Grant Writing Training Program
Spring 2025: Mar. 18 & 25, Apr. 1, & 8
Four half-day sessions, 9am – 12pm (PST). Via Zoom.
Experience level: Beginner to Intermediate.
Are you looking to boost your grant writing skills and win more funding for your organization? Our Grant Writing Training Program is designed to help nonprofit professionals, fundraisers, and development staff craft compelling proposals that get results.
What to Expect:
- Four interactive sessions (3 hours each, 12 hours total).
- Hands-on capstone project – Develop a real grant proposal with expert feedback.
- Practical strategies to find funders, align proposals with organizational priorities, and build long-term funding relationships.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to conduct a needs assessment to strengthen your proposal
- Where to find the right funding opportunities for your nonprofit
- How to craft compelling grant proposals that stand out
- Best practices for managing a grant portfolio and building funder relationships
By the end of this program, you’ll walk away with a polished grant proposal and the confidence to secure more funding for your mission.
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 complete the online request form or contact us at learning@cvnl.org
Program Details
- Experience level: Beginner to Intermediate.
- Regular Tuition (register by 2/25/25): $795 for CVNL members, $895 for non-members.
- 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 deadlines: March 17, 2025.
- BIPOC scholarship available for eligible participants who are CVNL members serving Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano counties.
- CVNL Certificate of Completion awarded to participants who complete course requirements.
Schedule
Needs Assessment & Defining Your Case for Support
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the role of a needs assessment in grant writing.
- Identify key data sources and methods for gathering supporting evidence.
- Develop a compelling case for support that aligns with funders’ priorities.
Key Topics:
- Defining organizational needs vs. funder priorities
- Data collection methods (quantitative and qualitative)
- Crafting a needs statement
- Identifying measurable outcomes
Research & Identifying Funding Sources
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to identify and evaluate potential funding sources.
- Understand the key components of a funder’s request for proposals (RFP).
- Develop a targeted funding strategy based on organizational goals.
Key Topics:
- Types of funders: government, corporate, private foundations
- How to read and analyze an RFP
- Matching funder priorities with organizational needs
- Creating a prospect tracking system
Proposal Development & Writing Techniques
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the core components of a successful grant proposal.
- Learn best practices for writing clear, persuasive, and funder-aligned proposals.
- Develop a budget that aligns with project goals and funder requirements.
Key Topics:
- Essential elements of a grant proposal (cover letter, executive summary, problem statement, objectives, methods, evaluation, budget)
- Writing style and tone for grant proposals
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Budgeting for grant proposals
Managing the Grantwriting Portfolio & Reporting Requirements
Learning Objectives:
- Understand best practices for managing multiple grants and funder relationships.
- Learn how to meet reporting requirements and maintain compliance.
- Develop a system for tracking outcomes and preparing for future funding opportunities.
Key Topics:
- Grant tracking and management tools
- Post-award compliance and reporting
- Communicating impact to funders
- Preparing for grant renewals and future funding cycles
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.
Program Faculty
Tom L. Hayashi, MS Ed, PhD, CMC®️, CFRE, SHRM-SCP, ACC
Tom comes to CVNL with over 20 years of fundraising, senior management, and consulting experience which represents direct engagements with over 100 organizations on an array of capacity-building projects and programming.
He proudly identifies as a cis-gendered gay Asian Pacific Islander, first-generation immigrant, former foster youth, and first in his family to graduate from college. He finds his passion for social and ecological justice in his personal background, cultural identity, mindful practices, and relationships with the community.
Immediately prior to joining CVNL, Tom served as the Chair and Program Director of the Department of Leadership and Management (DLM) consisting of graduate-level degree programs at Saybrook University, and Associate Professor of Human Resources of Bovard College at the University of Southern California (USC). Tom’s professional highlights include leading public policy and advocacy efforts in Washington DC during the Obama administration and serving as the Executive Director for OCA-APA Advocates a national civil rights organization representing the Asian Pacific Islander communities. He is often sought as a diversity, inclusion, and equity speaker, trainer, and consultant specializing in diversity readiness assessments, equity-oriented leadership development, and cultural humility programming.
Tom has earned his doctorate and a master’s degree from Fielding Graduate University in Human and Organizational Systems, a master’s in Education from California State University East Bay, and a bachelor’s in Liberal Arts from Thomas Edison State University. His past and present professional credentials include Certified Management Consultant through the Institute of Management Consultants, Associate Certified Coach from the International Coaching Federation, Certified Master Coach from the Center for Coaching Certification, and Certified Fundraising Executive from CFRE International. He is an active member and contributor of the American Psychological Association, Society for Human Resources Management, the Nonprofit Consultants Network of the Institute of Management Consultants, and the Organizational Development Network.
On a personal note, he continues his love affair with the outdoors, being a shameless foodie, and a dog dad to his 10-year-old Basenji-Chihuahua mix named Jhak. He is based in Oakland, California.
Sponsored in part by:
If you have any questions about CVNL Learning and Leadership opportunities, contact:
learning@cvnl.org