Grant Writing Series

Boost your grant writing skills with CVNL’s Grant Writing Series! Whether you’re new to fundraising or a seasoned professional, our comprehensive series offers expert guidance, proven strategies, and hands-on practice to strengthen your resources, strategies, writing style, and peer networks.

Elevate your grant writing to new heights and achieve greater success. Unlock your full potential and learn to craft compelling proposals that secure funding and boost your organization’s capacity. Transform your grant writing into a powerful tool for career success. Don’t miss this opportunity to take your career to the next level. Enroll in our Grant Writing Series today!

Fall 2024 Series: October 2, 9, 16 & 23.

Four half-day sessions, 9am – 12pm (PST). Via Zoom.

Experience level: Beginner to Intermediate.

The series conducted on Zoom consists of lectures, scenario-based learning, and group discussions that reinforce the material, involves peer review and includes writing exercises.

The series will support participants learning more about:

Key components of a grant proposal.
Approaches to funder research.
Crafting a boilerplate grant for one of the organization’s programs.
Terminology in the grant seeking field.
Eligibility criteria to apply for grant programs.
Program budget development.

CVNL is pleased to offer partial scholarships to Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and under-represented individuals who are nonprofit staff or volunteers serving in Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano Counties.

These scholarships are made available by generous grants from the Peter A., and Vernice H. Gasser Foundation, the Community Foundation of Sonoma County, the Solano Community Foundation, Marin Community Foundation, and U.S. Bank. For more information on scholarships, please contact us at learning@cvnl.org

Program Details

Experience level: Beginner to Intermediate.
Tuition: $795 for CVNL members, $895 for non-members.
Apply by August 16 for $150 Early Bird Discount.
Discounts: 10% discount for groups of 3 or organizations with budget size under $750K.
Tuition includes: All materials, including handouts and additional web resources.
Limited to 20 participants.
Registration deadline: September 13.
BIPOC scholarship available for eligible BIPOC participants who are CVNL members serving Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano counties.
CVNL Certificate of Completion awarded to participants who complete course requirements.

Schedule

Session 1

Grantwriting – Organizational Description

This session provides a solid foundation to deepen understanding of describing your organization and its strengths to grantors. The focus of this course is to know how to highlight the best qualities to the funders, so your organization shines among the many applicants. Session will cover:

Describe the history of your organization
Highlight the strengths of your organization’s effectiveness, practices, and board
Describe the outstanding qualities of your program
Learn to write a compelling need statement

Session 2

Grantwriting – Program Description

Without a strong program description, your grant proposal cannot highlight your capabilities. This course will dive deeper into specific structures and processes of your program. Session will cover:

Craft an easily understandable program description
Write clear and strong goals and objectives
Apply the basics of program evaluation to demonstrate your ability to produce outcomes

Session 3

Budgeting

A key element in grant-seeking is presenting a strong budget. This session explains the different types of budgets used by a non-profit organization. We will do an exercise to create the basics of a program budget. Session will cover:

Learn the nonprofit budgeting terms
The budget line items are used to explain the rationale for grant funding
Understand how foundations and corporations evaluate budgets to determine grant giving

Session 4

Budgeting

Discover what funders are looking for in nonprofits seeking grants and how to find potential funders that align with your organization’s needs. This session will take you through the process of creating a grant calendar and discussion on building relationships with funders. The training includes:

Who funds nonprofits and what are their motivations
What do funders really want to know about the organizations they are interested in funding
How do you identify potential funders and make the first approach

Program faculty: Jolie Mason, Ed.D., Mission Quest

Dr. Jolie Mason is an accomplished leadership coach, executive director, and nonprofit management consultant. Throughout her career, Dr. Mason has held crucial leadership positions and worked together with private, public, and nonprofit organizations. She holds a bachelor's degree in human services, a master's degree in public administration, and a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California's Organizational Change and Leadership program. With over two decades of experience, Dr. Mason has a proven track record of hands-on leadership expertise, which she brings to her engagements. She has also completed an array of certificate programs in nonprofit management, grants management and administration, and human resources management, further enhancing her proficiency. Dr. Mason is committed to partnering with organizations and coaching current and emerging leaders in refining their operational frameworks through the application of resources, tools, and strategies. Founded in 2016, Zodan Consulting is a boutique consulting firm specializing in nonprofit management. Led by Dr. Jolie Mason, she offers an outside perspective and expert advice to improve organizational operations. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by community-based nonprofits, Dr. Mason provides tailored solutions and practical strategies to help organizations maximize their social impact. Zodan Consulting's approach is collaborative and results-oriented, ensuring clients receive personalized attention. Services include strategic planning, program development and evaluation, contract/grant compliance, organizational operations, talent management, and leadership development. Dr. Mason is dedicated to empowering nonprofits to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape, ensuring they can continue making a meaningful difference in their communities.

Cancellation policy: If plans change and you are no longer able to attend, we will transfer your enrollment and payment to the next program cycle. Funds must be applied and used within a 6 (six) month period. We do not offer refunds.