Stuck in a Grant Search Rut? Here’s How to Break Out
Find better grants in less time.
Grant searching on your own is an emotional roller coaster.
One minute, you’re hopeful, the next, you’re knee-deep in expired links and buried in 10-page PDFs, wondering, "How did I get here?”
💻 *Shuts laptop*
This doesn’t happen when you’re inside our world—our newsletter cuts through all that. But if you’ve been flying solo and not seeing results, chances are you’re making one of these common (but avoidable) mistakes.
As the founder of Grants For Creators, I spot over $1M in funding every month—and I’ve seen these three research patterns come up again and again.
Here’s what to avoid—and what to do if you want better results.
1. Relying on Generic Search Terms
Most creators start with phrases like:
“Grants for small businesses”
“Grants for artists”
“Podcast grants”
Broad terms lead to broad results.
You’ll mostly find outdated blog posts from 2022, generic databases, or pages so general they have nothing to do with your work.
Ask me how I know…👀 (I see them daily)
Instead: Be more descriptive. Be more descriptive than descriptive.
I use a layered keyword strategy, which I call “keyword stacking.”
For example:
“Black women documentary grants”
“Queer choreographer residency in New England”
Inside my upcoming Grants Keyword Builder Workbook, I’ll walk you through developing descriptive search terms that lead to more relevant funding opportunities.
2. Searching Once in a While Instead of Building a Consistent Practice
Most people treat grant searching like a one-time sprint: they open a browser, search “grants for artists,” click around for 10 minutes, and then close the tab in frustration.
But grants are time-sensitive. Many funders have short submission periods, typically ranging from one to three weeks.
If you only search occasionally, you're likely missing out on opportunities that aren’t on your radar that week or month.
Instead: Make grant searching a consistent part of your workflow.
Set aside 15–30 minutes once a week to:
Skim our newsletter — why start from scratch when we’ve already done the digging? 🔍
Update your personal grant tracker to stay organized and ahead of deadlines.
✨ Pro Tip: Treat this like admin time. Add reviewing our newsletter to your calendar, like you would invoicing, pitching, or marketing.
👩🏾💻 How I Do It: Every Friday, I review our monthly newsletter — remember we update it every week with new grants. It takes 10 minutes and leaves me with a short list of grants I want to explore or apply for next. It’s that easy.
3. Not Applying Because the Grant Doesn’t Name Your Exact Craft
Many creators disqualify themselves because a grant doesn’t specifically say “filmmaker,” “poet,” or “photojournalist.”
Funders often focus on the type of impact your work has—not just your title or medium. They may fund you even if your craft isn’t listed word-for-word.
For example, you might be a travel vlogger, but if your work documents cultural preservation, you may qualify for heritage, archival, storytelling, video, multimedia, digital media, or humanities funding.
You see what I did there? There are sooooo many ways to spin what you do beyond the select words we use as creators on a day-to-day basis.
Read each grant eligibility section with an open mind.
Ask:
What kind of work are they supporting?
What kind of work are they not supporting?
Does my idea/project align with their goals—even if my title isn’t named?
📣 Reminder: Your work may fall under multiple umbrellas, including education, media, activism, mental health, public art, and more.
There’s funding for your creative work—you just have to shift how you look.
Avoid these three mistakes, and you’ll spend less time spinning your wheels and more time getting to the bag. 💰
P.S. I'm considering offering a 3-month 'Grant Research Service' where I personally help creatives and small business owners find funding opportunities tailored to their work.
If you'd love to have someone in your corner doing the digging for you so you can focus on creating, drop me a line at grantsforcreators@gmail.com or message me on Substack.
Or pass this along to a friend who needs this kind of support.
➡️ Prefer to search on your own, but smarter?
Our monthly newsletter has been delivering curated grant lists to creators since 2022 — so you always stay in the know and never miss an opportunity.
Enjoyed this post? Share this with a creator friend! I’ve already created a blurb for you to post on social.
If you’re a fellow creator looking for grants but keep coming up empty, this might be why. @thedaniellecorbett shared three mistakes folks make when searching for funding—and how to actually find grants that fit you. So helpful!