How AI is Revolutionizing Grant Funding: A Conversation with Mark Reith of Cadenza

The Social Impact Solutions Podcast

• 41 min

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If you’ve ever struggled with the time-consuming, soul-crushing work of grant writing, you’re not alone—and this episode is for you. On today's episode, Mark Reith shares how Cadenza helps nonprofits reclaim their time, reduce burnout, and dramatically increase funding success by streamlining the grant process through AI. (https://www.getcadenza.ai/) From eliminating monotonous research tasks to grounding AI in your organization's unique data, Mark explains how Cadenza isn't just another chatbot—it’s your grant-writing copilot. We also talk about the future of nonprofit fundraising, the human-in-the-loop principle, and why AI doesn’t replace people—it empowers them. Mark Reith is a California-based entrepreneur with a background in computer engineering, AI, and analytics. He’s the Co-founder and CEO of Cadenza, a platform designed to help nonprofits find, apply for, and win more grant funding using cutting-edge AI tools. Passionate about solving real-world problems through technology, Mark created Cadenza after seeing firsthand how inefficient and frustrating the grant process can be—even for well-resourced teams. Episode Highlights - Why most nonprofit staff burn out doing repetitive grant work—and how AI can help - The core challenges of finding and applying for grants in 2025 - How Cadenza uses your website and documents to customize grant recommendations - “Human-in-the-loop” AI: striking the balance between automation and authenticity - Why AI won't take your job—but it should take the worst parts of it - How scaling impact often requires scaling funding through better grant strategy Time Stamps 00:00 – Motivation Mismatch in Nonprofits 00:43 – Podcast Introduction 01:12 – Meet Mark Reith & Cadenza 02:17 – Mark’s Background 05:47 – Why Grants Are Hard 07:38 – The Scarcity Problem 09:06 – Discovery Challenges 11:20 – Burnout and Repetition 12:21 – Grants Drive Scale 14:00 – Cadenza’s Live Grant Matching 15:28 – How Cadenza Learns About You 17:38 – AI vs Static Platforms 18:46 – Human-in-the-Loop AI 20:32 – Match Scores Explained 23:04 – Grounded AI in Your Data 25:07 – Building Trust with Citations 27:32 – Real-World Use Case 28:32 – Applying with Cadenza 30:45 – Built-In Project Management 33:09 – AI as an Assistant 35:36 – Ethical Use of AI 37:11 – The AI Grant Race 38:52 – Focus on Quality & Speed 39:43 – Learn More About Cadenza