them, me about your business, tell me about your organization, and really go on and on and and I'm not understanding what they're saying and I'm really trying to get them to a point where they can succinctly talk about what they do because honestly they have to be clear when it comes to writing grant applications. So really when you're not clear you have confused funds, they don't know what you do.
Vanessa (02:12)
I talked a lot of
your
They can't. really don't
Seriously.
Vanessa (02:36)
And they don't really want to align themselves with you. can't champion you. They technically don't want to buy from you. They don't want to give you the money. Rejected generally decline because the funder can't understand what you're trying to align yourself with in terms of funding. You're not really, they're not seeing the correlation between you and what they want you to do with the money. So a lot of that comes from that rejected application. And the other one too is the
Vanessa (02:44)
applications are generally
what I call the guest question. So really, you're putting all these applications in place in point with a trillion
Vanessa (03:04)
game exhaustion. We had lot of applications in, we just had a foundation six times
and you're wondering
Vanessa (03:12)
Why are we getting the money? Why?
Vanessa (03:14)
the not landing with a particular. You today is. Is you know your changing and then how does that relate into the grant space you kind of moving from us. To a more strategic way of looking at reality when it comes to.
Vanessa (03:14)
message not under and so really what we're going to walk through really on the surface messaging and brand
scattered.
to
grants.
So when you look at your brand, it actually when I is your business is your not for profit. may think you're talking to some clear. So there's a little bit of a that trust, right?
Vanessa (03:33)
So I say to you what does your you know what is. This or what.
saying something, but when you're talking, when it's not coming out very clearly, gap, you're not really building. When
it comes to what you what you say you do, and what someone is hearing what they what you say you do. So at of the day, you you're technically losing grant funding because of that. You really want to make sure when you're talking about business or talking about what you do that you drop the jargon, right? You don't use all the big words.
Vanessa (03:54)
you're losing that trust which at the end
So you're sure that your business
all those acronyms. You need to someone. So you want to make sure that you're clear same as with a grant application doing a grant application.
Vanessa (04:10)
industry speak could be talking you know really who knows nothing about you
case, when you're doing
they don't know who you are. They've never seen you before unless you're reapplying but seen you before. So you really have to be clear what you do and who you are. define them first, right? So you want to make sure that you spell the acronym, then put the acronym and then you can use the acronym after the review, reviewing all kinds of applications. If you don't, you won't get funded.
Vanessa (04:23)
chance though they never clear on so
that but honestly people are really don't stand out.
The other thing I'm talking about is do that and we're great at this and great at that and blah blah blah blah but they're not really saying
Vanessa (04:43)
I find too is people are all, we do this and we do that.
What transformation are you doing? Are you solving? Why is best solution? Not we do this, but why do you do this? And how do you do this? And how does this affect the community you're doing it in?
Vanessa (04:53)
What problem is your solution?
So
features are always over. And the same goes with you. Want to see the transformation you're doing so much.
Vanessa (05:08)
Some grant applications.
with your clients not all these
features and benefits that you're doing in your business.
Vanessa (05:17)
business. And then the other is
you know the everything to everyone and I call this kind of something stick syndrome. It's everybody says we got to apply for everything that comes our way.
Vanessa (05:21)
that throw the spaghetti at the wall and hope so. Same in grants.
got to
be a promise applications and you don't write you don't you want to really appeal to those who align with it so trying to be everything to everybody is work base. So you want to appeal to the you align with and that you we need to get at the wall because frankly nothing's going to stick you want to make sure drawing you know, a quality against the wall with good stick
Vanessa (05:34)
funders at you.
doesn't work in business and it doesn't work in the grant space either. really want audiences that you fit with. So I need to stop doing that.
that your low quality
power so it will stick so honestly don't
Vanessa (06:00)
Don't try
and be everything to everybody and don't try and apply for everything either because nothing will stick.
Vanessa (06:05)
at
the end of the day.
Vanessa (06:06)
When it comes to say yes in terms of
Vanessa (06:07)
of, know,
funding and grant applications when it comes to you're looking at two things the clock.
Vanessa (06:11)
comes to my
perspective and a funders perspective. when you're talking about a client, have things in our business, we're all providing some kind of benefit. But when you're talking to a client, the is not the heck yourself, problem you're solving for them or how you're going to these things, they're not going buy from you. Right? It's the same kind of with the fund, like a funder wants to
Vanessa (06:17)
Client, the client is a solution, right? all have.
of a solution client applied if they don't know what going or what how you can take away their pain and all these these
⁓
They to see kind of that impact. want to see your proposing. And how do they know that it's actually working, right? I mean, if you're using kind of vague language, we are.
Vanessa (06:41)
that the solution
is actually working.
the best? How do you the best? Right? Do you have testimonials of results that
speaker-7 (06:52)
Yeah, so?
Vanessa (06:53)
They know you're
Do you have say,
you the work you're doing is, you know, doing this, this, this in the community or doing this, I think how do you know what you're doing is so you're being.
Vanessa (07:05)
the best.
speaker-8 (07:07)
vague, know, music.
Vanessa (07:09)
vague
sentences not backing up what you're saying really doesn't get you funded. When you look application, you have probably like, maybe like 250 words. Characters believe it or not. You do.
Vanessa (07:14)
and honest look at a grant out
speaker-8 (07:19)
Maybe.
Vanessa (07:21)
be sometimes heard sometimes 500 care to say what you
and if they don't understand. First part of it. Already.
Vanessa (07:30)
what you do in that application you're at
a disadvantage you're already kind of leaning towards the rejection type to make you're their
Vanessa (07:37)
So the key really is to ensure that the message that you're
putting forward is clear for the very reason that 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 40 seconds, you'll need to tell people to a grant on
Vanessa (07:44)
that you have maybe
depending on the readings for what you do. If they don't get it in application,
you're not going to get the funding. ⁓
Vanessa (07:57)
So the key really is to make sure that
you're clear. And if you're not 100 % sure, then review it with someone. Try your 250 word pitch and try it out with someone to see it. I totally get what you're saying.
Vanessa (08:08)
someone's, let the thing go.
you're doing or going
speaker-1 (08:13)
Thank
Vanessa (08:13)
Hey,
that's a red flag. want to rework that. So honestly,
Vanessa (08:15)
you might want.
biggest
thing you can do is be clear and concise and you know practice with like 250 words and see if you can get you know what you're doing and what problem you're trying in that length of time in a clear and concise manner because really will position you for
Vanessa (08:23)
actually get.
to solve.
Is that right? Or yes
from a funder for funder can't see.
Vanessa (08:34)
how A, you're aligned with them or B, what you're trying to do, A and C, what solution, then you're going to be getting any funding from anybody.
Vanessa (08:38)
you have, they're not going
So in terms of grants, when I say like the word grant and I say this.
Vanessa (08:45)
them into
my introduction, most people kind of go, they get this yucky look on their face. I mean, it takes time. ⁓ Guessing game, right? And people feel that great. That impossible space, we don't know how to get into this space, because it looks very complicated, you know, like government speak and all this other stuff. And it's always changing. And we're not sure how to get into it. Or, you know, where do we find these opportunities?
Vanessa (08:50)
not sure honestly it doesn't have to be some people are kind of possible
But really, I mean, that's why I say don't
Vanessa (09:13)
try
and be everything to everybody, right? mean, if you understand what business is and you understand where you go in terms of funding, nobody
Vanessa (09:16)
your business. You want to go. Grant. Look
at grants for businesses grants are for growth right. Grants for not for profits are for impact. Your business how do you want to export.
Vanessa (09:29)
you're looking at. Oh, do you want to work?
Do you want to hire? I was gonna say do you want to fire? No, but you want to. Do you want to build something new research element though, very much like grants training that type of stuff. When you look at
Vanessa (09:35)
hire you want to export
Those are the pillars of business.
not-for-profit
grants it's really impact-based right
Vanessa (09:51)
What
impact are making in the community? We heard from someone today about feeding kids and everything. What impact is your program making? Funders want to see impact and align themselves.
Vanessa (09:53)
Hey, the talk.
hunger and that's
So businesses is very much growth and not for profit is very much. But honestly, sort of know the keywords if you're looking to hire someone we're going to look at hiring grants really at that every grant that's going to specifically look hiring grants and that's when you start really.
Vanessa (10:07)
impact. When you know what you're doing and you see that you're at, we want to
coming out for those high
honing in on those keywords and being a lot more what you're looking for.
Vanessa (10:24)
specific in terms of.
