You Have a Hammer: Building Grant Proposals for Social Change

by Barbara Floersch, Aaron Dorfman (Foreword)

In 1949, Pete Seeger’s song If I Had a Hammer summoned us to repurpose everyday work tools into tools for social justice. That call still resonates today. "You Have a Hammer: Building Grant Proposals for Social Change" urges you to build proposals from a perspective of activism, transforming the work from the mundane pursuit of dollars to the life-altering pursuit of lasting change. It’s not about how to write grant proposals. It’s about how to use grantseeking as a tool for building a better world.

114 pages, Paperback

Published January 26, 2021

About the author

After managing nonprofits and winning millions of dollars in grant funding, I have more than a few opinions about how to do the work right. To that end, I've developed educational programs, trained thousands of people throughout the US and internationally, reviewed federal grant proposals, published hundreds of articles in the NonProfit Times, authored the updated version of the seminal book in the field, and testified before Congress. My new book, You Have a Hammer, is not a how-to book. There are lots of those. It's a why-to book that challenges nonprofits to focus on grants as tools for social change.

Reviews

[bethany m. planton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book for all grant professionals’ shelves and those that want to understand the why of grant writing.

[Carolyn Appleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

My foray into the field of grant writing began with a week-long grant writing course hosted by The Grantsmanship Center in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s. It remains one of the most memorable and genuinely helpful activities I have ever undertaken. Barbara Floersch served for many years as Chief of Training and Curriculum for The Grantsmanship Center. She developed educational programs and trained many nonprofit staff members like me from across the United States and internationally.

"You Have a Hammer" is a book both new grant writers and seasoned ones will enjoy and learn from. As someone long in the field, I find the pressure to "get the money" often pushes grant professionals to act quickly out of necessity and to move on exhaustingly without considering the big picture and importance of the respected craft of, "grantsmanship." While reading the book, I kept thinking it should be required reading for every nonprofit executive director and board member with whom I have worked. For me, this book is about R-E-S-P-E-C-T, as Aretha Franklin once sang, both for grant professionals and for funders.

Grantmakers and nonprofits need one another. Barbara remarks, "each funder has a mission - a purpose that motivates and defines its work. And just like other nonprofits, different funders focus on different issues. But as diverse as they are, grantmakers have one thing in common. They use grants as tools to accomplish their mission." This sets the stage for the preparation of appropriate and well-tailored proposals that lead to what she calls, "righteous asks": those grounded in a community need that is "well aligned with the funder’s mission and put forth by a well-respected nonprofit in pursuit of impact rather than dollars."

I appreciated Barbara's observation, "The sad fact is that many nonprofits are guilty of chasing dollars. Faced with an urgent and continuous need for cash, seeking grants easily devolves into a money-grabbing frenzy. I have met thousands of nonprofit staff members who are instructed by administrators to shake every tree that could possibly throw out a grant dollar." #BeenThere

Barbara discusses the need for different forms of nonprofit income, and that "grants" are not necessarily the answer to every financial need. She also sheds light on the role of grant professionals in project planning, how one should argue for change rather than "activities," and for sustaining impact rather than "programs," per se. The critical role played by data is discussed in detail (I liked the phrase, "taking the driver's seat with data"), as are project evaluation, teamwork and collaboration (internal and external), and recognizing and dealing with, "hot spots where ethics are most likely to be violated."

Barbara shares some inspiration when she notes grant professionals are more than fillers of forms. "You are activists bringing your passions and skills to the battles you choose. You are tough, your work is honorable, and your causes are noble." I commend the book to you highly.

[H Osborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In half a century of working for nonprofits, this is the best resource I have ever seen. Floersch and Dorfman cut to the heart of the relationship between funding and the work of non-profits. This little book will lead you to clarify your cause, the power and agency you have, and connection with funders who are eager to join you. Put it at the top of your reading list and find yourself energized and empowered.

[Holly T · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Have a Hammer is a short, digestible book on the craft of successful and socially impactful grantsmanship. Its author, Barbara Floersch, is a seasoned nonprofit leader, grant proposal developer, teacher, and thought leader who has gathered a wealth of grants wisdom and know-how over her career that has spanned almost 50 years. I had the privilege of working alongside Ms. Floersch at the start of my development career. Much of what she taught me about grantsmanship is in this book, and these lessons reverberate in my work to this day.

You Have A Hammer is a slim volume, but don’t mistake slim for simple, or small for insignificant. Each of the book’s 23 chapters is an essential, precisely explained building block to developing the proper mindset for pursuing grant funding with integrity, discipline, grit, and an unwavering focus on grants as instruments of social change. Ms. Floresch emphasizes that grantsmanship is not a ‘grant writer’ sitting alone in a room filling out applications or writing up a set of activities to be funded. Grants do not support organizations, they fund impact. Ms. Floresch contends that effective grantsmanship is a systematic effort of collaboration and partnership—between funders and grantees, staff in various organizational functions and levels, and organizations and the constituencies they serve—to address community problems with solutions that work and make a difference.

You Have a Hammer is less an instructional manual on how to write grants (for that, consult the seminal book, Grantsmanship: Program Planning & Proposal Writing by Norman Kiritz, which Floersch updated and expanded in 2015) than a guide about how to understand grants. Both novice and experienced grants professionals and organizational leaders can use this book to better understand the elements of good grantsmanship and its power to catalyze social change.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to receive this book through Librarything's Early Reviewers, however I became more and more confused by this book the more I read. This short piece attempts to explain how proposal writers can use partnerships with funding organizations to create social change. It is clearly not a "how to write proposals" book as it relies on language familiar to those who have some experience with proposal writing, however I found that many of the suggestions were somewhat surface level and left me wanting more depth and explanation. This may be because I have proposal writing training as an academic (this book targets proposal writers for non-profits). Even still, it seemed that many of the suggestions, like researching funding organizations that align with your project and/or mission of your organization, were pretty basic. Personally, I was left wanting more and would have liked to see additional resources for proposal writers included given the brevity of this work.

[Ken Wyman]

Charities and non-profit groups often depend on grants to change the world. But the power-imbalance between the grantors with all the money and grassroots folks can be depressing, particularly if you're critical of the unequal system of wealth for the few.

This book helps reconnect you with your purpose, and re-energize you to tell your story with honesty and commitment to change.

More than a how-to book (though it is that) it is a why-to reminder that the right tools can help change the world.

For over 40 years I've taught people how to raise funds. This is one of the best new books in the field.

And it is short and easy to read.

After you've marked up your copy, at least one of your board members should read it too.

[Melinda Weisberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Floersch has embedded a great deal of practical information in this book alongside a big dose of inspiration. Those who write grant proposals (never ever say Grant Writer!) will certainly benefit. However, what a vision I have of a United Way coordinating a book read among funders and non-profit directors to encourage that the focus of the eyes remain on the prizes. Ahhh, I just love a good vision! To be fair, over my 35+ years working in various capacities in nonprofits and foundations, I can see many wonderful individuals who did come together to do just this thing. Magic happens.

Note: Please do pay attention to the work "embedded". This is not a traditional grant proposal writing guide but something much more unique and valuable.

[Samantha Kolber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, easy-to-read guide to help you reframe how you think about grantwriting, and to use your grantwriting skills to bring about real change in the world.