(Please excuse the mess.
STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
Let’s Tell Your Organization’s Story
More Powerfully
I’ve spent most of my adult life working in the nonprofit community. I was lucky to bring strong basic writing skills to my work, and I continued to study writing on the side. I recognized that elements of fiction could be used to strengthen my organizations’ grant applications and publications. Let’s see what we can do together to:
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Give your writing smooth narrative flow with clear sentences and varied rhythm
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Engage readers more deeply with visual imagery; clear language instead of jargon; a welcoming voice; the setting and character of your work; strong, powerful stories of impact
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Make the most of those narrowly character- or word-limited text boxes. Learn to make every character count and pack in as much meaning as possible.
I would be happy to work with your staff to edit their work and/or teach them to strengthen their writing and storytelling.
My Nonprofit Background
I originally created a nonprofit, Middlesex Interfaith Partners with the Homeless, in 1988 after working on the street for two years to provide dinner and help people get shelter. I wrote my first grant application in 1986, a $7500 request to Hands Across America. They gave us $1,850 which went a long way toward food.
When a church offered space in their basement, we incorporated and opened an emergency needs outreach center, soon followed by emergency shelters in two synagogues.
Barbara A. Shaw -
LMSW, Executive Director, Hands On Hartford
Words. I’m often at a loss as to how best to express what’s in my mind, my heart, my vision, my plans. Especially in writing. Luckily, Janet Jones Bann is not. Janet came on board the Hands On Hartford team as our grant writer and manager in 2004 and put her talents to work for 18 years. And to truly wonderful effect. She was able to hear rather unformed ideas and capture them in writing in compelling ways and was also able to deftly (and oh-so-patiently) edit the rough draft writing of her colleagues too. She also put her story-telling skills to excellent use as she shared with funders the often heart-wrenching stories of our agency’s clients, and the ways their lives were transformed. At the same time, she was able to corral facts and figures both about the impact of our work and the community in which we work and present them in a coherent and compelling way. Although creative and an often out of the box thinker, Janet is super organized and meets frequently tight deadlines 100% of the time. She made herself available over and over again at non-traditional days and hours, always stretching to get the job done. Her ability to tailor her writing style and focus to best serve the needs of each of a wide variety of funders is impressive, and has contributed to her track record of a high percentage of successful grant applications. As a colleague Janet is funny, supportive, team oriented, responsive, and always helpful. What an amazing combination of skills and attributes Janet Jones Bann brings to the world!
Carol Fennelly -
Founder & Executive Director, Hope House
I am at best an adequate writer. When I send my work to Janet for editing she turns my perfectly adequate pieces into something really good without changing the content. She is an excellent editor and an even better writer. She has also written grant proposals for us that have always (I repeat always!) gotten rave reviews from funders who have often commented on the superior quality of the writing in the proposals and usually got grants funded for us. I can’t begin to say how grateful I am for the time and care she takes with all of the work she has done for us.