It is hard to believe that at my age I have never written a grant proposal. How is it that I have started a half-dozen non-profits and never done so? I have turned to friends with like interests and they have helped support my dreams.
About ten months ago I got a marketing idea for the Florida Trail that would require more money than I or my friends could ante-up. And I thought I knew just the charitable foundation to help out. By March, I had begun work on it. In April I met someone in my neighborhood who was willing to work on it pro bono with me.
Since we were starting below ground level, the learning-curve was very steep and the project was time consuming.
After five months of diligent toiling we hit the “send” button on my assistant’s computer and opened a bottle of champagne. The total request came to $149,600. There is nothing to do now but wait for an e-mail or phone call response. If the grant is approved, I will write again immediately. We will need everyone’s help to make this project a success. There will be a place for everyone to lend their talents. I’ll fill in all the details at a later date because it will be a story worth sharing.
But, if we fail to get the grant, we will still be sitting on a good idea. We will keep pursuing this quest until the right foundation responds.