Grant Writing for Nonprofits and Freelance Writers

Name: Grant Writing for Nonprofits and Freelance Writers
Rating: 4.6 (3133 reviews)

Learn how to "grantsmith" winning proposals, think like a funder, draft a solid boilerplate, and build relationships.

Bestseller

Highest Rated

Created byTim Whitney

Last updated 1/2015

English

What you'll learn

Identify relevant government and private foundation funders
Draft solid and efficient proposal boilerplate language that can be used for years
Strategically align funder priorities, organizational mission, program design, program budgets
Use provided sample language as a guide in your own proposal writing

Course content

5 sections • 17 lectures • 1h 34m total length

Welcome to the Course3:08
In this session, you'll get an overview of the goals of the course and how it's organized.

Introduction to the Boilerplate2:07
In this session, you'll learn about the value of creating a proposal boilerplate and the overall structure of a boilerplate document.
Mission & Vision7:09
In this session, we'll work on your Mission and History statement to create a solid foundation to any proposal.
Philosophy & Approach7:03
In this session, you'll write language to let funders know your overall philosophy and the specific approach you take in response to that philosophy.
Statement of Need4:55
In this session, you'll assemble key statistics and conclusions that support your program and approach.
Program Descriptions8:03
In this session, you'll be creating long and short descriptions of each of your program using a consistent, logical structure.
Accountability5:27
In this session, you'll be exploring and writing about the mechanisms you use to maintain accountability for quality service delivery.
Sustainability6:00
In this session, you'll be exploring and writing about your plans to keep your programs sustainable beyond funding.
Partnerships & Volunteers5:16
In this session, you'll be writing about the different types of partnerships you engage in to keep your programs strong.
Governance, Leadership & Misc. Documents3:17
In this session, you'll be wrapping up your boilerplate by writing sections about your governance and leadership, than making sure you have the right supporting documents.

Developing Relationships & Letters of Intent5:02
In this session, you'll learn the value of relationships and craft a sample letter of intent.
Completing the Application8:10
In this session, you'll learn some key strategies for assembling a solid and complete proposal.
The Budget9:13
In this session, you'll learn a basic structure for a program budget and how to calculate different line items.
After You Submit3:08
In this session, you'll learn a few tips for ongoing success, whether you get the grant or not.

Requirements

Writing software and Adobe Acrobat Reader (to view PDFs)
The homework encourages students to focus on their nonprofit and its programs, so freelance writers should have a nonprofit / program in mind
Student should have working knowledge of their organization's goals, programs, and priorities

Description

Many nonprofits are worried about tax law changes affecting donations. To be competitive, you need to diversify and build your skills for generating revenue.

This course is designed for nonprofits that want to not only get better at writing successful proposals, but also get better at the process of researching and applying for foundation and government grants. The course is also for grant writers or freelance writers who want to offer their clients a more comprehensive approach to grant writing.

When you’re done with the course, you’ll have assembled one of the most powerful tools a nonprofit can have – a proposal boilerplate.

The boilerplate contains about 75% of the language you’ll need as you’re drafting proposals. Working on the boilerplate outside the pressure of a proposal deadline will result in language that is better-written, as well as more thoughtful and strategic. It will also set you up to be uber-efficient as you’re writing proposals in the future.

Throughout this course we'll be using real examples and real language, and each lesson includes a transcript, so you can kickstart your own boilerplate.

You’ll also be given strategies and tips for finding foundation and government grants, including:

Identifying five relevant local foundations
Gathering information about grants at the local, state, and federal level for you to start pursuing

Finally, we’ll be walking through key strategies for completing solid applications, including:

Letters of intent
The budget
Meeting a funder’s expectations

Each video session includes two downloads: a PDF of the slides in handout format, and a Word document transcript.

Who this course is for:

Nonprofits, particularly small and new nonprofits, or those struggling to develop funder relationships
Freelance writers looking to add grant writing to their skillset

Grant Writing for Nonprofits and Freelance Writers

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 3min

Think Like a Funder1 lecture • 5min

The Boilerplate9 lectures • 49min

Finding Foundation & Government Funders2 lectures • 12min

Successful Applications Start-to-Finish4 lectures • 26min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: