Grant Writing
There is a story behind every grant proposal
A course designed to enable you to transform community needs into funder-aligned, impact-driven proposals
Fall 2026: Thursdays, October 8 and 22; November 5 and 19 (via Zoom)
Every grant proposal tells a story—one grounded in a clear need and a strong plan for impact. In this interactive course, you’ll learn how to turn community needs into grant proposals that align with funder priorities and demonstrate impact.
You’ll build practical skills in crafting needs statements, defining measurable objectives, and developing budgets and evaluation plans—all while gaining hands-on experience creating the core elements of a compelling proposal.
Why This Course?
Many nonprofit professionals are asked to write grants without formal training or a clear process.
This course breaks down each step of the grant writing process, aligned with how funders actually review proposals. This course gives participants the opportunity to actively build a proposal as they learn. By the end of the course, you won’t just understand grant writing—you’ll have tangible pieces of a proposal and the confidence to continue developing and submitting strong, competitive applications.
Who Is This For?
This course is ideal for:
- Nonprofit staff responsible for grant writing or fundraising
- Program managers and coordinators seeking to align programs with funding opportunities
- Development professionals looking to strengthen their proposal writing skills
- Staff new to grant writing who want a structured, practical introduction
- Anyone responsible for translating program ideas into fundable proposals
No prior grant writing experience is required—just a program idea (or existing program) and a willingness to learn by doing.
What You'll Learn
- How to navigate the grant landscape, including types of funders and common requirements
- How to interpret grant guidelines and align proposals with funder priorities
Techniques for writing a compelling needs statement using data and community voice - How to develop clear goals, objectives, and program activities aligned to outcomes
- Key components of a strong proposal narrative, including organizational capacity and partnerships
- Fundamentals of program evaluation, including defining outputs, outcomes, and data collection methods
- How to build a clear, accurate, and fundable program budget and budget narrative
- Best practices for reviewing, editing, and submitting a complete proposal
What You'll Walk Away With
By the end of this course, you’ll have a strong foundation and tangible drafts you can immediately use and refine—including a data-informed needs statement rooted in community context, clearly defined goals and measurable objectives, and key sections of a compelling program narrative.
You’ll also develop a basic evaluation plan that outlines both outputs and outcomes, along with a draft program budget and budget narrative. In addition, you’ll gain a step-by-step framework for responding to grant opportunities, plus practical tools, templates, and checklists you can reuse to strengthen future proposals.
Schedule:
Day 1 | October 8 | 10 am - 12 pm PST | Via Zoom | Understanding The Grant Process
- Understanding the grant landscape
- Types of funders
- Common grant terminology
Understanding Grant Guidelines
- Understanding funder priorities
- Required documents and attachments
- Creating a timeline
- Common mistakes
Day 2 | October 22 | 9:30 am - 12:30 pm PST | Via Zoom | Establshing The Case for Support
Needs Statement
- Defining the problem
- Using data as evidence
- Incorporating community voice
- Demonstrating need
Goals and Objectives
- Developing goals and objectives
- Activities and timelines
- Aligning objectives to outcomes
Day 3 | November 5 | 9:30 am - 12:30 pm PST | Via Zoom | Developing The Proposal Narratives
Program Description
- Components of the program narrative
- Organizational capacity
- Staffing
- Partnerships
- Sustainability
Program Evaluation
- Outputs and outcomes
- Data collection methods
- Reporting expectations
Day 4 | November 19 | 10 am - 12 pm PST | Via Zoom | Managing Budgets & Making Tradeoffs
Program Budget
- Developing a grant budget
- Budget narrative
- Common budget issues
Proposal Review and Submission
- Proposal review checklist
- Editing techniques
- Final review process
Program Details:
- Fall 2026: October 8 and 22; November 5 and 19. Four sessions, via Zoom.
- CVNL Member tuition: $500.
- Non-member tuition: $620.
- Tuition includes: All materials, handouts, and additional web resources.
- Limited to 20 people.
- CVNL Certificate of Completion awarded to participants who register for the full series and complete course requirements. Participants may miss one class and still qualify for a certificate.
- All sessions will be recorded and shared.
- Scholarships available for first-generation or new nonprofit professionals serving Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano counties.
- 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.
Our Faculty
Our faculty members are experienced and working professionals, who combine strong theoretical frameworks and real-life industry knowledge.
Dr. Jolie mason
Leadership coach and nonprofit management consultant with over 20 years of executive experience
Dr. Jolie Mason, Ed.D. (she/her) is a leadership coach and nonprofit management consultant with over 20 years of executive experience supporting nonprofits, government entities, and philanthropic partners through organizational growth, change, and systems-level work.
Read MoreLess
She has served in senior leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets and complex, community-centered programs.
Dr. Mason’s doctoral research and training in organizational change and leadership at the University of Southern California complement her hands-on executive experience, grounding her work in both theory and practice. This dual perspective allows her to help leaders move from ideas to action, navigate complexity, and make informed decisions grounded in data, feedback, and organizational priorities. Her background in human resources and workforce development further strengthens her ability to support leaders and teams while maintaining alignment across people, systems, and mission.
Since 2016, Dr. Mason’s consulting work has focused on strengthening leadership capacity and organizational infrastructure through coaching, strategic planning, and program development. She advises and supports organizations as they strengthen program development, evaluation practices, fund development strategies, contract and grant compliance, operational systems, and organizational development, often serving as a strategic human resources partner to leadership teams. Known for her collaborative, results-oriented approach, Dr. Mason partners closely with leaders to design practical strategies that promote sustainability, clarity, and measurable community impact.
Tuition & Scholarships
CVNL is pleased to offer partial scholarships to support first-generation professionals and professionals entering the nonprofit sector for the first time 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. To apply, click here, or for more information, please contact us at learning@cvnl.org.
SPONSORED IN PART BY:
