🏆 Grant Success Story: How Jesse Mercury Won a $3,000 Grant For a Podcast About Living With Chronic Illness
"I cultivated a forceful belief that my project has value and is worth funding."
I find that hearing success stories motivates me to keep going. In the world of pursuing funding, it’s easy to get discouraged. You may hear ten "No’s" in a row, but when that email comes in saying you’ve been selected, let me tell you, those moments are worth the fight. Today, I’m back with another i-n-s-p-i-r-i-n-g grant success story from a member of our community.
Meet Jesse Mercury, a content creator and host of Major Pain, a podcast about living with chronic illness and disability. He won a $3,000 grant, which helped him pursue marketing strategies for the first time and outsource help.
Without further ado, take it away, Jesse.
1. Tell us about yourself and your creative work.
Jesse Mercury: My name is Jesse Mercury, and I am a content creator with a long history of chronic illness. Star Trek fans may recognize me as the guy who green-screens himself into old episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation!
My history of health challenges inspired me to create Major Pain, a podcast about living with chronic illness and disability. Each week, I ask my guest, 'What is your Major Pain?' and we dive into their health journey.
We hear about the realities of living with chronic illness and disability, the dangers of medical gaslighting, and the inner workings of rare diseases, all from the first-hand perspective of actual patients.
The goal of the show is to build community around experiences often lived in isolation. I also share my own journey, from mystery illness to eventual diagnosis with mast cell activation syndrome, which opened up a world of treatment possibilities and massively improved my quality of life.
Listen to the first episode of Major Pain here (published April 2021).
Website: majorpainpodcast.com
Instagram: majorpainpodcast
TikTok: majorpainpodcast
2. What initially sparked your interest in pursuing grants as a funding source?
Jesse Mercury: It occurred to me that Major Pain may be grant-worthy, as it is intended as a free resource for the chronically ill and disabled community. Some internet searching brought up a podcast episode in which Danielle Desir Corbett discussed Grants for Creators, and the rest is history!
3. Can you tell us about the grant you won and how it has benefited you?
Jesse Mercury: I received a $3,000 creator grant from the Stimpunks Foundation. This is an amazing organization that provides mutual aid and direct financial relief to neurodivergent and disabled individuals. They also have an incredible program that provides grants to content creators doing work that benefits this community, which is what I received.
This grant was an injection of lifeblood to the podcast, allowing me to pursue marketing strategies for the first time, hire a bit of help to keep the show coming out regularly, and ease the financial burden of applying for disability (a process that took years!). I am deeply indebted to the Stimpunks!
Read Next: Grants for disabled persons
4. What resources, including online platforms, have been helpful in finding funding opportunities?
Jesse Mercury: Honestly, the only resource I have found is Grants For Creators! I check it every month for new funding opportunities and continue to apply for grants.
5. How do you evaluate potential grant opportunities to determine if they align with your projects and goals?
Jesse Mercury: This is harder than it seems! I have made it deep into a grant application before finding a piece of information that does not align with my project. A careful, thorough reading of all grant materials is extremely important, as is watching any videos about the application process the grantor may provide. Having a second set of eyes look everything over can be super helpful as well.
6. Do you have grant writing experience? How do you approach the grant writing process? Any tips you can share?
Jesse Mercury: I did write the grant application for the Stimpunks, and feel I got really lucky that this grant aligned perfectly with my project. My podcast has a clear vision, and is advocating on behalf of a stigmatized population of which I am also a member.
I have applied to several other grants since then and have not had any more success, but I am determined to keep trying!
I recently started working with a grant writer to help refine my application process. You could write the best grant in the world but never succeed if your application does not align with the goals of the organization providing funding. Understanding these goals and crafting an application that reflects them is paramount to success.
Grant Writing Resources: Introduction To Grant Writing Workshop: In this pre-recorded 60-minute workshop, Melissa Wetzel, CFRE, walks you through the top (3) questions found on grant applications and shows you how to stand out with storytelling. Plus, access case studies with feedback from an experienced grant writer and examples of winning grant submissions.
7. What advice would you give to other creatives who are hesitant or unsure about applying for grants?
Jesse Mercury: You have nothing to lose but time! Subscribing to Grants For Creators is a huge first step since locating grants can feel like an impossible barrier to surmount. The cost was well worth the value, especially since I received my first funding so quickly. There are also many webinars out there for aspiring grant writers. Investing time into learning the basics is a wise way to start. If you have a clear purpose and know deep down your project is worth funding, then there is no reason to wait. Find a grant that fits your goals and start applying!
8. What closing message would you like to leave with our readers, particularly aspiring creatives and entrepreneurs seeking funding?
Jesse Mercury: It can be hard to value yourself and your project, especially in an increasingly oversaturated content landscape. It can be even harder to ask someone else to value your project, financially or otherwise. But if you believe in what you're doing, find ways to get comfortable with proclaiming value.
I treat my podcast like a job, even though it is a passion project.
I am consistent with my release schedule. I've worked hard to build trust and build community, letting my listeners know they can count on me as part of their weekly ritual. I have built language into the podcast around crowdsourcing financial support through Patreon, and forced myself to get comfortable doing so. This attitude served me well when jumping into grant writing.
I cultivated a forceful belief that my project has value and is worth funding, then put that belief out into the world. I'm thrilled that belief was validated so quickly, and hope it will happen again in the future!
Continue reading about creators in the Grants For Creators community who secured grant funding sourced from our monthly newsletter.
How Mike Brown Won $1,500 for a Self-Improvement Podcast
How Dr. Janina Jeff Won $25,000 To Produce Season 3 of In Those Genes Podcast
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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 and highlight your work. Email Danielle Desir Corbett at grantsforcreators@gmail.com with the subject line: “I won a grant.”