Cadenza

How Nonprofits Can Drive The Adoption Of New Technologies

One of the most consistent pieces of feedback we hear from users is that they’re fed up with traditional grant databases like Instrumentl, Grant Station or Grants.gov. It’s just too overwhelming to find relevant grants out of the 1000s available to apply to. How do we know? Let’s just say from first-hand experience. At RS Laboratories, my business partner Adam and I would spend DAYS trying to find relevant grants to apply for to fund our fusion research. In fact, many research institutions and PHds have to take MONTHS away from their research to navigate the grant application process. And federal grants… a nightmare! That’s why we built Cadenza to match organizations directly with the most closely aligned grant opportunities and make it easy for them to conduct research, submit compelling applications, and auto-generate personalized impact reports to quickly and easily provide detailed follow-up reporting. Or as Adam puts it: “It’s kind of like Tinder… but for grants!” And to celebrate our upcoming launch, we’re going to be giving away our grant finder tool for free. That’s right… FREE. It’s still not perfect, but with your feedback and suggestions we believe we will have THEE best grant database on the market. Cadenza specializes in research, writing and reporting… so why gatekeep grants that are already publicly available but hidden behind paywalls and confusing portals? No longer! Send me a message or check out our website to learn more / gain early access. If you or an organization you know wants to win more grant funding this year, now is the time to see how AI platforms like Cadenza can help!

🚨The Trump administration just halted all communication from federal health agencies. Here’s what you need to know: The freeze pauses all forms of communication including guidance, press releases and social media posts until February 1st. They also paused all funding notice announcements and meetings. NIH representatives were scrambling having to cancel scheduled study section meetings- leaving researchers at risk of missing grant application windows. “This is super stressful because of the uncertainty of not knowing how long these cancellations be in effect. If study sections don’t meet on time, then that could delay grants being distributed, which affects the ability of labs to pay their students and postdocs and staff. In some cases, if there was a gap in funding, it could result in someone either not being hired at all or having to be laid off,” said Rebecca Pompano, a chemist and biomedical engineer at the University of Virginia whose training session for a study section on Wednesday was canceled 20 minutes before it was scheduled to start.” -Anil Oza (link to his article in comments) Federal grant funding is going to be the biggest question mark in 2025, and nonprofits and universities’ top priority should be diversifying their funding sources in whatever way possible. Even our team was in the midst of submitting federal grant applications for our fusion research project. We are deeply concerned about this trend and as a result we’re now exploring alternative funding paths as we know we can’t be reliant on federal funds. A few suggestions: 1) Reach out to your contacts on the federal level and ask them if you need to be aware of any changes and if they could keep you in the loop. 2) Start connecting with grant officers and foundation directors for foundations and corporations. Build those relationships now! 3) Keep your donor base informed- especially if your organization is reliant on federal funding. Let them know you need their support more than ever. The time to act is now.

I grew up on a farm in the Midwest, where my dad taught English and my mom taught piano at the local liberal arts college during the year, and grew wheat in the summer. Bailing hay in that hot, humid summer heat was awful, but rewarding and satisfying at the same time. While I never thought of my family as farmers, I felt at home in the farming community. As I grew up and found myself in the outdoor industry, I collected books on permaculture and was often drawn back to the dirt. The way my career was going, I thought working with the land, raising bees, learning Indigenous and regenerative practices of how to care for the land, and spending my days with dirt under my fingernails may have to come "in retirement." When it was clear that it was time to end my chapter at Patagonia, I found myself drawn back to the land, and curious about doing more within my own community of Ojai. During my years at Patagonia, I'd been so focused on advocating for so many other communities outside of Ojai. I laughed with my friend Bernadette Demientieff that I knew more about her Gwich'in community in Alaska than my own. I loved working within the communities like Bern's, but I wanted to be home more, with my family, and on the traditional and sacred lands of the Chumash. So when Griffin and I first sat down for coffee and he mentioned everything I had been thinking about and craving through the lens of Farmhand, there was no turning back. Farmhand has already given me a sense of returning home, and I look forward to having dirt under my fingernails and working in this sacred community of Ojai with wonderful people, for years to come! It brings me great pleasure to reconnect with the local lands, watershed, and diverse community of Ojai in my new role as Executive Director of Farmhand Foundation. 📷 : @Em https://lnkd.in/gFzzKWTA

