Episode 43: Writing Stronger Grant Applications with Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave Part 1

In this episode of Grant Writing Made Clear, Dr. Trenette is joined by her mentor and friend, Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave, a recently retired university vice president, psychology professor, and community engaged researcher who has a history of federal, foundation, and corporate grant funding.Dr. Belgrave reflects on her career and how grants helped her support graduate students, junior faculty, community partners, and meaningful community-based research. She also shares the core elements of a strong proposal, including a clearly demonstrated need, measurable impact, sustainability, strong methods, and alignment with the funder.This conversation is also personal. Dr. Trenette shares how she first met Dr. Belgrave as a doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University and how that mentoring relationship helped shape her own career in community engaged research.In This EpisodeYou will learn:Why grants can support much more than a project budgetHow funding can create opportunities for students, faculty, and community partnersWhy every strong proposal must begin with a real and documented needHow to explain impact in ways that resonate with fundersWhy sustainability mattersHow expectations differ across federal, foundation, and corporate fundersWhy assessing funder fit before writing can save time, energy, and disappointmentJune WorkshopIf this episode helped you realize that finding the right funder is one of the most important parts of grant writing, join Dr. Trenette for the Find Funding Faster Workshop on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm EST. This live, interactive workshop is designed for nonprofit leaders, early career professors, researchers, and graduate students who want a clear, repeatable funding search process without scrambling or guesswork. Participants will learn how to identify aligned funding opportunities, build a starter funder list, and decide which opportunities are worth pursuing now, later, or not at all.Save your seat here: https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/fundingsearchworkshopGrab your free copy of Think Like a Winner at https://trenette-goings.mykajabi.com/thinklikeawinnerIf you’re thinking “I love Dr. Trenette and Grant Writing Made Clear” please rate, review, and subscribe!