“Every significant leap has had a grant behind it. At every point where we’ve had a growth spurt, grants have been the reason.” — Jessica Macpherson
Jessie Ballantyne's Grants Uncovered Podcast
You can listen to the whole episode here
If you’re a not-for-profit and want to scale up, this episode is for you.
The quick wrap:
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The importance of grants in the success of St Kilda Mums
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Tapping into corporate partnership programs
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The importance of a diverse revenue stream
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Bringing on multiple funding partners for a single project
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Getting a funder into your space so they can experience the project first-hand
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Impact measurement and reporting across multiple channels
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Providing donors with live, real-time data and the importance of measuring and tracking data from the get-go
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Using your position as the front runners to develop resources that others can use by adopting a ‘share’ mentality on the capital and resources you’re creating
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Jessica’s passion to help charities get the most out of their tech stack and scale up through her new Blaze Your Trail consulting business
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Tapping into volunteer grant writers on LinkedIn
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How a grant for digital upgrades kept Olivia’s Place in Warragul operating throughout COVID
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Don’t apply for grants for a project that your Board isn’t aware of and doesn’t fit your Strategic Plan...you might just win it and then have to manage it!
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The importance of having a Case for Support that is informed by your Strategic Plan. If you don’t have one, drop everything and write one. If you don’t have a Strategic Plan, start with that. Your organisation needs a shared roadmap for where you’re going.
More about the episode
Jessica Macpherson is the Founder and former CEO of St Kilda Mums. Under Jessica's leadership, St Kilda Mums has grown into a highly respected organisation. St Kilda Mums now has thousands of volunteers supporting more than 20,000 babies and children each year across Victoria. The extraordinary growth and impact of St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums has seen more than 340,000 prams, cots and other essential items saved from landfill and given to families in need via a network of social workers.
Jessica has received several awards for her community work, including an Order of Australia Medal. She has been inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, was an award winner in the Pro Bono Australia Impact 25, and the recipient of the Salesforce Golden Hoodie in 2020.
Much like myself, up until recently Jessica was the CEO of the organisation she founded while a mum to young children. She knows how to grow an idea from scratch and raise the funds needed to support the work. Consider this: St Kilda Mums had a budget of only $12,000 in the 2012 Financial Year!
Now, Jessica is working on her latest venture, Blaze Your Trail - a fundraising and technology consultancy with a social purpose.
In this episode, Jessica shares a huge amount of information about how grants have fueled the growth of St Kilda Mums.
