We are excited to be hosting the second Essential Grant Training workshop in 2022! As you undoubtedly know, grant writing is an important skill for nonprofits. It is how you fund your programs, build capacity, and deliver services. When we developed the curriculum for this workshop, we aimed to provide high-quality training to teach nonprofits how to write grant proposals that are more likely to be funded. We’ve been providing this training since 2013, and each time, we’ve improved the workshop’s content based on participants’ feedback and our insights as we’ve written grant applications. The Fall 2022 Essential Grant Training workshop is the largest overhaul of our workshop’s content, and we have no doubt this will be the most informative and impactful workshop yet.
Fall 2022 Workshop Details
The workshop is a day-long, in-person event. The fall workshop is being hosted in conjunction with the Nebraska VOAD. While the workshop is open to all, small to medium organizations that rely on grant funding for operations or service delivery will benefit the most from this workshop’s content. Your organization does not need to be a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) to attend.
Workshop Modules
The workshop is divided into five modules, with each module lasting roughly one hour. We recognize that it’s hard to put everything on hold for a day, so we will build in time to check emails during the day and an hour-long lunch break.
Module 1: Finding Funding
All organizations need funding to operate and provide services. This module will cover the various ways to conduct grant research. We will also discuss ways to leverage the personal and professional networks you have to make a soft approach to funders.
Research: IRS 990s, Paid Databases, Free Databases, Government Resources
Networking: Social Media, Personal Networks, Professional Networks
Funder Nurturing: Engaging with funders before a request for proposals is made
Exercise: Develop a grant research plan
Module 2: Getting Organized
Writing a grant application tends to be a larger undertaking than many expect – even for seasoned grant writers. This section will discuss what information can be pre-written and how to write in a modular way to make this as plug-and-play as possible.
Know Thyself: Boilerplate documents you should draft now to save time later
Capacity & Risk Mitigation: Demonstrating you can achieve goals and follow donor intent
Exercise: Outline what pre-written content is developed and can be made modular
Module 3: Grant Writing
Successful grant applications specifically address prompts in the Request For Proposals. This module will cover how to read an RFP to pick out specific topics your application should cover, how to research the funding organization & add language to your proposal that will make it more appealing, and how to design a project plan to manage the application process from start to finish.
Reading the Grant Application: Understanding the requirements of the grant
Project Planning: Managing the grant writing process, whether working solo or collaboratively
Know Thy Funder: Understanding the funder’s mission and past awards can guide your writing efforts
Grant Writing Pro-Tips & Tools: Techniques to writing impactful grant applications
Exercise: RFA Review
Module 4: Administration
Your ability to successfully deliver what was promised in your grant application can make or break your reputation and future funding opportunities. This module will cover strategies you can use to stay ahead of challenges and minimize the reporting burden that tends to turn organizations off from seeking grants.
Reporting: Constructing reports that build confidence
Adversity: Strategies for working with funders when setbacks happen
Amplification: Leveraging success to open the door to more opportunities
Module 5: Wrap-Up
The workshop concludes with a peer-learning opportunity and discussion with workshop presenters. Attendees will have the opportunity to develop an action plan so they can put lessons from the workshop to use in their organization right away.
Your Action Plan: Leave the workshop with a clear plan of action to put what you’ve learned to work for your nonprofit.
What I Learned Lightning Talks: Attendees will be asked to share what resonated with them
Discussion: Question and answer session