Hello and welcome to the Schools Winning Grants show.
I'm your host, Rodney Walker, and it is such a
pleasure to have you with me one more time.
I'm excited today.
I'm excited about life.
You know, I feel like surfing today, like
just going onto the beach somewhere and just surfing.
This music makes me want to do
that, and I don't even surf.
So if the music is making me want to surf and
I'm feeling like surfing, I guess I should surf my way
into some information today to help you to win grants.
And on today's show, my friend, I'm going
to be sharing with you why every school
should be friendraising to rake in the money.
Yes, it's time to do some raking around here.
I like to use the analogy of raking, because during
spring break, my mother and my brother and I, we
went to the outside raking left and right.
And you know what?
I didn't think we were going to ever finish raking.
It seemed like it was going to go on forever.
But I realized that it
really instilled in me discipline.
And I'm hoping that today that your
school is disciplined in pursuing those grants. Yes.
Discipline enough to meet regularly as a team.
Discipline enough to set some goals and
to go after them. Discipline enough to go
there extra mile because nothing works, really.
Nothing worth having or
having comes without discipline.
We've got to have discipline.
And as I look back at those leaves, those leaves
don't look so bad after all, because if you don't
have the discipline, guess what that means that you're going
to be situated in such a way where you're not
going to have what you want.
And I don't want your school not having what it wants.
I want your school to have the resources that it needs.
And that's why I'm so glad that you're tuned in
to our show, my friend, I want to share with
you a quote that comes from Benjamin Franklin.
You know, Benjamin, Benjamin.
I kind of like the whole Benjamin thing.
Now think about it, because Benjamins is on those Benjamin,
and we want to get some Benjamins for your school.
But here's the quote that Benjamin Franklin said.
He said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best
interest." Wow! And that's what you're getting
right now.
You're getting something here in terms of information
that's going to provide for you interest in
ways that you don't even realize right now.
And so let's dive in today, and I want
to send a special shout out to one of
my favorite high school teachers at Hillcrest High School.
That was my teacher, Ms.
Hudson, my art teacher.
Now, I never will forget how she helped
me to get a scholarship with the Dallas
Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists.
And I end up applying, and I won that scholarship, and
I never will forget the impact that had it also got
me invited to TCU over in Fort Worth for two weeks
for a summer program that literally changed my life.
I don't have an opportunity to go into great
detail about that right now, but I will share
some more information, maybe on my next show with
you about how it's impacted my life.
But I just want to let you know that this show
is coming because now I'm paying it forward with you.
That scholarship changed my life, and I'm hoping
that I can bring some money and some
resources to your school so that you can
change some lives the same way that Ms.
Hudson changed my life.
Now, she has since passed on, but I
want to send a very special shout out
to her, wherever you are right now, Ms.
Hudson, I'm sending you some love, and I want
to thank all my teachers out there that are
helping to make a difference with their schools.
Now let's go on, my friend, and take a look
at how to raise friends for your schools so that
you can rake in those leads of money. Yes.
And what I want you to think about is this,
first of all, think about yourself as a farmer.
If you want to learn how to do
friendraising, think about yourself as a farmer.
And instead of us growing fruits
and vegetables, we're raising friends.
That's what we're doing because friends
end up giving to our calls.
Friends are those that share our concerns.
And we've got to raise some people that are sensitive
to our concerns, that are sympathetic to our concerns, that
will embrace your concerns with you and will invest into
those concerns so that you can make a difference.
Now here's what I want you to do. Real quickly.
I want you to get a sheet of paper out
and write down on the top of that sheet friends
of and insert the name of your school so friends
of whatever the name of your school is.
And then I want you to write down as
many names as you and your teachers and those
who are on your team can think of.
Think of names of businesses, think of
nonprofits, think of corporations, think of people,
as many as you can think of.
Think of places that you actually shop. Yes.
You're investing in their business.
They should be investing in your business as well.
So won't you consider writing a letter to
them and sharing with them, what are some
of the things that your school needs?
Maybe some of the resources, some
of the supplies that you need. Yes.
Even money needs for field trips and
other things that your school needs.
You know, average teachers spending around $750 or more every
year, share with them those needs that you have and
see if they would be willing to invest.
Now here's what we got to remember.
Remember when we start thinking about friendraising, people
give to people that they know like and
trust we got to remember that factor.
So what we want to do, my friend, is help them
to get to know you and the students of your school.
We got to stay in touch.
We got to send pictures, maybe even consider doing
a newsletter, show them what's happening in your school,
and even give them a shout out.
Or maybe shout them out on social media and thank them.
Thank them for possibly being friends
and thank them and surprise them.
Now let me share with you one big
thing that can help to rake in the
leaves of money that you may be overlooking.
It's two simple words, not five, not six.
Just two simple words.
And if you can remember to sprinkle these
words, you, my friend, can grow some friends.
Here are those two magical words.
Thank you.
Yes, thank you.
Those two words can unlock doors of money
that you don't even know they can't.
It's so powerful.
I love to share it because if you can
share with those who will invest in you those
two magical words, I tell you, money will begin
to spring forth and use those words generously.
Get your kids to use those words generously.
Have your kids to draw some pictures of and say
just simply thank you for whatever has been contributing and
what you do, even if you just have two contributors,
if you keep on growing it, my friend, you never
know what that can turn into.
Now, I want you to thank
those funders that you've been researching.
And if you're already a school that is
receiving grant funding, when was the last time
you just thank those who gave you money? Yes.
Sometimes you got to thank them without
even asking them for anything. Surprise them,
they're like, what in the world are you doing?
Why are you thanking us right here?
Thank them and let them know that you appreciate them.
And those two words can work wonders for you.
Is it time for...
Is school out already?
Where does time go when I'm
hanging out with you, my friend?
It seems like time just runs.
I guess I'm in good company.
So I'm hoping that now you will take some action
on some of the ideas that I've shared with you
on the day so we can bring some funds to
your school so we can do more good.
I hope you're doing well.
And remember, my friend, I want you to know
that if you have a question for me, feel
free to send it over to [email protected].
[email protected]. Who knows?
I may be asking a question on one of our shows, and
I did say shows because we have more than one show.
Did you know that we have
a show called Grant Writing Today?
Well, if you didn't go over to grantwritingtoday.com and check
us out and we also have some other shows and
TV things that you can see on YouTube.
Yes, I'm on TV. It's YouTube.
So go over to YouTube, check us out at getfundedwithrodney.com and
if you haven't already, don't forget to mark your
calendars for the four Friday of every month where
you can hang out with me, I can teach
you grant writing for free.
Those of you who are members of our
Get Funded Inner Circle that's where we
hang out and help you to get funded.
Go to getfundedinnercircle.com take that out.
And until we get a chance to hang out again my friend,
I want to let you know that I really appreciate you.
I wish you the best and remember on our next
show I'm going to be sharing with you five no-no's
in friendraising that keeps you from getting the money.
We don't want to do those! So make sure that
you tune in and come and hang out with me.
And until then be brave, be
bold, be brilliant and take charge.
I'm pulling for you.
Have a great day.
