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Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade

Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade

By: David Kincade | Government Grants & 
Public Funding Expert
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Every year, billions of dollars in government funding go to the organizations that best understand the process. Hosted by David Kincade—Canada's leading grant writing expert and author of Golden Grant Rules—this podcast pulls back the curtain on how to navigate the complex world of public funding. David has helped clients secure over $10M in grants, and his Advanced Grant Writing Course has helped students win over $61M more. Whether you're meeting with bureaucrats in the "GrantTank" or trying to decode "governmentese," Winning the Public Purse provides the strategic roadmap to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success. Through a mix of deep-dive solo masterclasses and interviews with successful entrepreneurs, executive directors, and policy insiders, we break down exactly how the money flows from the government to the front lines. This show is for: • For-Profit Businesses: Owners and employees looking to scale high-growth startups and grow their impact. • Not-for-Profits: Leaders who require mission-critical funds to help those most in need. From federal business incentives to local program grants, tune in to learn how to optimize your resources, leverage AI, and out-compete the field for the funding your mission deserves. Subscribe now to unlock the public purse and get new episodes as soon as they drop.2026 Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • 07: How a Nonprofit Executive Director Won $30,000 in Senior Housing Grants on Her FIRST Try

    07: How a Nonprofit Executive Director Won $30,000 in Senior Housing Grants on Her FIRST Try
    Jun 30 2026
    As Canada's senior population surpasses 8 million, one in five Canadians, the pressure on nonprofit housing organizations to do more with less has never been greater. In this episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade sits down with Tracy Elliott, Executive Director of the Sylvan Lake Lodge Foundation. Tracy shares her remarkable journey from hotel front desks to running a seniors' lodge, and how she used grant funding to solve a very real safety crisis hiding in plain sight. Today we explore what it looks like to walk into a leadership role with zero grant-writing experience and come out the other side winning nearly $30,000 in security infrastructure funding, all on your first serious attempt. Tracy also opens up about the growing demand for senior housing in Alberta, what transient summer populations mean for vulnerable residents, and why AI and lifelong learning have become her secret weapons. Nonprofit leaders, this one's for you. Tracy came in with no grant writing experience, a security crisis, and residents depending on her - and she figured it out anyway. Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $67M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is coming September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing. To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse. Highlights From This Episode: Tracy shares her path from hotel front desk to General Manager, and the way that decades in hospitality shaped her approach to senior living [6:22] How a six-year role overseeing 300 beds and 200 staff members became the career turning point that defined her leadership philosophy [8:10] The startling statistic that 30% of Sylvan Lake residents are seniors, and why the wait list for the Lodge has grown to 58 people for just 59 suites [16:31] The security crisis that prompted Tracy to go searching for grant funding [22:03] How Tracy discovered the Alberta Security Infrastructure Program and assembled a three-stream application totalling nearly $30,000 in her first major grant [24:13] The five-minute email that won Tracy a spontaneous $5,000 grant mid-conference, plus what being "grant-ready" actually made possible [28:20] LINKS: Tracy's LinkedIn Sylvan Lake Lodge Foundation Older Adults and Population Aging Statistics (Statistics Canada) Advanced Grant Writing Course Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year) YouTube Book: Golden Grant Rules Website Email: davidk@albertabusinessgrants.ca Phone: 780-297-6177
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    32 mins
  • 06: Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce President is Learning and Winning Grants