I like to say with grants too, free and guess you don't pay it back but is it really free? It comes with things attached to it. heard a couple of grants that take a percentage of your company but they are going to add
Vanessa (10:28)
like I use like money I mean yeah
of things today, if you know they're not going to ask you
to basically spend the money the way you said you were going to do then you do this,
Vanessa (10:46)
spend it right so if you said you're gonna this this this with the money is this
because what happens is if you don't spend like you say you're gonna spend them back and we don't want that right so you really have to look at that free
Vanessa (10:54)
the money you don't want it you may have to pay
me
money and say, Okay, I can get the money.
Vanessa (11:03)
I don't have to pay it back, but do I have the capacity to deliver what I say I'm going to do? So if I'm going to bring, yeah, I want to bring on a student.
Vanessa (11:06)
to do.
you know, a hiring grant, you know, am I able to cut, is that doable for my business?
Vanessa (11:14)
only 50 % of their wages are be covered. However, the other 50 % right that this
or if you're a not for profit, I hear all the time, we're going to create a brand new project just to get the grant. Really, do you have the capacity to run this whole new project? So really want to say like grants? And they funders want to see
Vanessa (11:26)
Come on.
free money but they do have something attached to them. They really want to you
succeed and they want to see you be able to complete the project but you want to make sure you're applying for things that you're able to complete and you're going to be able to spend the money in the way you said you're going to spend it.
Vanessa (11:46)
So the final thing there really is in terms of back to that problem, you've seen a grant, you've simplified the process, understand the keywords, you the capacity to do so, but then there's that red tape, right? What are the questions asking me? How do I sort of, the grant funder, but really at the end of the day, there's always going to be a problem, right? There's always going to be, what is the problem? Why do
Vanessa (11:50)
is you know you've
You know, no young woman, you know, really, again.
formulate what I want to Follow the formula.
what do you
need this money and that's a really important
Vanessa (12:14)
question
to ask yourself why do you need grant money? Right? Why don't just get a loan or go for a line of credit or...
Vanessa (12:21)
get an investment, how do
you need specifically grant money? And most people don't grant money because kind of seen as maybe
Vanessa (12:25)
Most people go for grand. It's.
the easier way. They're out there, they're available, but there's always a lot of problems trying to get through.
Vanessa (12:33)
you know what through
understanding what they really want to do is really
Vanessa (12:37)
you to do. So what you have to do,
cut through that red tape of grants and when you get actually get in to get applying for a grant is again use use that simple language.
Vanessa (12:43)
You know
simple. Don't
make it be all fancy, dancey and all this other stuff when you apply.
Vanessa (12:48)
really complicated.
Vanessa (12:52)
for
grants, keep it simple, right? Keep it on the level. Make sure that people understand what you're saying. But always remember what problem you're solving and align it with the grant because honestly, if you can write a grant application, time, answers fit the question, that's a red flag that's the right opportunity. If you can fit the circle into the circle, that's great. If you try to fit the circle into the square, not so hot.
Vanessa (12:56)
under saying you're trying to
you're not spending time really you know trying to make
Maybe not the
Vanessa (13:19)
So with grants, know, really demystify that guessing game and make it feel like grants, yes, they are possible. You understand the landscape and we were. And that, you know, grant.
Vanessa (13:26)
No, understand why we're looking for funding. understand that's
come with some strings attached that we have to be able to do programs and deliver what we say. But we.
Vanessa (13:38)
understand that as the applicant we have
Vanessa (13:41)
the capability to actually speak in plain language and understand what we're trying to do. So in that way, they will be more interested in what we're trying to do and give us money. All kind of a demystifying the grant guessing game. a little bit complicated, it doesn't become as a panic situation as you may have thought it was in the first place.
Vanessa (13:45)
Let the funder understand what we
So that's what I
grants are out there. are. If you break down the process, really does.
Vanessa (14:04)
Thank
doesn't mean you should apply. Say not grant is a good grant and not all money is good money. Like there's people right there's clients we will work with. ⁓
Vanessa (14:11)
that I'll never work with. There's funders we never work
with either. And honestly, the reason we say that is because we need to be a little bit selective. And so in this case, what I like to do is to and demographic bit. Does the grant support your sector? Does the grant support your community? Does the grant support your business profile? And in that case, as I say,
Vanessa (14:20)
because you really have to be, you know, right? Look at is the three point filter.
energy.
All
you leave from today is, you one big tip.
Vanessa (14:43)
If you see a grant that's advertised, grant has an outline. Take the time to read basically your Bible, how to
Vanessa (14:47)
Read the.
