Grant seeking: Cynthia Adams of GrantStation

Authentically Successful

“What we’ve done is we’ve really tried to take peoples’ skill sets and use them so that they’re not only doing what they’ve been hired to do but they’re doing what they love to do.” - Cynthia Adams

Cynthia and two others started GrantStation in a one-room cabin in the woods of Alaska. The organization was created to connect nonprofits with grantmakers nationally and internationally in order to get the funding they need. Years later, it has now grown to 20 employees as a membership-based model.

At just 14, Cynthia had her first encounter with fundraising-- for a horseback-riding club she was a part of. She discovered she had a special ability to get funding for projects and eventually began her career working for nonprofits.

In this episode, Cynthia and Carol discuss a challenge in the philanthropy industry right now: new funding sources throwing off the traditional funding landscape. Cynthia also reflects on an issue that faces small nonprofits trying to get grants and how it is a “numbers game”.

They also discuss the future of her company as she is planning to fully retire in the coming years.

Learn more about Cynthia Adams and GrantStation.

You can find more information on all our episodes at Vertical Elevation, and you can find Carol on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.