This is a Jon McCoy and Becky Endicott appreciation post. Two of my favorite people in the nonprofit sector. Why? Because they put community at the heart of their mission. Not ONLY do they offer a ton of lived experience within the nonprofit sector… Not ONLY do they create genuine and meaningful content for both your ears and your brain… Not ONLY do they create inclusive events and meetups that drive real connection and value… They’re two of the nicest, most genuine and thoughtful people you will ever meet. It’s why when we finally had enough money to invest in marketing, they were the first sponsorship dollars we spent at Cadenza. Because we believe in investing in people and human relationships. And we are suckers for community. Communities are what allow us to connect and engage with one another so that we can learn from our peers and relate to our shared experiences. They also help make us feel less isolated and like we’re on an island by ourselves. And most importantly, they help reduce burnout because they recharge our batteries by making us feel less alone. So excited for ImpactUp today and for our Chicago meetup later tonight (at Pilot Project Brewing). Not sure I’ll be as lucky to see Jon in person again like we did in Denver, but excited for the new friends I’ll get to make while I’m there! And can’t WAIT to hear from some of my friends who are speaking!! Just look at this lineup!!! Dana Snyder from Positive Equation | Dana Snyder Meghan Walsh from Roots Ethiopia Gloria Umanah from Hope Booth And Vik and scott harrison from charity: water (Still time to register today!) Thank you to the both of you for everything you do for impact creators across the globe. Your community thanks you!!

Not seeing engagement from visitors on your nonprofit’s website? Before deciding to build a new site, see if it’s one of these issues. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend jumping to building a new site (or massively overhauling your existing site) until you’ve run through these potential culprits. 1. Unclear Primary Audience Who is your website for? It should be built for a max of two primary audiences. Until you’re clear on who those are, there’s no way your visitors will be. And a confused mind never converts. 2. Disjointed Messaging What overarching story are you trying to tell your visitors? Is your team clear (and aligned) on it? Getting clear on the takeaway message you want visitors to leave with will help you create much stronger, more cohesive website content. This also ties into… 3. Lack of Differentiated Value How are you different from all the other orgs out there? What do you want to be known for? If you aren’t clearly and concisely cutting through the noise online these days, you’re going to lose a lot of visitors very quickly. 4. Unclear Conversion Paths What are the most important actions your audiences are looking to take on your site? Are the paths to those actions clear and easy? Once you’re clear on these actions, try taking them on your site — start to finish — yourself. (I love em dashes. This wasn’t written by AI :) 5. Flat Distribution Strategy How are you connecting with your community? How are you guiding them to your website? Your website doesn’t matter if no one finds it. I’m not discounting the importance of an incredible website you’re proud to share with the world. If I thought that, I’d probably need to find a new line of work. But until you sort out these issues, the tech and design of your site just don’t matter nearly as much as folks typically think. What’s missing? What would you add to the list? I read every comment and would love to hear from you.

Want to see me manage content and family dynamics live 😅 Just kidding (sort of), but what I’m really excited about is getting to dig into generational knowledge around grant writing and grant making. Over the last few days as we have all been engulfed in news of executive order, i’m thinking about the paralysis, so many fundraisers might feel when it comes to the next thing to do with grant funding. The more uncertainty in the environment around us, the more stress we feel in our body and the less action we are able to take. I have been saying for the last few years that my work always sits at the intersection of fundraiser overwhelm and enablement and that is exactly why I wanted to host this panel with Zachary Hynek (his mom!!!) and the Cadenza team. You’ll also get to hear from another *family* of grant writers. I think the generational lens is so important here because it’s easy to get distracted and reactive when things start to change. But there’s always something we can learn from the arcs and patterns in history that can help give us helpful insight into how to manage uncertain times. I hope you will join us next week!

