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"GrantExec is like having a full-time person on staff. I can focus on strategy instead of spending hours on the hunt." — Kelly Cooper, President
The Challenge
Kelly Cooper, a veteran grant strategist with decades of experience in education and agriculture, faced a common challenge when securing funding for her three organizations: the traditional grant search and evaluation processes were consuming valuable time that could be better spent on strategy and implementation.
"In the world of grant getting before AI and before GrantExec, it really was a detective hunt," recalls Cooper, who leads 2 Degree Shift (for-profit), Livable Wage Jobs (501c3), and Open Source Ag (501c3). "I was spending countless hours searching through databases and websites, trying to piece together some sort of strategy for moving forward."
In her search for a more efficient approach, Cooper found GrantExec. "What GrantExec is doing now is beneficial at so many levels because it traverses different types of funders—foundations, small governments, and particularly in California, a lot of smaller state grants."
The Solution
After discovering GrantExec, the platform became central to her operations, supporting everything from initial discovery to strategic planning across all three organizations.
Impact Highlights:
Secured $32 million in grant funding across 29 successful non-federal applications
Saved 10+ hours weekly on grant research and discovery
Successfully implemented multi-source funding strategy across three distinct sectors
Three Game-Changing Strategies
1. Streamlining Search
Cooper centralized her entire grant strategy process through GrantExec, eliminating the need to juggle multiple databases and spreadsheets.
"I love being able to see the larger awards on the same page. I don't have to go through grants.gov over here and then another site over there. I can save everything and when I'm working on the small grants, I can keep the big ones in mind."
2. Mastering Evolving Grant Terminology
Cooper used GrantExec's database to stay current with evolving grant terminology and priorities. "The terminologies change a lot, and they change in part because of national politics," she explains.
By analyzing newer RFPs and cross-referencing similar grants, she ensures her applications resonate with current reviewer expectations. "I use GrantExec to increase my peripheral vision when I'm submitting for an RFA or RFP."
3. Layering Strategic Funding
"I use what I call layering and leveraging," Cooper explains. Her strategy involves building complementary funding streams that work together to create sustainable program support.
Using GrantExec, she:
Identifies grants that can build upon each other
Combines smaller and larger funding opportunities strategically
Develops partnerships that strengthen the overall funding strategy
Advice for Grantseekers
Cooper shares several lessons from her experience:
Think Beyond Single Grants
"If you do this on your own, you're limiting your influence and contribution. Because doing it on your own means you're going to write between one and three grants a year. And you cannot move the needle like that."
Stay Open to New Opportunities
"You're not going to match up 10 for 10 on the priorities of a grantor, but give them a chance. If you have seven things that are important to your organization and there are 10 things in that grant, three of which you did not intend to do, be open to at least giving those three things a try."
Start Building Your Foundation
"The most important thing is to start. You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to begin building your strategic foundation."
Cooper continues to build upon her successful layering approach, using GrantExec to combine funding sources strategically while maintaining efficient processes. As her approach evolves, her feedback helps shape the platform's development to better serve grant seekers at every stage of their journey.
GrantExec's Mission: Bridge the Gap Between Funders and Seekers
GrantExec has helped users secure over $10 million in grants and is working towards $10 billion over the next decade. Our goal is to connect funders and seekers in real-time, making the process more accessible and efficient. Together, we can make grant funding work better for everyone. GrantExec can help you:
Identify complementary funding opportunities
Build strategic partnerships
Streamline your grant process
Create sustainable funding streams
Visit platform.grantexec.com to get started.