Spokane, Wash.-based grant writing firm CU Strategic Planning announced it's placing a temporary stay on accepting any new credit union clients that are seeking grant writing assistance for the Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
The firm said it made the decision after it wrote 50% of all winning credit union grant applications in 2012 and began accruing a waiting list for credit union clients in August. The temporary stay was effective as of CDFI's release of its Notice of Funding Availability on Dec. 21, CU Strategic Planning said.
CU Strategic Planning said it will resume accepting new credit union clients for its 2013-2014 round of grant writing.
“To continue our high level of performance, it is imperative that we serve our existing clients to our utmost capabilities and then open the door to new clients once the current projects are complete,” said Chuck Cockburn, president/CEO for CU Strategic Planning. “It's all about taking the time to do the research, develop the programs and provide excellent service.”
Cockburn said he strongly recommends credit unions secure a grant writing team far in advance of CDFI's NOFA release.
“Quality CDFI grant writers are booked up to a year in advance,” Cockburn said. “The grant writing round is open right now, but all the best writers are already booked. So we encourage credit union CEOs to plan ahead and work nine months or more in advance to establish a quality application that is better positioned to win for them.”
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
