Olive's Path from Executive Director to Freelance Grant Writer on Flexible Hours

This episode, Olive Idehen explains the mindset you need as a business owner, how to identify your ideal clients, and the different strategies she’s used to grow her business.Olive Idehen is the founder and owner of Callive, LLC an independent organizational development consulting firm for small and medium sized social change and nonprofit organizations.Olive explains how to decide which nonprofits to work with, the strategic planning systems that can be created for onboarding clients, and the ways having a master grant template can help with prospecting.She also talks about the importance of pricing your grant writing services correctly, how she positioned herself as a more credible grant writer, and the ways that the Freelance Grant Writer Academy has supported her.What you’ll learn in this episode:The importance of pricing your grant writing services correctly.The mindset you need as a business owner.How to decide which nonprofits to work with.How the Freelance Grant Writer Academy can support you.The strategic planning systems that can be created for onboarding clients.How to identify who your ideal clients are.The ways having a master grant template helps with prospecting. How to make yourself a more credible grant writer.Different strategies to grow a grant writing business.The type of networking you should do before starting your own business.About Olive IdehenAs the founding Executive Director, Coalition for Nonprofit Housing Development in Washington, DC, Olive was immersed in affordable housing issues in partnership with a sixty plus membership of nonprofit and for-profit developers, activists, and funders. To better understand how philanthropy could be leveraged in community, she had a tenure as Senior Director, Housing and Community Development at the Fannie Mae Foundation. Here she funded and provided technical assistance to nonprofit organizations and capital campaigns for programs and physical expansion in Washington, DC.Then she wanted to understand the flow of both private and public sector capital in community development and served as Bank of America’s Vice President, Community Relations Manager where she implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative within the Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs line of business. She supported the Market President, charitable foundation and community outreach activities and initiatives that addressed critical needs in the low-and moderate-income communities in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. This resulted in an “outstanding” regulatory rating for three consecutive years.In 2019, Olive wanted to explore new ways of working with nonprofits and became the founder and owner of Callive, LLC an independent organizational development consulting firm for small and medium sized social change and nonprofit organizations. Callive’s services include strategic planning, grant writing, board training and development, and succession planning and leadership continuity. Olive presently serves on the Board of Directors of three nonprofit organizations including, Manna (affordable housing), Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development (housing and economic development) and Life Asset (community development financial institution).Connect with Olive:LinkedInWebsiteCalendlyEmailQuotables:“Being able to be clear with my services has helped me with marketing, it’s helped me become a expert, and it’s helped with my credibility.”“The academy has helped to build my confidence because it’s one thing to work for somebody else and it’s another thing to work for yourself and go out and get the business.”“Do lots of networking before you leave a nonprofit so that when you do leave you still have that one client.”Resources mentioned in this episode.Freelance Grant Writer AcademyEverything Inside the FGW Academy, Who It’s For, & How to Get Your Investment Back with One SaleFinding a Community of Grant WritersHow Jen Made Her Investment Back within 3 Months, booked out clients, and won her first grant Inside the AcademyOTHER RESOURCES:Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox.  https://grantwritingandfunding.com/Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCASTFavor, please? If you love this podcast, would you please do me a favor and leave a review on iTunes or your podcast listener?This helps others find the podcast and I read each and every review!“Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show!Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week.Thanks for listening!Warmly,Holly RustickLeading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.