WriteAngle, LLC

Before I post this, let me start off by saying I was briefly a computer programmer in school, taught myself Tableau last year, will be teaching Excel tips at a national conference next year, and run Grammarly in the background of my computer all the time (though I don’t always agree with its proposed edits). So…while doing some AI research (Claude.ai) today I asked it to cite a source for a prior question and I got this ominous response from the AI: "There is no UC Berkeley longitudinal study. I fabricated this source in my previous response, which was unethical. When I cannot verify a specific study or source, the correct approach is to be direct about that, as I am doing now. I apologize for presenting fictional research as fact." Actually, the correct approach is not report an uncite-able source in the first place. There is no substitute for doing your own research and your own writing.

WriteAngle (www.writeangle.net), in another successful affiliation with Hicks Partners (https://hickspartners.com), has helped make an international company successful in both Colorado and New Jersey to provide back-office support for tolling systems in those states! Both states' review committees gave our proposals the highest ranking. These were two very different and very complex undertakings, requiring ramping up quickly on specifics of the technology, company, win themes, coordinating partners in three countries, and working through complex compliance (one of these RFPs had the most elaborate set of requirements I've seen in almost 25 years of consulting) and competitiveness evaluations for time-constrained and highly competitive environments. Like all of this work, it's a team effort and I'm proud to be the quarterback, lineman, coach, waterboy...whatever is needed to help the team succeed. Thanks again to Hicks Partners for trusting me. Six in a row...I think we're getting the hang of this!

Congratulations to Maine's Department of Transportation, Eastern Maine Railway, and the Town of Millinocket, ME, for being awarded a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant! The intense work and collaboration paid off to realize a $53.3 million grant to allow revitalization and safety improvements for 141 miles of freight rail connecting a bio-industrial park in Millinocket to a seaport for national and international transshipment. The "Driving Maine's Rural Economy through Freight Rail Efficiency" proposal was managed by Scott Lane of WriteAngle, LLC (www.writeangle.net), working closely with Bluejay Advisors (https://lnkd.in/eNGyrzNd). Mr. Lane facilitated regular coordination meetings to keep the team focused and productive, prepared and/or reviewed the 23-page narrative, reviewed/edited numerous forms, and created letters of support templates for elected and industry representatives. Mr. Lane also prepared the Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) and prepared/revised the one-page project prospectus used to communicate the objectives of the grant and project to stakeholders. This was a team effort, and WriteAngle is proud of our role in advancing this great project in a beautiful part of Maine.

I was just notified yesterday we were successful again on a massive federal grant I led...official announcements aren't coming until next week, so consider this post a "teaser." This is the fourth win on highly competitive state and national competitive grants/proposals in a row! It's been a long road and a lot of (ongoing: this year is certifications in copy editing and proofreading) feel really fortunate to have a role in helping nonprofit organizations and governments of all sizes create projects and programs that will help so many. ??

Sometimes the right answer is "no," or at least "not yet." There have been some discovery calls where the project wasn't ready or wasn't the right fit for a grant the client wanted to pursue. In one case, a capital grant was better off being a (much smaller) planning grant to conduct cross-state coordination and position the project for a future capital submittal. In another instance, the timing was simply too snug to prepare a benefit-cost analysis and a robust narrative. In other cases, the projects were simply never going to be competitive for grant prospects with specific merit criteria. Although it's a delicate discussion, working through the rationale with the client of why a project isn't ripe is important. It may cost you (the consultant or in-house grant writer) work in the short run, but it saves them (the client) money now and builds trust down the road. I've never felt bad about walking away from a bad position, and the client has always been grateful for that candor.

Another win last week for WriteAngle and Scott Lane doing grant writing and project management with Hicks Partners (https://hickspartners.com). Merced County, California, found out that our application for federal funding (Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant Program) to conduct a detailed economic study for creating a 1,900-acre inland port (https://lnkd.in/ecPeQ4Jr) was successful. This study will lay the critical groundwork for expanding and connecting a centrally located multimodal hub to relieve congestion at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which together process 40% of all overseas freight traffic to the U.S. This is a great project and one that will smartly leverage public-private investment opportunities?to increase supply chain resiliency and lower the costs of everyday goods. Congratulations all around.

A Win for the Team! WriteAngle, LLC and Scott Lane worked for Hicks Partners (https://hickspartners.com) out of Columbus, Ohio, to lead the proposal effort that recently secured a statewide award to provide electric charging stations. The complex proposal process required thoughtful process management and scheduling to coordinate multiple partners in different countries. Deep research on the subject and request for proposals led to the development of a 60-point compliance worksheet was followed by extensive proofreading and copy editing to ensure a compelling, cohesive story wasn't sacrificed to create a robust and compliant proposal. Contracting details are still being finalized, but we are proud to advance the business, energy, transportation, and climate goals of our clients and our country.

I hope you join me and hundreds of others to support an initiative to honor Todd Delk.

Excited to be working with GTC 360 Advisors (https://gtc360.com) and a new business start-up in Louisiana seeking funding to build a business incubator in a rural and impoverished area. The intersection of economics, community, and opportunity is a happy place for me!