Quarter 1 Update

I cannot believe we are already finished with the third month of the 2026 and the first quarter! Where has the time gone! Honestly these first 3 months have been a struggle - from fighting motivation with the long, dark days and extreme busy-ness in other areas of my life. It has been difficult to balance work, social obligations, grant writing aspirations and health. However, now that we are seeing more sunlight I am finding it easier to focus and motivate myself to continue working on improving my skills and knowledge.

I also find myself in a bit of a transition phase at the moment. I have finished working with my first volunteer organization - wild paws and am waiting to start up with a second. With Wild Paws I was able to create a grant calendar and apply to one grant. Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications recieved, we were not chosen for an award. This is something that I'm going to have to learn to overcome and hone. All across the industry I am hearing whisperings of how much more competitive the industry has become and this first application is proof of that. I wish Wild Paws all the success in their future grant endeavors and will keep in touch if I hear any influential news.

Now I am waiting to begin working with another animal sanctuary - Wolf Haven International. I was lucky enough to attend their fundraising dinner - which was a first for me. It was amazing to see all the work that they are doing to rehabilitate wolves and set an example for santuaries all over the country. One of the most interesting facts I learned while at the dinner was that the only wolf species native to southern North America - the red wolf - only has an existing population of 300, 280 of which are in human captivity. There is also new research about wolf/coyote hybrids being seen in the wild as both species' territories increasingly overlap due to human pressure. Wolves hold a dear place in my heart as I have admired them since I was a teenager. I look forward to both learning from and doing good for the species once my volunteer-ship starts in earnest.

For the next 3 months I want to focus my energy on practicing writing as much as possible and continue to look for paid opportunities. The person I will be reporting to has over 10 years experience in the industry, so this seems like a good fit for a mentor-mentee relationship. I feel like my growth as a grant writer will be exponential and once the ball starts picking up momentum - I anticipate things to begin taking off very quickly.