A Mission Grounded in Connection
In central Kentucky, where rolling hills meet rooted communities, New Pioneers for a Sustainable Future is helping rural places imagine—and build—what sustainability looks like close to home. “We were founded in 2005 with a mission to promote sustainability in rural communities,” says Executive Director Julia Gerwe. “We like to say that we do this by addressing three target areas: education, demonstration of sustainable lifestyles, and advocacy for healthy ecosystems, both locally and globally.”
Working across Washington, Marion, and Nelson counties, New Pioneers offers outdoor learning programs, youth education camps, and community forums on everything from biodiversity to composting. “Being situated in rural communities means that a lot of our work is really relationships-based,” Julia explains. “We always want to make sure that we're aligning our work to the needs and wants of our communities, and reflecting our communities in terms of our workforce, our board, and our volunteers.” But running those programs with a staff of two or three—while also chasing the funding needed to grow—hasn’t been easy. “It has been hard to wear so many hats while also really investing in the professional development of our staff and finding the time to grant-seek and be grant ready.”
The Power of a Cold Email
For a long time, Julia knew that New Pioneers needed to level up their grant-seeking game but didn't have the capacity to go it alone. “We had spent a year or two intentionally thinking about budgeting for grant writing support, but found the expense cost prohibitive.”
That’s when she heard about Grant Ready Kentucky through the Kentucky Nonprofit Network. “I remember hearing about Grant Ready Kentucky being this awesome opportunity for nonprofit professionals interested in receiving free grant support and a little light went off in my head: what an opportunity!”
She cold-emailed Ruthie Caldwell, one of GRKY’s nonprofit consultants—and to her surprise, got an immediate response. “We met to have an introductory conversation and it was then that I realized that Grant Ready Kentucky offers monthly grant support to nonprofits. I had initially thought that nonprofits were eligible for one free learning session, but the opportunity for regular support blew my mind!!”
That relationship became a turning point. Ruthie helped Julia build out a full grant-seeking roadmap. “Now Ruthie has helped us to create a folder on our computer that has all of our grant resources at the ready —something really easy for us to copy/paste or upload to any application. With this, New Pioneers is already starting in a really great place whenever we do find a grant of interest.”
From Imposter Syndrome to “We Are That Organization”
Beyond tactical help, the emotional and professional transformation has been equally powerful. “If you would have asked me last year if I could afford to give up two days to go to a grant writing [workshop]—it just might not have been possible,” Julia says. But with Ruthie’s feedback and coaching along the way, her confidence began to shift.
“One recent example really stuck with me. I was working on a big new grant application… and Ruthie added a comment saying, ‘Julia, even if it’s a little bold, you should say New Pioneers is the local voice of sustainability, not ‘New Pioneers will be’.’” That simple edit reframed the whole effort. “It was the first time I was reading her comments and thought , ‘Wow, this organization sounds awesome!’ And then I realized , ‘Wait—that’s us. That’s our work!’”
The shift wasn’t just about tone. It was about ownership. “Just in a year’s time, with Grant Ready Kentucky’s support, I am in a completely different place to be able to start writing grants than I was a year ago. The impact really is huge, even in a short amount of time.”
A Multiplier for the Mission
Today, Julia’s team is exploring earned income ideas like facilitation and training services—possibilities that felt far off just a year ago. “We are in such a better spot to be able to identify a grant opportunity and move from that initial excitement and anxiety into action,” she says. “Getting to work one-on-one with the same professional has really allowed us to home in on who New Pioneers is.”
Julia hopes other nonprofits will take that same leap. “If you're on the fence, I would say reach out, give it a try. It’s really an incredible service. Some awesome opportunities have come up that we’ve been able to take advantage of simply because we're more ready to pursue grants that we see.”
Because when organizations like New Pioneers are ready, the whole region benefits. “When nonprofits thrive, communities thrive,” Julia says. “And Grant Ready Kentucky really helps that thriving—on the backside, not always getting credit, but really deserving it.”
