It’s no secret that the world of non-profit funding has changed. And depending on your mission, your sources of funding might be severely impacted. With the cancellation of DEI and the current political climate, organizations are tasked with having to reinvent themselves or risk closing due to a lack of funds.
Iris Grant, the founder and CEO of the Genési Group Incorporated, advises businesses and non-profits on strategic philanthropy, community engagement, and brand awareness. Her role is to amplify their goals and execute the proper strategies so that they realize their true potential.
“What we’ve noticed is that some of the funding that minority organizations used to get is now being flagged, so it has become harder and harder to identify grant opportunities as we go on,” Grant said.
She defines “flagged” as the federal government is watching organizations that still use DEI as a mission to advance their agenda. So, whether it’s gender based or based on any idea of DEI, those organizations might not be able to attract the same monies they once did in years past.
“We’re even seeing the foundations that typically give out funding to smaller organizations reducing where money goes due to the fact that the federal government has changed its position on what’s important to support,” Grant explained.
She recommends several things for any organization that might be caught in the spaces between their old mission and any new mission they hope to support. Grant’s recommendations:
- Scrub the website – This means remove any mention of anything that might suggest the support of one group or another. Take out any wording that defines your organization as supporting DEI, working with disabilities, or being based on gender equality.
- Redefine your mission – You don’t have to change what you do as an organization; you must advance your mission to include everyone.
- Grow and Learn – Just like people, organizations need to evolve and grow their brand to adjust to the conditions of the time they operate in.
Grant gives an example of major corporations that refused to adjust to the changing times. “Blockbuster was ahead of the game but died because they refused to pivot and see the market change.” Grant continued, “Netflix gets the importance of adjusting to the market and staying ahead of the market trends, so they’ve grown with the market instead of dying due to market changes.”
Any organization that’s struggling with the concept of change might already be experiencing pain from the struggle of either getting less funding for the same project they did last year, or they might see no funding from places that they used to be able to count on year after year for funding.
“Across the board, we’re seeing a need for any organization, whether it be for-profit or non-profit, to make tough decisions about who they want to be going forward,” Grant said.
Genési Group works with companies from ten million to one hundred million in revenue and consults all their clients on seeing the change in market trends and adjusting to them before it’s too late.
Grant is also enthusiastic about helping people who might want to start a non-profit but don’t understand what’s needed to do so. Her organization is a guide for anyone who might want to start their own organization.
“I love seeing people take their pain and turn it into a purpose. Or they might see a need in society and want to do something about it,” Grant said.
With so many changes happening in 2026, Grant and her team have prepared all her clients on the importance of learning how to become informed with decisions and stay in that space.
She teaches her clients the power of continuous evolution, meaning that if you, as a company, are staying the same, you are dying a slow business death, but you just don’t realize it. There are so many examples of this everywhere. Boston Market, Sears, and Friday’s restaurants are just a few of the examples of companies that refused to evolve and ended up paying the price for staying the same.
Grants’ expertise has made her and her team sought after by industries desperately seeking help to stay relevant. Her passion is helping; her purpose is to help companies get out of their own way so they can survive anything they may face.
Those are amazing attributes to have, and anyone with a business should listen to what she has to say. Very powerful from one amazing person.
Those are amazing attributes to have, and anyone with a business should listen to what she has to say. Very powerful from one amazing person.
