Recently, the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry was selected as one of several local nonprofits to receive funding through the Amazon Prince William County Community Fund, a partnership between Amazon and the Prince William County Community Foundation that supports projects across five key focus areas: health and wellness, food security, sustainability and environment; veterans and military services, and social cohesion.
To celebrate this milestone, and to share some insight into how nonprofit grants work, we sat down with our volunteer grant writer Joe Kittle. In this Q&A, he shares advice for other nonprofits on what makes a strong grant application, and why this particular opportunity with PWCCF was such a great fit for HRFP.
Q: Tell us about your background and how you got involved in grant work.
I spent about 15 years working at the National Science Foundation in grants management, where I reviewed proposals and worked on the sponsor side of the grant process. Before that, my wife and I served in the Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan, which is actually where I wrote my first grant for a community project.
Over time I realized I wanted to take what I’d learned and use it to make an impact locally. I started looking for more ways to get involved in my community and began volunteering with the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry in 2025.
Q: What skills or traits help someone succeed at grant writing?
Most people get into grant writing because they want to have an impact, and they often bring transferable skills like research, writing, and project management. That means it’s something a lot of people can learn to do it if they care about the mission and are willing to put in the time. The most important thing is understanding the mission of the organization you’re writing for. Once you understand that mission, the next step is finding funding opportunities that align with it.
For volunteer-run organizations especially, it’s not always feasible to spin up entirely new programs with each new grant application. Everyone already has a full plate, so often the strongest applications show how funding will strengthen or expand existing efforts instead of creating something brand new.
When there’s strong alignment between what a funder wants to support and the work your organization already does, the grant kind of writes itself.
Attention to detail also matters. Every grant has different requirements, deadlines, and documentation, so reading everything carefully and making sure you meet those requirements is essential.
Q: What made the Amazon Prince William County Community Fund grant a good match for the pantry and vice versa?
This grant opportunity clearly listed food security as one of its focus areas. Since HRFP is dedicated to helping address food insecurity in our region, it was an obvious alignment.
One of our biggest strengths is that the pantry is entirely volunteer-run. That means funding goes directly toward serving the community rather than administrative overhead. For many funders, that’s very compelling.
Another one of our strengths is that HRFP will feed anyone in our service area who comes in need of food. Everyone is welcome, all you need is ID and proof of address.
The pantry also has strong systems in place for tracking food donations and distributions, so we can clearly demonstrate to sponsors the impact of their funding and that we’re spending resources responsibly.
Q: What does a grant application process typically involve?
The first step is actually finding the right opportunities. A lot of that comes down to activating your network – board members, volunteers, and community partners often hear about funding opportunities and pass them along. There are also many large corporations that have foundation arms or community giving programs, so keeping an eye on those can be helpful as well. But in many cases, making connections and staying plugged into your community is the most effective way to find opportunities.
Once the opportunity is identified, the process involves reviewing the application requirements and gathering the information needed to answer the questions.
For the Amazon Prince William County Community Fund, the grant application itself was about five to ten pages and included information about the pantry’s mission, leadership, financials, and how the funds would be used. In total, the application process took about two weeks of focused work.
The pantry’s leadership team also helped provide key information and context to make sure the proposal accurately reflected the work to be done in the community.
The timeline to hear back can vary quite a bit. Some large grants, especially federal ones, can take a year between submitting the application and hearing back. For this particular grant, the process was much quicker. The application was submitted in early December, and we heard back a few months later.
Q: What does a grant application process typically involve?
Most grants come with reporting requirements. Organizations are expected to show how the funds are being used and what impact they are having. That might include submitting periodic reports, tracking certain metrics, or even hosting site visits from the funder.
Those requirements are an important consideration when deciding whether to pursue a grant in the first place. It’s not just about receiving the funding – you also want to make sure your organization has the capacity to meet any reporting or oversight expectations that come with it.
If you don’t receive the grant, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was a bad application. Many funders receive far more proposals than they can fund. It’s always worth asking for feedback if it’s available so you can improve for next time.
Q: What advice would you give to nonprofits considering applying for grants?
- Focus on fit and don’t spend a lot of time spinning your wheels on opportunities that aren’t a good match. If you find yourself stretching to make the connection, it’s probably not the right opportunity. But when the missions align, the proposal often comes together naturally.
- Funders aren’t just giving money to organizations – they’re trying to accomplish their own mission. A strong grant application clearly shows how your organization helps them achieve those goals.
- If you’re just getting started with grant writing, it’s better to focus on quality over quantity. Choose a few opportunities that truly align with your mission and invest the time to submit strong applications rather than trying to apply for everything.
- It’s also important to think about the return on investment. Grants often come with reporting requirements, and those take time and effort. Before accepting grant funds, teams need to honestly assess whether they have the capacity to take on any extra reporting and compliance burden.
- Always read the terms and conditions carefully. A grant award is essentially a contract, so you need to understand what you’re committing to before you apply.
Supporting Food Security in Our Community
The Amazon Prince William County Community Fund (PWCCF) grant will help the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry continue providing food assistance to individuals and families across our region.
Dr. Vanessa Gattis, President and CEO of PWCCF, reflected on the partnership and its impact: “Through the Amazon Prince William County Community Fund, we are proud to support organizations like the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry that are making a direct impact in addressing food insecurity. By investing in trusted, community-based partners, we are helping ensure that families across Prince William County have access to the resources they need to thrive.”
We’re grateful to our volunteers, including those working behind the scenes on efforts like grant writing, who help expand the pantry’s impact and ensure that neighbors in need have access to nutritious food. Learn more about volunteering with us: https://haymarketfoodpantry.org/volunteer/