In this conversation, Isatou Bittaye-Jobe shares her journey from being an in-house grant writer to becoming a freelance grant writer specializing in grassroots social justice organizations.
She discusses the challenges and opportunities in the funding landscape, particularly the shift from federal to foundation grants. Isatou emphasizes the importance of mentorship and community support in her business growth, highlighting how delegation and team building have allowed her to achieve a better work-life balance.
Holly and Isatou also touch on the mindset shifts necessary for success in the nonprofit sector.
Connect with Isatou Bittaye-Jobe:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isatoubittayejobe/
Website: https://www.amikhaconsulting.com/
Links Mentioned:
Free Webinar on March 25th, 2025 at 4 pm EST
“Double Your Grant Writing Business, Writing Fewer Grants, During any Administration”: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship-webinar
Grant Professional Mentorship: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship
Freelance Grant Writer Academy: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/
Tune in today to listen to this podcast.
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World-renowned grant writing expert and Amazon bestselling author Holly Rustick provides coaching that helps new and experienced grant writers replace their full-time income while writing grants part-time from home (or anywhere they want to live or travel in the world).
She coaches changemakers to master grant writing and start to grow 6-figure+ grant writing businesses on part-time hours via her signature group program, “Freelance Grant Writer Academy."
As an unapologetic feminist, Holly’s work in coaching female grant writers to master grant writing, find their cause-area niche, and navigate value-based pricing and nonprofit sales is breaking glass ceilings for women all over the world.
Every week, she coaches thousands of people through the top-ranking podcast, Grant Writing & Funding, books on grant writing, and inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy.
Holly has 20 years of experience in grant writing, and began her freelance grant writing journey back in 2005. While teaching in Kuwait and Indonesia, and then earning a Master’s Degree in International Political Economy in Belgium, Holly saw the light of setting up a virtual-based business in grant writing back in the mid-2000s. Having secured more than $45 million of dollars for nonprofit organizations, and then setting up a multi 6-figure freelance business, Holly has a mission to help female grant writers break out of toxic nonprofit J-O-B-S and create high-level income while freelance grant writing.
Inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy, students have secured more than $225+ million in grant funding and $4+ million in revenue in their grant writing businesses within two years.
To amplify this work, she is past-president of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce and was appointed to the Guam Business Advisory Task Force as an advisor to the first female governor of Guam. Holly lives on the island of Guam with her beautiful daughter, Isabella.
If you are interested in replacing your full-time income while writing grants part-time from home (or from anywhere in the world!) join the Freelance Grant Writer Academy!