I’m Applying for a $5,000 Grant

Come Behind the Scenes With Me

Today, I sat down with our grant writer and reviewed a grant opportunity I’m considering for my business.

And I’ve decided. I’m applying.

But I want to do something a little different this time. Instead of quietly completing the application, submitting it, and only telling you about it if I win, I’m going to take you behind the scenes of the entire process.

➡️ The research.

➡️ The questions

➡️ The conversations with my grant writer.

➡️ The application.

➡️ The $25 application fee. 👀

➡️ The waiting.

And yes — eventually, the decision.

Why am I sharing this?

As an entrepreneur, I talk to a lot of people who are looking for funding for their businesses. And one of the words that ALWAYS comes up is: GRANTS.

Everybody wants to know where to find them. Of course I tell them, Grants for Small Business but finding a grant is only the beginning.

➡️ How do you know whether it’s legitimate?

➡️ Is your business actually a good fit?

➡️ What makes you competitive?

➡️ How much time should you spend on an application?

And here’s one I get asked very frequently: Should you pay to apply for a grant? This particular grant I am applying for has a $25 application fee. I know some people will immediately say: “Nope. Never pay to apply for a grant.” And trust me I see that perspective but I don’t automatically say yes or no. o want to know what I’m paying for, who’s behind the opportunity, what they’re offering, whether my business qualifies, and whether the potential opportunity justifies the cost. That’s part of the financial decision-making process, too. So I’m going to share how I made that decision.

Step 1: I didn’t immediately apply.

Today, our grant writer and I reviewed the opportunity together. That’s an important part of my process. Finding a grant that sounds good doesn’t automatically mean it’s a good grant for my business.

Before submitting anything, I want to understand:

• Who is offering the money?
• What types of businesses have they funded before?
• What are they looking for?
• Does my business align with that?
• What information do they want from me?
• How would I use the money if I received it?
• And is this application worth my time AND money?

That’s where we started.

It is important for you to understand, applying for grants isn’t just about finding the opportunity. It’s also about being able to clearly communicate your business, your impact, your needs, and what additional capital would allow you to accomplish.And sometimes the exercise of answering those questions is valuable even before you know whether you’re getting the money.

So over the next few posts, I’m taking you with me. I’ll share what I’m comfortable sharing from my application, how I’m approaching the $25 application fee, what I decide to emphasize about my business, what I’m learning along the way, and what happens after I hit SUBMIT.

And for our Elite subscribers, we’re going even deeper. I’ll take you behind the strategy, sharing more of my decision-making process, lessons from working with our grant writer, and practical takeaways you can use when pursuing funding opportunities for your own business.

Everyone gets to come on the journey. Elite gets a look inside the playbook.

And when the decision comes? I’ll share that too, whether it’s YES or NO. Because I believe there’s something to learn from both.

Today’s Grant Journey status:

Grant reviewed. ✅
Decision made. ✅
I’m applying. ✅

Now it’s time to build the application.

Stay tuned. Grant Journey, Day 1

Your business bestie

Patrina