    06: Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce President is Learning and Winning Grants
    Jun 16 2026
    One of the most common dilemmas facing small-town industries and local economies today is how to reinvent themselves when a foundation piece of the community collapses. In this episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade sits down with Brian Williams, the President of the Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce, who shares his fascinating transition from a 30-year career in the intense BC lumber industry to becoming a driving force for economic development and grant funding in the Pacific Northwest. Today we look at where you should start in terms of recognizing local business barriers, how a physical poster on a wall sparked a journey into advanced grant writing that led to securing funding for 18 local workers and Indigenous entrepreneurs, and so much more. If you are trying to break into government funding, navigate large-scale procurement, or find practical ways to stabilize and scale a local workforce during a major economic shift, Brian's experience and what he reveals in this conversation will offer a straightforward, real-world blueprint for what to do next. Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $61M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is coming September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing. To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse. Highlights From This Episode: Brian shares how a 30-year career in the British Columbia lumber industry prepared him to take on the role of president at the Terrace District Chamber of Commerce [2:49] The severe economic impact of American tariffs and rising production costs on rural forestry communities across BC [7:05] The way that a $5,000 public funding opportunity discovered on a physical poster sparked Brian's interest in advanced grant writing [19:46] Brian's story of successfully drafting applications which secured $5,000 grants for 18 local workers and Indigenous entrepreneurs impacted by mill closures [22:32] What he and the Chamber are now doing to prepare small and mid-sized contractors for massive supply chain and procurement opportunities with international giants [28:52] LINKS: Brian's Email: bwsteppingstone@gmail.com His Phone: 250-641-6116 Terrace District Chamber of Commerce Export Navigator Alberta Self-Employment Program Advanced Grant Writing Course Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year) YouTube Book: Golden Grant Rules Website Email: davidk@albertabusinessgrants.ca Phone: 780-297-6177
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    33 mins
  • 05: My Why and What's Next

    05: My Why and What's Next
    Jun 2 2026
    Every podcast has a reason it exists. In this episode of Winning the Public Purse, David Kincade gets personal and shares the story behind why he does what he does, where it all started, and where this podcast is headed next. As you'll hear, David traces the winding road that led him here. And at the center of it all is a mission that hasn't changed since 2012: building trust between business and government. With Alberta separation on the ballot this fall and the relationship between citizens and government feeling more strained than ever, David makes the case that this mission matters now more than it ever has. You'll also hear what's coming next for the podcast, including a front row seat to real grant winning stories from alumni of the Advanced Grant Writing Course, starting with Tracy, who won a $26,000 grant for a seniors housing project. Ready to transform grant writing into a predictable pillar of your success? David's students have already won over $61M in funding using the frameworks taught in the Advanced Grant Writing Course, and the next online class is coming September 24th, 2026. You can get started and grab your spot now at https://albertabusinessgrants.ca/grant-writing. To ensure you never miss an insight into the world of public funding, subscribe to Winning the Public Purse with David Kincade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. If you found value in this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review to help other mission-driven leaders unlock the public purse. Highlights From This Episode: How two questions from Peter Drucker helped David finally clarify something about himself, and why they might do the same for you [3:49] David's story of scoring a 98 in world issues and nearly failing everything else, and how that one class ended up quietly shaping his entire career [7:47] A critical moment sitting in the Alberta Legislature library that set the direction for everything that followed [12:11] The mindset shift that separates the grant writers who win consistently from the ones who keep coming up short [14:20] Why David named his first company after his grandfather and what that decision says about how he approaches working with government [14:39] The reason he walked away from a decade of grant writing to start teaching it instead, and what he saw in the market that nobody else was filling [15:36] What's coming next on the podcast and why hearing real alumni grant stories is going to be more valuable than almost anything else out there [17:47] Why the mission David started with in 2012 feels more urgent and necessary now than at any other point in his career [18:38] LINKS: 03: 7,761 to 1. Winning the Zayed Sustainability Prize: Melanie Dussaye and Ray Frankenhauser 01: Winning a $5,000 Restaurant Grant with Mona Pinder 10: Your Podcasting Anchor: The One Thing That Keeps You From Drifting (Matt Mawhinney/PodAssist) The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker Advanced Grant Writing Course Grant Gazette (Sign Up for a Pro Plan for Just $99/year) YouTube Book: Golden Grant Rules Website Email: davidk@albertabusinessgrants.ca Phone: 780-297-6177
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    21 mins
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