Community Evaluation Solutions

Why do good nonprofits still miss out on grants?

According to grant strategist, Lisa Eaves, it’s rarely about the quality of the work and almost always about readiness.

In the latest episode of my podcast, Community Possibilities, Lisa shares what funders really want to see, why grant writing isn’t something you can just outsource, and how nonprofits can build a sustainable path to funding. She talks about the heart of every grant decision: community need, organizational capacity, and alignment with funder goals.

We also explore her “Grant Quest” method, what strong grant management looks like after you win, and why counting activities isn’t enough. Impact is what matters.
Most importantly, Lisa reminds leaders that community listening, collaboration, and consistency are essential, especially when funding gets tight.

If you’re leading a nonprofit, serving on a board, or supporting community work, this conversation may be just what you need before heading out on your grant quest.

Seeing peonies bloom always makes me think about the slow, steady work that leads to real change.

Building a strong health coalition is a lot like spring growth when the “roots” are solid (structure, shared strategy, and meetings that move the work forward), everything else has a better chance to thrive.

If your coalition has big goals but feels stuck, you’re not alone and you don’t have to figure it out by trial and error.

Want support? You can:
1) Schedule a call to talk about how Community Evaluation Solutions can help, or
2) Ask about our Coalition Academy for coalition leaders who want practical tools and momentum.



Comment “CALL” or “ACADEMY” and I’ll message you with details.

Had such a good Community of Practice (COP) meeting today. We lead the COP for our amazing client, Communities In Schools of Georgia.

We meet for an hour once a month (about six times a year, fall–spring) so CIS site staff can connect without adding to their busiest seasons. We start with a quick icebreaker, share the topic, spotlight a few site coordinators, and end with reflections + everyone’s key takeaway.

Today we talked about building good relationships with school administrators, and people shared some really helpful tips:
• Show up and be present
• Help where you can
• Share information + schedules with school staff (handout, Google Doc, and/or group text)

We also talked honestly about what a lot of folks are dealing with, like morale and overwhelm. It was genuinely heartwarming to see people encourage each other with affirmations, reminders to reach out for support, and self-care.

We ended by asking what folks want next year. Huge thank you to Katie Hale and Cheralynn Corsack for guiding COP conversations this year.

Big takeaway: COP isn’t about us “teaching”—it’s about creating space for the community to learn from each other.

I hopped on the sticker train. Who wants one? We knead community.