What if your grant strategy focused less on chasing every opportunity and more on finding the right funders who truly align with your mission?

In this episode, we sit down with Elaine Navarro, founder and Chief Awesome Officer of Just Look Left Creative Grant Consulting, to learn how she identifies what she calls her “unicorn funders.” Elaine shares her proven process for evaluating grantmakers, spotting red flags, and building genuine, trust-based relationships that lead to long-term support.

You’ll hear why general operating support and multi-year funding are signs of strong partners, how to validate whether a funder really walks the talk, and why pre-work and relationship-building matter more than cold applications.

Whether you’re new to grant writing or a seasoned professional, this episode will give you a practical checklist to help you find — and keep — your own unicorn funders.