The Queen of Grants 2: GrantTalk Secrets for the New Era of Funding continues Libby Hikind’s mission to help organizations strengthen their programs, expand their opportunities, and understand what truly supports successful funding. Drawing from decades of experience and more than fifty GrantTalk podcast interviews, Libby offers readers a clear and practical guide to navigating today’s competitive grant landscape. Part I, GrantTalk Secrets , brings together insights from funders, grantees, nonprofit leaders, and subject‑matter experts across the United States and Canada. Readers learn how decisions are made, what captures attention, and why strong proposals rise above the rest. This section covers program development, project design, needs statements, budgeting, evaluation, communication with funders, and the full lifecycle of a grant. It provides a comprehensive foundation for writing grants with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Part II, Marketing and Visibility , explains why strong platforms must support strong programs. Libby guides readers through branding, social media strategy, content creation, blogging, trending topics, and podcasting. This section helps organizations increase recognition, communicate their mission, and stand out in a crowded funding environment. Part III, The 20 Day Platform Challenge , offers a behind-the-scenes look at the GrantWatch team as they complete a full website refresh on a tight timeline. Through daily journals and reflections, readers see how ideas take shape, how obstacles are overcome, and how collaboration strengthens progress. This section provides a relatable model for teamwork, problem-solving, and organizational readiness. Part IV, AI in Grant Writing , introduces the new AI tools developed for GrantWatch subscribers. Libby explains how AI can support grant search and drafting, how to use AI responsibly, and where human judgment and storytelling remain essential. She also describes how the foundation directory and grant recipient search were built from public data and 990 reports, giving writers faster access to information and saving hours of research. The Queen of Grants 2 blends real stories, practical strategies, and forward‑looking tools to help readers strengthen their platforms and succeed in a new era of funding. Libby Hikind is widely known as the "Queen of Grants" and is the Founder and CEO of GrantWatch, a leading grant funding search engine serving nonprofits, businesses, educators, and institutions across the United States and Canada.Libby's professional journey began in special education within the New York City Department of Education, where she worked directly with students who required additional resources, adaptive tools, and individualized support. It was in this role that her path into grant writing first took shape. Faced with limited funding and growing classroom needs, Libby began seeking grants to secure technology, materials, and opportunities for her students. What started as a necessity quickly became an area of expertise.Over more than twenty nine years with the NYC Department of Education, Libby taught Business Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Computers at the intermediate school level, blending practical skills with real world applications. She later transitioned to elementary education, teaching across grade levels with a focus on balanced literacy. In addition to her classroom work, Libby authored balanced literacy curriculum for the NYC Department of Education, contributing to instructional frameworks that supported reading, writing, assessment, and student engagement.Libby's success in securing funding led her to district level work with the Brooklyn school district, where she won millions of dollars in grant funding in just two years. In 1994, she founded her first grant writing agency and launched NYCGrantsWatch, a weekly curated grant newsletter distributed to nonprofit organizations and institutions.In 2010, Libby founded GrantWatch, a platform designed for grant writers, organizational leaders, and board members. Today, GrantWatch features thousands of active grants across more than sixty categories and is supported by public data, IRS 990 reports, and recipient insights. The platform attracts more than 350,000 monthly visitors and is widely regarded as an industry leader. Libby is also the founder of GrantWriterTeam and the host of the GrantTalk podcast, where she shares candid conversations with funders, grant recipients, and nonprofit leaders.Libby is the bestselling author of The Queen of Grants: From Teacher to Grant Writer to CEO and the forthcoming The Queen of Grants 2: GrantTalk Secrets for the New Era of Funding. She is also the author of Organizing My Thoughts, Manifesting My Goals 2026, a planner journal focused on reflection, structure, and intentional achievement. In addition, she has written seven children's books: Ziva the Zebra Runs Away, Bailey Bullied Me: And I Am Kinder Now, Rikki Wants a Pe