Grant Writing Certificate Program - Spring 2025

Wednesdays from 9 am – 12 pm PST

Feb 26, Mar 5, 12, and 19

• 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.

 
Program Details
Spring 2025: Wednesdays from 9 am – 12 pm PST
Feb 26, Mar 5, 12, and 19
 
Tuition: Full series $795 for CVNL members or $895 for non-members.
 
Discount:

• 10% discount for groups of 3 or more registering from the same organization, OR
• 10% discount for organizations with budget size < $750K, OR
• $150 early bird discount (Early Bird Deadline: Jan 10; Early Bird discounted rate automatically applied at checkout)

BIPOC Scholarship:
BIPOC scholarship is available for BIPOC participants of nonprofit organizations. Priorities are given to CVNL members.  Scholarship recipients do not have to be from a CVNL member organization. Please complete the BIPOC Scholarship Request Form.

Please email learning@cvnl.org for a discount code on groups or small budget organizations BEFORE you register for the program.

NOTE: For participants to earn certificates and eBadges for this program, they must attend at least 75% of the sessions. Participants may only miss one session and still earn the certificate and eBadge. 
 
Tuition includes All materials, including handouts and additional web resources.
 
Limited to 20 participants.
 
Spring 2025 Schedule
Session 1: Wednesday, Feb 26 from 9 am – 12 pm PST
Grantwriting - Organizational Description
This session provides a solid foundation to deepen your understanding of describing your organization and its strengths to grantors. This course focuses on how to highlight the best qualities to the funders, so your organization shines among the many applicants. The 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: Wednesday, Mar 5 from 9 am – 12 pm PST
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. The 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: Wednesday, Mar 12 from 9 am – 12 pm PST
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. The 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: Wednesday, Mar 19 from 9 am – 12 pm PST
Funder Research, Relationship Building with Funders
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 creating a grant calendar and discussing building relationships with funders. The session will cover:

• 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
CVNL is pleased to partner with MissionQuest to offer this Grant Writing Certificate program. MissionQuest has earned a reputation for grant writing success by partnering with hundreds of organizations to achieve their financial goals. In addition to grant writing, MissionQuest resource development services help you plan for the future with confidence. You can weather budget cuts by developing a strong and diverse funding base by generating greater and consistent revenue.
 
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.