At the Topfer Family Foundation, each of our 5 giving pillars comes with a story that you’d never know unless you took the time to ask. One of these pillars is “Children’s Health” which was chosen by my uncle because his son was experiencing seizures and the doctors couldn’t figure out why. I remember my uncle telling me how he couldn’t imagine what it be like for a parent to have a child with a medical condition and not knowing how they’d pay for it. So this became one of our foundation’s focus areas. In fact, every one of our focus areas means something different to each of our board members. Fundraisers that take the time to figure out these insights and ask meaningful questions are often the ones who are able to build a real connection. We started Cadenza because we knew that insights like these were the REAL secrets to fundraising. But here’s the thing, they’re not secrets. Many fundraisers know them to be true. The issue is that fundraisers are so burnt out they don’t have the time to ask these questions because of the 10,000 plates they’re already juggling. Cadenza was built with the idea that if we can help nonprofits win back time just a little more time in their day, we can also help them win more grants and major funds. All of our decisions at Cadenza are anchored around a single question: how can we give our users back more time. Time to build more meaningful relationships with donors. Time to conduct deeper research to better align grant proposals. Time to simply spend with friends and family, so they can avoid getting burnt out in the first place. We don’t have all the answers, but what we do know is that if we can use AI to give nonprofit employees just a little more time back in their day, how they spend it is up to them. So if you’re interested in learning more insights like these, join our upcoming webinar with Mallory Erickson where we’ll be interviewing two generations of grant writers and grant makers (including me and my mom) to hear our perspectives on the secrets to fundraising. Special thanks to our amazing grant writers, Cassandra Gray and HER mom, Brenda Rozinsky for joining us as well! This is one you don’t want to miss! Link to register in the comments below.

I’ve been hearing it from so many fundraisers lately: “I don’t know what to expect next.” Honestly, I feel it too. With all the uncertainty around funding—especially federal grants and how foundations might respond to the shifting political climate—it’s easy to get stuck in a spiral of “what ifs.” The big picture feels overwhelming, and you’re left wondering where to even begin. I’ve also been reflecting on something else: the pressure so many of us feel to “know it all.” As a consultant, it can be tempting to position myself as the expert on everything. But here’s the truth—I don’t want to teach what I’m not an expert in. Pretending to have all the answers doesn’t serve anyone, especially fundraisers like you. That’s why I’m intentional about finding the real experts when I know a moment calls for it. And right now? This moment—where grant funding feels more critical and uncertain than ever—is one of those times. That’s why I’ve partnered with my friends at Cadenza to host a webinar designed to bring you practical tools, expert insights, and clarity for navigating this shifting landscape: 🗓 The Future of Grant Writing & Making: Practical Insights for Today’s Challenges 📅 January 29th at 11:30 AM PST / 2:30 PM EST 👉 Register here https://lnkd.in/gdPcS_eR It’s no longer just about how well you can write a grant proposal. It’s about how well you connect. During the panel, you’ll learn: The Art of Alignment: Brenda Rozinsky, who manages over $5M in grants annually, will share how she crafts proposals that resonate deeply with funders. Fresh Tools for Success: Cassie Gray, an emerging consultant and Cadenza user, will show how tech tools are reshaping what’s possible in grant writing. Funder Perspectives: Jackie Hynek, a board member with 20+ years of experience, will offer candid insights into what funders look for—and what they don’t. As I’ve been saying a lot lately: Action is the antidote to fear. Even when the big picture feels overwhelming, there are small, powerful steps you can take right now. This webinar is about helping you take those steps. Grant writing isn’t about saying the perfect thing. It’s about aligning with funders, building trust, and responding thoughtfully to the world we’re navigating together. I’m so grateful to Zachary Hynek my friends at Cadenza for bringing together two generations of grant writers to help us through this moment. I’ll be there alongside you, learning and growing as we prepare for what’s ahead in 2025. I hope to see you there!