Vanessa (14:48)
Beeping guide, applicant guide, time to read it. It's basically for to fill out an application. It could be 70
pages. I read those for clients. It could be a little bit. A guideline. So make sure you read those.
Vanessa (15:00)
blurb on their web, but every grant has a
And that will make sure, and I'll tell you if it's a fit or not, right? If it's not a fit, don't apply, simple as that. And again, project alignment. your grant align with your current growth plan or potential? Does it align with what your project wants to do? If you have to sway from your mission, if you have to create something just to make it fit, then that's a red flag. And honestly, funders are savvy, right? They can spot that. So really make sure that when you're looking at
Vanessa (15:19)
do like you know.
You hit this.
and funding opportunities
that you can you're able to fit.
Vanessa (15:34)
the app that what they're asking for.
Vanessa (15:35)
you're able to deliver and what they want you to deliver.
Vanessa (15:38)
You know that whole alignment piece,
so applicant guide and alignment, the two A's that are really, really important when it comes to grants. And then time, right? I mean, I've written grants that have taken way more time for very little money. So is it worth your effort? If you're writing, you know, for 40 hours of work for $5,000, it's probably easier to go and get a sale, right? Honestly, like that's a lot of work. So you want to make sure that the ROI
Vanessa (15:44)
really important.
Vanessa (15:57)
videos.
Vanessa (16:02)
Why
is there for for grant funding and your time so we have time to apply. I tools.
Vanessa (16:06)
Grants do take time to I mean, there are a lot out
there now to help you through applications, but there's still all the pre-work to do, right? You still have to put your ideas in place, your projects, know, sort of, type of deal, is there to help you sort of craft the things, but honestly, just take a look at the ROI for the amount of time you're putting, is it back? Is it actually worth it? And look at what the final reporting requirements are in a grant.
Vanessa (16:17)
you what, what, you know, the whole of why you need money to do an AI.
in out of money you may be you may be getting
and
see if it's really something you want to get into because you get vacated.
Vanessa (16:35)
Some of them are very, very complicated. But I make sure
that the ROI around a grant application is definitely
Vanessa (16:41)
worth your time.
Vanessa (16:42)
So in terms of next steps, three steps to be more clear when it comes to funding is with you on this.
Vanessa (16:48)
Really, you know, take these away from this
little presentation is refine that elevator.
Vanessa (16:53)
pitch.
One to two sentences, you know, show your impact, you know, test it on someone outside your industry and really make sure you're talking to someone's going to say, you know what, not really clear with what you're
Vanessa (17:00)
you know, make sure to you an honest opinion. You want to make
saying, know, and then, you know, giving you suggestions
on how it could be clear. So don't be afraid to try it out on someone who really knows not a lot about your business or your organization.
Vanessa (17:17)
You know audit your assets I mean funders look at your website right they look at your so they ask you to list these things and so you want to make sure that the messaging is. Platforms if you're saying something on one platform you got something over here and you got something going on over one consistency. Down to brand. Your brand to be consistent and all platforms so once.
Vanessa (17:22)
sometimes and you know, between all.
you know that all comes ending right you want
one is looking at an application from you. They go to your website. It's they go to your social media.
Vanessa (17:41)
consistent. Yeah,
it's consistent. So that's really the importance and the words you're using, what you're using is consistent as well. That's what AI garbage in garbage out right you are getting
Vanessa (17:47)
losing on the
want to make sure that what you're getting
for using an AI tool is actually giving you what.
Vanessa (17:57)
That's reflective of your business or your profit.
If it's a whole different look and feel and
Vanessa (18:02)
language and the way that you're talking and how your brand is looking and funders do look at that.
Vanessa (18:04)
words, it doesn't really jive on the rest.
And then third is I say like to build a grant calendar. So when you start finding opportunities, start building yourself out some kind of a schedule or a calendar so you can be a little more proactive as opposed to reactive when it comes to grant opportunities. So if you see a grant that's just closed but looked interesting, you know, start putting it on some kind of a tracker sheet. Kind of start building up your own little library of grants. Now there are lots of tools you can research grants with. There's Grant Connect, Grant Advance, Grant Station.
