Keep it Real. Keep it Pithy.
I’m Sharmila; mom, immigrant, proud Sri Lankan, and experienced grant writer with a critical eye for how social dynamics and systems play out in our world.
This is a space for sharing reflections, advice, and resources about the nitty gritty of impactful grant writing and grant consulting — insights and stories from lessons learned, life lived, and mistakes made.
Blog content is created and curated for nonprofits, grant consultants, and aspiring grant writers.
Adventures in Grant Writing
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Grant Coaching: My ‘WHY’ Story
Almost 20 years ago I decided to strike out as an independent grant writer after making a conscious decision to leave the international development world. While I would often informally mentor my grant writing clients, I had a deep desire to share what I had learned in a more structured way. Fast forward to 2025, I decided to launch my 1:1 grant coaching practice.
Cutting Through Budget Confusion
How do you submit a grant proposal budget for a special project that’s planned for the NEXT fiscal year, when your board has only approved this year’s budget—and next year’s budget won’t be finalized before the grant deadline?
You Can’t Write About Things You Don’t Know Enough About
Practical Advise for Nonprofit Professionals Who Didn’t Sign Up to Be Grant Writers—But Have No Choice.
Grant Writing—Action Movie Style
Unexpected plot twists and of course, action—are great in action movies. Trying to submit a grant proposal while suddenly finding yourself at the edge of a gravel cliff with a bus heading towards you at 60 miles an hour?—Not so great!
My Grant Writing Journey
No one I’ve ever met started their career saying ‘I want to be a grant consultant.’ Those who end up here are usually mid-career and senior professionals whose careers have zigzagged through some interesting places first. If you want to know my story, here it is.