"...I went to your workshop thinking I would get some really insightful information on grant writing. And that absolutely was the case. A better description of the workshop for me would have been something along the line of 'let's look at your funding project and strip it down to its bare essential, examine its worth and build a foundation that you can defend to anyone and that will drive you as you seek funding partners. Then we'll review the process of writing a grant request.' I realize, of course, another result might be that people won't be sold on their project, but that wouldn't make the world any worse, would it?"

I'm so glad we invited you to come up to present your grant writing workshop, especially with the good turnout.

I've taken a number of trainings over the last 20 years, but your training gave me a whole new perspective in approaching a grant proposal. As it happens, I was able to use much of what you were emphasizing in the session almost as soon as we finished up.

First, I had to get back to a proposal for health related funding that I had begun before you showed up, and used what we discussed during the training to stretch my brain cells a little further to reframe the proposal before it was completed. What a difference it made in my content and style. I appreciate your invitation to send the proposal to you for feedback, but because of timing, I wasn't able to do that. I am pleased to let you know the grantor gave us $25,000 to fund the project.

Shortly after that, we pulled together fifty volunteers who serve on our Community Impact Councils and charged with evaluating 33 proposals submitted to us for local funding. Once again, I found that your training gave us good tools to use and tighten our own review process.

Thanks for being part of this important community outreach. I will look forward to having you back to do more training in our community

"I took your seminar in Sacramento in November and really enjoyed it. I remember you saying to send a postcard to keep you posted on our successes: this is your postcard. I helped the Donner Summit Area Association develop a program and I wrote a grant proposal to help fund it. Today, First 5 Placer agreed to help fund our Donner Summit Winter Enrichment Program, providing indoor play and other opportunities to local families. Thanks for your seminar. It was exactly what I needed to get through the planning stages and see what needs to happen next. This has become a rewarding project for our community."

"Thank you so much for coming out to speak. It was wonderful to see you again. Beyond the wisdom you imparted through your speech, you always bring a model of kindness and collaboration that is of utmost importance in the nonprofit world, and often is forgotten when politics come into play."

"Great class. Worked well for us because you start with the Big Picture and then go to the details. And a bonus for us personally is that you're right on our page: your being aware of The Long Emergency tipped us off, and your mention of the Goddess of Evaluation sealed the deal."

"Thinking about you also made me want to give you a few updates and express gratitude. I have to be one of your success stories.

"For example, four years ago I wrote a Safe Schools/Healthy Students proposal for our community, and this three million dollar grant has been the 'gift that keeps on giving.' Last year I wrote a successful Elementary Counseling grant proposal and a 21st Century grant application.

"I am thinking it has been about 14 years since I first took your class, and there have been many grants--large and small--that have changed the lives of so many of our youth.

"When I took your first class in Nevada City, you advised that organizations should not hire 'grantwriters' --and I was planning to become the grantwriter that people would hire. I became that person, but also took to heart the intent of your message. It is so clear that I do the best work when I can write a grant that has 'heart and meaning' to me, as well as knowing that it truly will work for the intended organization. I thank you. You gave me the right 'preset' and the right skills to begin my career. I thank you for helping me to have an amazing, rewarding, satisfying, sucessful career that has benefitted countless people. I am also grateful that as I approach retirement (I am 62) I can continue both to write and mentor others.

"I believe you played a huge part in the successes we have had in my community, and cannot imagine the scope of what your work has brought to countless communities! THANK YOU!!!!"

"I wanted to thank you for a very inspiring and informative two-day workshop. I really appreciated the way you took the time to go through the grant proposal process and provided strategies on how to address each section. It was a reminder that taking time and working through the process is as important as the product. As a consultant, I try to encourage my clients to take the time and your workshop helped to reaffirm that I am 'on the right track.'"

"I just got back from your Grant Proposal Workshop, and wanted to touch base with you. My Executive Director participated in a four day workshop some ten or twelve years ago while she was working for the California School Board Association and was excited to hear that I'd had a similarly gratifying experience. . . . . I was absolutely inspired by my experience with your Grant Proposal Workshop and feel that your insight and experience could be extraordinarily valuable to many in the non-profit community here in our county."