Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Howard.
Hi Jordan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Writing is in my blood. When I was a little girl, my Mom worked for our local newspaper, where she won numerous state awards for her dynamic and educational feature articles. I won some local writing contests when I was in school, but I never imagined that I would also make a career out of the written word. In addition to the gift of writing, my parents instilled in my brother and me a belief that loving others was our most important job on this earth. Over the years they have continuously modeled love, empathy, and the importance of serving our fellow man. They always told us that “if you get to Heaven, and the worst thing that God can say is that you loved others too much, that will be okay”. These lessons made me want to pursue a career where I could make a difference, so after completing my MPA with a concentration in Nonprofit Management at the University of Memphis, I went to work in development and fundraising. After submitting my first grant application, I was hooked. In fact, one of the earliest applications I wrote resulted in our organization winning a brand-new accessible van to transport local seniors, and it was surreal to realize I could change the world with words and ideas. As time went on, I realized that I did not enjoy some aspects of development and fundraising, but grant writing had my heart. I then transitioned into my current role as a full-time grant professional in 2017, and I have no doubt that this is my calling. My work has resulted in millions of dollars in resources and programming for our community’s most vulnerable, including at-risk youth, low-income families, new English speakers, the unhoused, and the under- and unemployed. People often ask me for tips on pursuing grant funding and to assist them with their applications, and I help where I can. Because I work full time and volunteer at my son’s school and a few other local organizations, I do not have enough time to fulfill every request, so I came up with the idea of writing a how-to book. While there are numerous books on grant writing and management, they are often dense, full of jargon, and not easily understood by newcomers to the field. I am in the final stages of writing my book, “B!tch Better Have My Money: A Sassy, BS-Free Guide to Grant Writing”, to demystify and simplify the process. My hope is that nonprofit professionals who have always been too scared to pursue grants or who have been “voluntold’ by a manager to apply for grant funding can easily grasp the concepts and feel empowered. I try to make each step fun and engaging, from “Read The Damn Directions” to “Cite My Sources? You Mean My Beautiful Mind?”, every section breaks down a critical piece of the grant process to create an easy-to-follow roadmap that I hope makes the learning process fun and engaging.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Getting to where I am today was anything but easy, but I am a person who believes every struggle made me stronger and better. I was once fired from a development job, and at the time, I thought it was horrible and shameful, but now I think it was one of the best things to happen to me. That organization was not a strong fit for general grant funding, and that is what I do best, even if I didn’t know it at the time. It also involved lots of event planning, which I hate with the fire of a thousand suns. It also freed me up for an amazing opportunity: The next job I took was a perfect match and allowed me to grow and refine my grant writing skills, and it was the springboard I used to land my current position with Memphis Public Libraries. Sometimes failure is just the universe pointing you to where you belong.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the Library Grants Coordinator for Memphis Public Libraries, PTO President at my son’s school, animal rescuer, and a new author. I never imagined I would write a book, but my experience over the last 10+ years has demonstrated the need for a grant manual that doesn’t take itself too seriously and that shows beginners how to write a solid application. I think my love of this field, sense of humor, and very southern personality make this book stand out from anything else on the market. My goal is for this to be the most fun you can have while reading a book about new job skills!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Grant professionals are highly in demand, and that will remain true for years to come. I have been offered multiple jobs that I did not apply for based solely on my reputation and track record combined with the fact that there are not enough qualified and proven grant writers in the market. Some speculate that AI will replace the need for a dedicated staff grant writer, but I could not disagree more. Technology is great, but it cannot give you the human touch or adequately explain your organization’s passion and impact. You can use it to build a draft, then go in and add the magic (spoiler alert – you are the magic), but I choose not to use AI because of environmental and ethical concerns. Personally, it is faster for me to just write everything myself. I hate editing someone else’s work, and it always takes me longer than drafting from scratch. Plus, it is common for AI to invent sources and data to make a point, regardless of whether or not they exist, and that is scary AF. It also means you can take nothing at face value and must manually verify sources and citations. In the coming years, I think foundations will put an increased focus on innovation to meet growing socioeconomic needs and disparities. No matter who is in control politically, the nonprofit sector will remain committed to combating systemic oppression and injustice.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @jordanhowardauthor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordanhowardauthor
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-howard-mpa-cnp-baa9105a/
