Grow Wisconsin is a new network of grant writers in WI who exemplify that collaboration begets success while reminding us that no matter how your grant defines profit, all grant proposals should be outline how you will measure results.
Only a year old, Grow Wisconsin, is a group of 18 grant writers, who have been working with businesses and non-profits to bring in thousands of dollars to the State of Wisconsin.
In a field that is saturated with non-profit executives and employees, this group of grant writers is unique because most of them work for business firms and focus on for-profit grants.
The majority of the funding opportunities that they pursue are SBIR (small business grants from the federal Small Business Administration) and Wisconsin Department of Commerce support for Wisconsin businesses seeking funding.
Their for-profit position means that Grow Wisconsin grant writers must include a strong commercialization, or sales, plan in their proposals.
They cannot just offer to build a product, they must also prove they can sell it.
Non-profit grant writers can relate to this concept, as they try to prove that programs will not only meet an immediate need, but also build a sustainable solution to the larger problem.
Grow Wisconsin meets at customer facilities around southern Wisconsin and while the networking has been valuable to the members of Grow Wisconsin, it will inevitably trickle down to benefit their clients.
Laura Ricci, a consultant and member of Grow Wisconsin said, "These writers and consultants are seasoned professionals.
Any firm competing for federal funds would be interested in eavesdropping on their tips and tidbits.
We can't and don't discuss particular clients, but we share all kinds of helpful hints and background information.
At our last meeting, I caught suggestions that would save a start-up over $8,000.
00 in set-up costs alone.
" Their group is a fertile breeding ground for partnerships.
Some of the members are technical experts in a particular field while others have spent years mastering the craft of grant writing.
By bringing these various expertise together in teams, they hope to not only improve the quality of their proposals for their clients, but also generate more business for themselves.
Certainly a win-win situation! Anyone currently providing grant-writing services in Wisconsin is welcome to join their monthly meetings by sending an inquiry to info@growwisconsin.
org.
Their website is http://www.
GrowWisconsin.
org