One of Andrew Carnegie's most popular quotes is "Think of yourself as on the threshold of unparalleled success. A whole, clear, glorious life lies before you. Achieve! Achieve!"
With his positive and optimistic point of view, Carnegie was able to build Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company and merge it with other steel businesses to build a smooth, well-functioning steel-producing machine. By the 1890s, for example, the company was the largest and most profitable industrial enterprise in the world.
For grant writers and non-profit leaders, however, it often seems as if they live in an atmosphere of doom and despair - particularly during tough economic times. In this context, a little dose of Andrew Carnegie's optimism is refreshing to those who read grant proposals for a living and for outside donors who still have plenty of cash and other resources.
Sometimes, I think writing a grant can be a little like a therapist doing cognitive therapy with a client. Carnegie, for example, was quite impressed with the power of positive thinking. As he said: "A sunny disposition is worth more than fortune. Young people should know that it can be cultivated; that the mind like the body can be moved from the shade into sunshine." As I write a grant for a client, I do whatever I can to turn their negatives into positives and convert their failures into valuable learning experiences. To me it is always a pleasure to see how a well-written grant can not only win money, but also turn around the self-image of a struggling charity.
For a great little YouTube video that expresses Carnegie's relentlessly positive and practical point of view, please check out this link: Carnegie Movie Promotional Piece
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