How Dr. Angela Kingdon Reframed Her Work To Win a $1,000 Grant in the Hit Submit Challenge
The mindset shift that helped one creator secure grant funding.
Many creators assume grants fund organizations, missions, and big ideas.
While this is true, grants often fund something much more specific: programs and projects.
That subtle shift, from pitching an entire organization to pitching a clearly defined project or program, can completely change how funders evaluate your work.
Today, we’re featuring a creator who experienced that shift firsthand.
After joining our 5-day Hit Submit Challenge, Dr. Angela Kingdon went from feeling overwhelmed by the grant process to submitting multiple applications and ultimately securing a grant that helped validate the Autistic Culture Institute’s work at a pivotal moment.
One of the biggest lessons discovered during the challenge?
Funders want to support specific programs with clear timelines, budgets, and measurable impact. That realization led to the creation of clearly defined programs within the organization and became the key to writing stronger grant applications.
Let’s dive into how Dr. Angela Kingdon did it.
(And if you’d like hands-on support applying to your first or next grant, join the waitlist for the next round of the Hit Submit Challenge later this year.)
1. Tell us about your creative work.
I run the Autistic Culture Institute, a nonprofit media and cultural organization that produces research-informed podcasts, writing programs, live events, and community spaces centering autistic and neurodivergent adults.
Our work focuses on shifting public narratives from deficit-based models toward cultural, scientific, and lived-experience perspectives. We develop accessible educational content, amplify underrepresented voices, and create structured community spaces that reduce isolation and increase belonging.
One of our major programs is a podcast called Late Diagnosis Club, a weekly interview show and digital community for autistic and neurodivergent adults who discover their identity later in life. Each episode features an in-depth conversation with a “regular” neurodivergent adult about work, relationships, identity, and mental health.
Website: AutisticCulture.Substack.com
2. Why did you join the Hit Submit Challenge (October 2025), and what were you hoping to achieve?
I joined the Hit Submit Challenge because I was overwhelmed.
I run a small non-profit media organization doing work that I know matters, but the world of grants feels opaque and difficult to navigate.
Finding the right opportunities, understanding eligibility requirements, and translating creative work into funder language can feel like a full-time job on top of the work itself.
I was hoping to learn:
how to identify grants that truly fit our mission
how to present our work clearly and confidently
how to build a funding strategy that is sustainable rather than reactive
The Autistic Culture Institute has already built an audience and demonstrated demand, but I needed guidance on how to connect that traction to the right funding pathways. I wanted to spend more time creating and less time guessing at where the next opportunity might be hiding.
Join the waitlist for the next round of the Hit Submit Challenge later this year.
3. What support mattered most to you during the challenge?
Really, the biggest thing was the deadlines.
Danielle kept saying we could get an application in DURING the challenge, and I just decided I was going to be the person who did it.
I applied for three and lost two, but I got the one that was worth the most money.
4. What was your biggest “AHA” moment from the challenge? How has it changed the way you approach grant funding?
I did have a very big Aha moment from the challenge, and I am still coming to terms with it. It was actually a hard lesson.
I thought grant funders would support my ORGANIZATION (Autistic Culture Institute) and fund it based on our MISSION and PURPOSE.
I didn’t understand that granting organizations fund PROGRAMS.
I had to start thinking of my organization as an organization that HAS programs. Basically, I restructured my whole business in a way.
We now have (4) “programs.”
Each program has a budget, timeline, and a mission, and I apply for grants SEPARATELY for each. Initially, I was NOT thinking of my organization that way at all.
Also, within each program, I now measure the impact.
For example, within our podcast, the LIVE EVENT is a standalone program, and our CONTEST is part of another program. Here’s a visual breakdown…
5. Tell us about the grant you won and the behind-the-scenes decision to go after it during challenge week?
During the challenge, I could choose from a short list of funding opportunities. I applied for The Pollinator Project and The Awesome Foundation, but later learned they did not select me.
Then on December 8th, I got my yes from Vlogbrothers HQ! I was so happy!
I was actually speaking at a podcasting conference in Belgium when the news came, and I got to announce the win in my speech.
The next day, I had a funding call with another organization, and I was able to add it to the pitch deck!
6. How does it feel to see your work grant-funded?
Getting that grant, especially from the Vlogbrothers who have inspired me so much, was an INCREDIBLE validation.
The day it came, I had been thinking of quitting. It was right at the end of the year.
Nothing I had been doing in 2025 worked, and I thought, let me start fresh in 2026.
This win was my validation to KEEP GOING!
7. What did winning this grant unlock for your project or business?
I wish I could say it unlocked more grants. It hasn’t yet. I have applied to (30) now and have collected a lot of rejection letters. I try to stay positive.
I know what I am doing matters, and I’m now approaching corporate sponsors.
I built a sponsorship kit and have a list of people to pitch.
I only need one big win. I know it’s coming.
Feeling inspired? Read other success stories in our ongoing Grant Win Series!
P.S. If you won a grant you found from this newsletter, please let us know!
We’d love to feature you in this ongoing series. Email Danielle Desir Corbett at grantsforcreators@gmail.com with the subject line: “I won a grant.”
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Congratulations Dr. Angela 🎉🎉🎉