The Queen of Grants 2: GrantTalk Secrets for the New Era of Grant Writing continues Libby Hikind's mission and continues The Queen of Grants series to help organizations strengthen their programs, expand their opportunities, and understand what truly supports successful funding. Drawing from decades of experience as CEO of GrantWatch and a retired grant writer and teacher, and more than fifty GrantTalk podcast interviews, Libby offers readers a clear and practical guide to navigating today's competitive grant landscape. Readers will walk away with practical strategies they can apply immediately to strengthen proposals, increase visibility, and compete effectively for funding.
Part I, GrantTalk Secrets, brings together insights from funders, grantees, nonprofit leaders, and subject‑matter experts across the United States and Canada. Readers learn how decisions are made, what captures attention, and why strong proposals rise above the rest. This section covers program development, project design, needs statements, budgeting, evaluation, communication with funders, and the full grant lifecycle. It provides a comprehensive foundation for writing grants with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Part II, Marketing and Visibility, explains why strong platforms must support strong programs. Libby guides readers through branding, social media strategy, content creation,
blogging, trending topics, and podcasting. This section helps organizations increase recognition, communicate their mission, and stand out in a crowded funding environment.
Part III, The 20 Day Platform Challenge, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the GrantWatch team as they complete a full website refresh on a tight timeline. Through daily journals and reflections, readers see how ideas take shape, how obstacles are overcome, and how collaboration strengthens progress. This section provides a relatable model for teamwork, problem-solving, and organizational readiness.
Part IV, AI in Grant Writing, shows organizations, by example, when to change systems to work smarter. Libby introduces five new AI tools developed for GrantWatch subscribers and explains how the AI Grant Writing Tool and AI Grant Finder support research and drafting why and how the AI Grant Writing Tool and the AI Grant Finder can support grant search and drafting, how to use AI responsibly, and where human judgment and storytelling remain essential. She also describes how the AI Foundation Directory and Grant Recipient search were built from public data and 990 reports, which gives writers faster access to information and saves hours of research. The final section highlights innovations to the Grant Calendar.
The Queen of Grants 2 blends real stories, practical strategies, and forward‑looking tools to help readers strengthen their platforms and succeed in a new era of grant writing.
