How a $150K NGO secured a $250K/year unrestricted grant
Can you imagine your NGO or nonprofit securing US$250K/year in unrestricted funding for multiple years ... when your organization's annual budget is just US$150K?
That's what just happened for one of my local Kenyan clients. 🔥
And no, we didn't do anything magical. But we did a few things really well:
✅ We got clear on their perfect-fit funders.
✅ We strengthened how they talk about their work and vision—including how a US$2.5M growth strategy could unlock mental health support for 10 million young people. We overhauled their elevator pitch, pitch deck, and concept notes.
✅ We built simple tools and processes so fundraising wasn't living in a dozen different places.
✅ We got the right team members responsible for the right work.
That's it. No secret hacks. No fundraising unicorns. Just consistent work on the fundamentals.
One rule of thumb I often tell clients is that most funders won't give a grant that exceeds 50% of an organization's previous year's budget. And that's true. But the best funders don't just look at where you are today.
They look at your potential.
When they believe in your leadership, your strategy, and your ability to execute, they stop asking:
"How big are you now?"
And start asking:
"How much impact could you honestly create if you had the resources to grow?"
That's what happened here. When the opportunity came, this African NGO was ready. Clear vision. Strong story. Strong relationship with the funder. And the funder said yes:
👉 US$250K this year
👉 Up to US$400K/year in the coming years
That's what it looks like when fundraising becomes a real function.
When leaders understand the ROI of doing it well.
When everyone gets to work in their zone of brilliance.
Over the past few months, I've been quietly redesigning my flagship fundraising program because I keep seeing the same thing:
Organizations don't just need strategy.
And they don't just need training.
They need:
A clear fundraising strategy
The skills and tools to execute it
Hands-on support while they implement
Because fundraising has changed. The organizations that thrive won't necessarily be the ones with the biggest teams or the best writers. They'll be the ones that:
✓ Know where to focus
✓ Communicate their value clearly
✓ Build strong relationships
✓ Execute consistently
That's exactly why I just built Funded 2.0.
Still personalized.
Even more practical.
Even more inclusive (it's for orgs going after grants, major donors, crowdfunding and/or corporate partnerships and gives you the guidance, tools and my hands-on support no matter where you are in your fundraising journey)
Built around what I've seen actually work with NGOs around the world.
If you are ready for this, I'd love to support you. You can see the details of Funded 2.0 here. You can sign up directly there, or grab time on my calendar here if you want to chat first.
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