by David Tandet A fundraiser friend in Santa Barbara was complaining about the difficulty of making more people aware of the non-profit she was doing pro bono work for, while keeping the organization’s costs down. “Have you tried Google Grants?” I asked. “What’s that?” “Just the best thing since sliced bread. Your 501(c)(3) might be [...]

(if you can find one) by David Tandet PART ONE Finding a great grant writer is like winning the grand slam . . . . . . because there really is no training ground for grant writers out there. There are no minor leagues, and relatively few decent classes. The process of training a grant [...]

by David Tandet The most profound grantwriting rule I ever learned is “the donut rule.” A long time ago I heard William Rosenberg, founder of Dunkin’ Donuts, being interviewed. The interviewer asked Mr. Rosenberg the secret of his success. Rosenberg answered, “Give customers what they want, not what you want.” Actually, that’s similar to an [...]

by David Tandet The greatest sales letter is “I”- from a “you” perspective. Thinking about a product’s benefits to consumers is a start. It simply doesn’t go far enough. Say the corner bakery wants to compete in the convenience breakfast market selling donuts and coffee curbside. You’ve been hired to write the first ad. What [...]

by David Tandet Good grammar rocks. Though not a grammarian, I would like to think I know when to at least look up the proper way to write something. It’s not an exercise that has no use beyond itself, either. Is there any subject of which it can be said with greater truth: know the [...]

by David Tandet Did you see US News and World Report‘s list of Best Hospitals? How about the Wall Street Journal‘s list of the Best Health Books? Lists are always an efficient marketing tool to position your company in front of the rest. When it comes to healthcare, pharmacology and bioscience, the following reasons demand [...]

by David Tandet The 6 keys to marketing hi-tech products: 1. Emphasize benefits over features. So you’ve heard this before? It’s a basic marketing principle, but one that’s easy to forget with hi-tech products. The technology of the latest handheld device may be something for a manufacturer to fall in love with. But that high [...]

by David Tandet Manatt, Phelps is a law firm that provides personalized care for integrated legal services. After an old friend told me about a presentation she’d made to some attorneys there, I went to their website to find out more. The narrative I immediately became engaged in was about what it takes to succeed [...]

by David Tandet Philanthropy and public relations have a long history together. When 19th century tycoons were attacked as robber barons, several set up foundations to contribute to good causes — in part to fend off the verbal assaults. Sometimes the infusion of capital into new works was so great that foundations had to set [...]

. . . and he’s already starting out way past square one. by David Tandet Just got a great email from Christian reminding me my recent purchase of a computer entitles me to a good deal on software. So who is Christian Boyce? A computer rep or store manager? Nope. Just “the best Mac advice [...]