Grant Writing Made Clear with Dr. Trenette

Episode 44: Grant Rejection, Resilience, and Summer Writing with Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave Part 2

In part two of Dr. Trenette’s conversation with her mentor and friend, Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave, they talk honestly about the part of grant writing that every scholar and nonprofit leader eventually encounters: rejection. Dr. Belgrave reminds listeners that not receiving a grant does not define your worth, your intelligence, or the value of your work. She encourages everyone to stay connected to the purpose behind the proposal: advancing knowledge, serving communities, improving outcomes, and using funding as a tool for meaningful impact. Dr. Belgrave and Dr. Trenette also discuss how to use summer well. They suggested their own ways of using summer to include as a time for restoration, family, joy, and focused writing. They talk about writing retreats, conceptualizing grant ideas, developing outlines, and creating enough structure to make progress without sacrificing your life. In This Episode You will learn: 1. Why grant rejection is normal, even for successful grant writers 2. How to avoid taking funding decisions personally 3. Why your motivation matters when writing grant proposals 4. How to reuse and strengthen ideas after a proposal is not funded 5. Why you do not always have to be the principal investigator on grants 6. How summer can support both rest and writing momentum 7. Why focused planning time can make later micro writing sessions easier Key Takeaway A grant rejection is not the end of the idea. Sometimes it is an invitation to revise and resubmit, realign, find a better funder, or return to the purpose of the work. June Workshop If you have ever spent too much time chasing grants that were not a strong fit or felt unsure about where to look next after a rejection, the Find Funding Faster Workshop can help. In this 90-minute live workshop on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, Dr. Trenette teaches a focused grant search process that can help you stop guessing, build a short list of aligned funders, and create a clearer path toward sustainable funding. The workshop is designed to help busy people use a process that takes 15 minutes per week, not 15 hours.  Save your seat here: https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/fundingsearchworkshop [https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/fundingsearchworkshop] Grab your free copy of Think Like a Winner at https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/thinklikeawinner If you’re thinking “I love Dr. Trenette and Grant Writing Made Clear” please rate, review, and subscribe!

Episode 43: Writing Stronger Grant Applications with Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave Part 1

In this episode of Grant Writing Made Clear, Dr. Trenette is joined by her mentor and friend, Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave, a recently retired university vice president, psychology professor, and community engaged researcher who has a history of federal, foundation, and corporate grant funding. Dr. Belgrave reflects on her career and how grants helped her support graduate students, junior faculty, community partners, and meaningful community-based research. She also shares the core elements of a strong proposal, including a clearly demonstrated need, measurable impact, sustainability, strong methods, and alignment with the funder. This conversation is also personal. Dr. Trenette shares how she first met Dr. Belgrave as a doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University and how that mentoring relationship helped shape her own career in community engaged research. In This Episode You will learn: 1. Why grants can support much more than a project budget 2. How funding can create opportunities for students, faculty, and community partners 3. Why every strong proposal must begin with a real and documented need 4. How to explain impact in ways that resonate with funders 5. Why sustainability matters 6. How expectations differ across federal, foundation, and corporate funders 7. Why assessing funder fit before writing can save time, energy, and disappointment June Workshop If this episode helped you realize that finding the right funder is one of the most important parts of grant writing, join Dr. Trenette for the Find Funding Faster Workshop on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm EST. This live, interactive workshop is designed for nonprofit leaders, early career professors, researchers, and graduate students who want a clear, repeatable funding search process without scrambling or guesswork. Participants will learn how to identify aligned funding opportunities, build a starter funder list, and decide which opportunities are worth pursuing now, later, or not at all. Save your seat here: https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/fundingsearchworkshop [https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/fundingsearchworkshop] Grab your free copy of Think Like a Winner at https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/thinklikeawinner If you’re thinking “I love Dr. Trenette and Grant Writing Made Clear” please rate, review, and subscribe!

Episode 42: Strength of the Lab

In this episode, Dr. Trenette reminds us that the strength of a lab (or center, institute, nonprofit organization, and any other entity) is not only measured by impact, grant dollars, publications, titles, or prestige. Funding cycles shift and papers may be rejected, but the people in the lab are what make the work meaningful, sustainable, and strong. This episode invites us to think differently about leadership, grant writing, and team building. Funders are not only investing in projects. They are investing in people who can carry out the work with care, excellence, and integrity. A strong lab is built through mentorship, trust, professional development, recognition, and shared vision. In This Episode, We Cover: * Why the strength of your lab is the strength of your people * Why grant size and publication numbers do not tell the whole story * How funders evaluate the capacity of a team * Why people are the carriers of vision in a lab, project, or organization * How shared vision helps people move from task completion to true ownership * How mentorship helps people grow in skill, confidence, and leadership * Why psychological safety matters for trust, creativity, and problem solving * How professional development strengthens the whole team * Why recognition should happen both publicly and privately * Why a strong lab should be measured by how people are growing, contributing, and trusting one another Simple Homework from the Episode: Reach out to one person in your lab, team, or organization this week and encourage them. Let them know you see their contribution. Ask yourself whether your team feels valued, supported, and trusted. Identify one small way you can invest in someone’s growth this week. Reflect on whether you are developing people, not just assigning tasks. Community Invitation: Join our private Grant Writing Made Clear Facebook community for connection, practical resources, and steady support. Grab your free copy of Think Like a Winner at https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/thinklikeawinner [https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/thinklikeawinner] If you’re thinking “I love Dr. Trenette and Grant Writing Made Clear” please rate, review, and subscribe!   Grab your free copy of Think Like a Winner at https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/thinklikeawinner If you’re thinking “I love Dr. Trenette and Grant Writing Made Clear” please rate, review, and subscribe!

Episode 41: The Olympian Approach to Grant Writing

We often want to run before we have mastered walking. In this episode, Dr. Trenette takes us to the sidelines of her children’s athletic training center to share a powerful lesson on the importance of the fundamentals. While many trainers on the center’s staff focus on high-speed drills, it is the Olympian who insists on a "slow pace," focusing on the techniques that build an elite foundation. Whether you are an academic researcher or a non-profit leader, this episode challenges you to look at your own technique. Are you rushing to the finish line and making errors along the way? Join Dr. Trenette as she breaks down why mastering the basics is actually your greatest competitive advantage. Grab your free copy of Think Like a Winner at https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/thinklikeawinner If you’re thinking “I love Dr. Trenette and Grant Writing Made Clear” please rate, review, and subscribe!

Episode 40: Productive Under Pressure: 5 Grant Writing Strategies for Your Busiest Seasons

In this episode, Dr. Trenette shares five practical strategies for staying productive with grant writing during busy seasons. If you are balancing teaching, research, service, grant writing, fundraising, caregiving, or other major responsibilities, this episode will help you stay focused and productive. You will learn how to protect your energy, prioritize what matters most, and make meaningful progress even when your time and capacity are limited. What You Will Learn: * When and how to use strategic delegation * how time blocking can help you make progress * how the Eisenhower Matrix can help you separate what is urgent from what simply feels urgent * why doing the hardest task first can build momentum for the rest of your day * how to use boundaries to stay productive in demanding seasons * how energy budling can lead to more fun and productivity Resources Mentioned: * Atomic Habits by James Clear * Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy Grab your free copy of Think Like a Winner at https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/thinklikeawinner If you’re thinking “I love Dr. Trenette and Grant Writing Made Clear” please rate, review, and subscribe!