Vanessa (18:29)
And then you can
of ⁓ that funding.
like
Vanessa (18:40)
for-profit side and then on the for-profit pocketed said to be see as a partnership with the fund to kind they
Vanessa (18:42)
side you have ⁓ which is based you have a TD bank ever free tool you can use you basically put in the press
Vanessa (18:52)
of your business and up pop some
Vanessa (18:54)
results you can look at in terms of grant funding.
Vanessa (18:56)
So
honestly, you can get into kind of the research weeds, but at end of the day, if you're to start tracking, you know, grant opportunity, you really have to have someone who's in charge of that. So you can have all the nice tracking systems in the world, but sure that it's either someone yourself or someone from your team.
Vanessa (19:03)
their knees and.
Make sure that you're your team
that's really taking the time to be able to do these.
Vanessa (19:14)
track these opportunities
and think, yeah, the Cannot Export Grant is
Vanessa (19:18)
open.
Now UG closes in May, I better get my application in. It's open usually around the end of the year with the closing. We need to get our application in.
Vanessa (19:21)
Canada summer jobs
date usually about December. So
you start being a little bit again more proactive in terms of grants and you have you're kind of in that reactive
Vanessa (19:32)
because we space
then everything is like, like, my gosh, it's situations. I mean, is that you know, purpose as opposed to pay to be as opposed to react comes to two grants.
Vanessa (19:37)
always a panic situation so really the reason I exist is panic is you want a proactive as active when it
So to conclude, basically, clarity is your most valuable courage. If you don't have that clear brand message, that's where it's going to fall short. So to recap what we talked about, basically, to make sure that funders are able to unwind, basically,
Vanessa (19:49)
you know, when it comes to grant. you
you're not gonna fall a little bit. What we do was quickly you want to make sure you understand what you do in the
first you know, section at that 250 word 250 characters, whatever.
Vanessa (20:09)
of the Grand.
Whatever
it is, I run an exercise in longer workshops where he talks for minutes, I stop a timer after.
Vanessa (20:18)
minute I say that's 250 words you've gone over the word so you want to really be concise.
Vanessa (20:21)
right?
You want to make sure you find grants that fit, right? You want to make sure that you're applying for things that fit what you're looking to fit that.
Vanessa (20:28)
You're what you're looking to do. You're not circle
into the square. You're looking to make sure that things align and that was one of the words we want you to remember is alignment. So, applicant guide, right? You find it. Do you want to read the applicant guide first go through everything go to the eligibility everything and make sure you get that. You'll say yes to you. Persuasive writing no.
Vanessa (20:35)
Remember, name is Apple. Grant, apply for.
down. In terms of action, you want to make sure that you're in a position where someone's going to say, grant writing and grants are different
than selling to a, it's the same thing you're trying to be, we're persuasive all the time in we're persuasive all the time in not for profits asking for that you're starting on the right
Vanessa (20:57)
client.
Vanessa (21:01)
or race for money. So you want to make off on the
foot and being able to position yourself to get
Vanessa (21:10)
a yes. And remember that, you know, funding and grants, it's not a, it's a marathon. You know, sometimes it takes time. It may take six
Vanessa (21:17)
time. mean, sometimes you do six
times to get an application and someone to say yes.
Vanessa (21:23)
I always tell people you have to start somewhere, right? Put in an application. Doesn't have to be the best work you've ever done, but you know, start working in
Vanessa (21:30)
know, sing!
Vanessa (21:31)
and
playing a little bit in that space.
Vanessa (21:34)
Then you'll
start seeing what happens and if you get rejected, hell, I get rejected. I've been rejected four times in one day. I'm a professional, right? Don't worry about rejection. It happens, but learn from me and try and figure out
Vanessa (21:40)
I mean, don't.
rejection. You
know, wait, but you know, maybe I'm not aligning myself. Maybe
Vanessa (21:47)
well probably right either something
missing that I'm not sure of but honestly it's a not a sprint if you think about the space get started but have the expectation that may take you little ramp up but if you do want to grant it I have an example of something who's never applied for a grant before and they walked away with six hundred thousand dollars from the federal government you never know right so don't be afraid of the space proactive instead of reactive and let's change it from
Vanessa (21:52)
a marathon.
and you want to get in
bit to
You know, be real.
you know, to being a more purposeful situation when it comes to grants.
Vanessa (22:17)
In panic situation
That's my LinkedIn profile where I'm very active and I also have a Calendly link.
Vanessa (22:27)
there and I like to always offer folks a 30 minute conversation with myself if you want to explore things a little bit further or have any questions about the grant space.