As grant writers, we continuously receive feedback. The organizations we work for provide feedback and, if we are lucky, our funders will provide feedback. All of this is designed to improve our skills, our perspectives, and ultimately, win more money for great causes!
I personally love feedback. The sharing of different ideas helps me grow as a person and as a professional.
I started my first business when I was 26 years old (a long time ago) and feedback from industry leaders and customers has helped me to grow into a successful serial entrepreneur and grant writer.
Which is why I was so shocked by this…
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For more than a decade, I have included Grant Gopher in my “toolbox” of grant discovery and research tools. It is cheap and would produce a “gold nugget” every once in a while.
In June, I sent an email that talked about my favorite grant writing tools. You can read it here. I mentioned that Grant Gopher was cheap, but much of their info was outdated and incorrect. It isn’t a robust tool. I recommended it for beginner grant writers with very small budgets. I went on to talk about how GrantStation is better and Instrumentl is the best, in my opinion.
This is my candid, professional opinion and the generally accepted opinion of most grant professionals I know.
Earlier this week, I noticed that I was no longer receiving emails from Grant Gopher. I looked back in my email history and noticed that I had not been receiving emails since July. I logged into Grant Gopher and saw that my subscription wasn’t active. I thought this was strange and reactivated it.
Shortly after, I received an email from the CEO of Grant Gopher letting me know that she will not allow me to subscribe because I published negative comments about Grant Gopher instead of reaching out to her personally. (Why does she feel entitled to my personal consultation about the effectiveness of her service?)
While reading that email, I put it together. She had actually cancelled my subscription in July after she first saw my candid remarks on my website. She didn’t even let me know- she just canceled. I think it is interesting that it took me six months to realize that I didn’t have access to the service. That speaks to how often I actually used it.
In light of this experience, I feel it essential to urge you to carefully consider before subscribing to Grant Gopher. Customer feedback and reviews should be valued, and it’s disheartening to see a company react negatively to honest feedback from an industry professional.
As a fellow business owner, I can’t imagine responding to a customer in this way. I believe in supporting businesses that appreciate their customers and foster open communication. If you are looking for grant research services, use my discount to subscribe to GrantStation for only $8/month ($95/year). It is more robust and they prioritize customer service and professionalism.
Thanks for taking the time to read about my experience. If you have specific questions or would like to discuss further, reply to this email.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants
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