Design of Socio-Environmental Projects
Increase Your Funding and Social and Environmental Impact
Talks and Lectures
From talk to action.
Lectures, workshops, and discussions for organizations interested in securing grants through better strategies—not just learning how to write better proposals. In Spanish and English.
Topics
Topics I Talk About
01
AI to Boost Grant Acquisition
How to use artificial intelligence to research funders, organize information, and move forward more quickly—without compromising your organization’s judgment or voice.
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When to Use AI in the Grant Process—and When Not to
Practical Examples for Finding Donors and Organizing Documents
A Simple Policy for Your Team on Using AI
For organizations of any size that already use AI or want to get started.
02
The proposal begins before the call for proposals
What I've learned from both sides of the table—as someone who writes proposals and as someone who reviews them.
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What an evaluator reviews, even if the call for proposals doesn't mention it
What an organization should have ready before a call for proposals opens
How to divide up the work so that the proposal doesn't depend on a single person
For technical teams, program coordinators, and those responsible for funding.
03
Winning the wrong competition is an expensive way to lose
Why a grant your organization wins might end up costing it more than it brings in, and how to decide which grants to apply for before investing between 40 and 100 hours in a proposal.
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Specific Criteria for Deciding Whether a Call for Proposals Is Worth It
The Three Ways a Won Grant Can End Up Being Expensive
A Way to Apply to More Calls for Proposals Without Burning Out the Team
For leadership and teams at environmental organizations, networks, and foundations that empower their members.
Formats: lecture, hands-on workshop, webinar, panel discussion, or podcast interview.
Appearances
Where I've Participated
“
It was a wonderful experience, as there was a smooth exchange of information among all the participants.
Yenifer Díaz , Program Director, Audubon Society of Panama
Online Course · October–November 2026
"Sustainable Fundraising in a Shattered World," with Bill Bruty and NonProfit Builder
A program featuring participants from 21 countries, where I share " AIM with Purpose," my framework for accelerating, improving, and managing fundraising efforts with AI.
Podcast · July 2025
Microacción Podcast, a three-episode series on grants
Successful Applications ↗
Technical and Technological Resources ↗
Application Professionals ↗
Podcast · In English
The Grant Writing & Funding Podcast, with Holly Rustick
Episode 400: One of the 35 guest voices ↗
Episode 287: My Journey to Environmental Grants ↗
Webinar · IUCN, Drynet, Both ENDS, and GEF
Access to Financing for Land Degradation Neutrality (CS4LDN)
For Organizers
Bio to copy
Short version · 60 words
Alejandra Salazar Dreja helps environmental organizations in Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean turn grant-seeking into an institutional capacity. She has coordinated grant proposals with teams from various countries that secured $45.5 million, and has served as a grant reviewer for foundations. She is the founder of Diseño de Proyectos Socioambientales and works in Spanish, English, and German.
Long version · 110 words
Alejandra Salazar Dreja is a consultant specializing in grant systems for environmental organizations and the founder of Diseño de Proyectos Socioambientales. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Law from the University for International Cooperation in Costa Rica, is PM4R (Project Management for Results) certified by the Inter-American Development Bank, and is a member of the Grant Professionals Association. For more than a decade, she has led grant-funded conservation programs and projects. She has coordinated grant proposals with teams from various countries that secured $45.5 million in funding, and has served as a reviewer and evaluator for foundations in Mexico and abroad. She created the Strategic Grant System, works in Spanish, English, and German, and is convinced that seeking funding can be fun.
Invitations
Invite me to your event
Tell me about your event, podcast, or organization: the date, format, language, and who will be attending. I'll get back to you so we can work together to put together the session your audience needs.
Each talk or workshop includes an exclusive gift for attendees: a tool to help them continue working after the event.
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