Grant Writing Made Clear with Dr. Trenette
Ever wish you had a mentor with two decades of grant writing experience, ready to guide you through the complexities of securing the funding your organization needs to thrive? Look no further—because that’s exactly what you’ll get when you tune in to Grant Writing Made Clear! Hosted by Dr. Trenette, a distinguished professor, behavioral scientist, seasoned grant writer, and former nonprofit president, she has been principal investigator, co-principal investigator, and co-investigator on grants totaling $14 million dollars. This podcast breaks down the grant writing process and equips you with the tools and strategies to secure larger, impactful funding for your mission-driven organization. In every episode, Dr. Trenette shares lessons learned from both formal training and hands-on experience, so you can write powerful grant proposals that turn your vision into reality.
Whether you're new to grant writing or a seasoned pro looking to find the right funding mechanism, avoid common pitfalls, or craft a winning proposal, Grant Writing Made Clear has you covered. Tune in to get inspired, learn actionable steps, and discover how to turn your goals into funded realities!
Disclosure: We periodically use AI tools to assist in various ways such as brainstorming topics and editing audio. Learning AI will help us to teach others how to use AI in grant writing.
Grant Writing Made Clear with Dr. Trenette
Episode 44: Grant Rejection, Resilience, and Summer Writing with Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave Part 2
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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:
- Why grant rejection is normal, even for successful grant writers
- How to avoid taking funding decisions personally
- Why your motivation matters when writing grant proposals
- How to reuse and strengthen ideas after a proposal is not funded
- Why you do not always have to be the principal investigator on grants
- How summer can support both rest and writing momentum
- 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
Grab your free copy of Think Like a Winner at https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/thinklikeawinner
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