Grant Writing Certificate Program - Spring 2023
Wednesdays from 9am – 12 pm
March 1, 8, 15, 22
A four-session series to build capacity to build the grant proposal program within your nonprofit.
When it comes to grant writing, you may be a good writer, or even a great writer, but everyone can improve their skills at any time in their career.
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.
Program Details
Spring 2023: Wednesdays from 9am – 12 pm
March 1, 8, 15, 22
Tuition: Full series $795 for CVNL members or $895 for non-members.
Discounts: 10% discount for groups of 3+ (same org) and for orgs with budget < $750K; partial scholarships available for BIPOC nonprofit managers of CVNL member organizations serving Marin, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma counties; the scholarship discount is 25%.
Tuition includes: All materials, including handouts and additional web resources.
Limited to 20 participants.
Spring 2023 ScheduleSession 1: Wednesday, March 1 from 9 am – 12 pm
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: Wednesday, March 8 from 9 am – 12 pm
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: Wednesday, March 15 from 9 am – 12 pm
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: Wednesday, March 22 from 9 am – 12 pm
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 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: Jessica Titel, Associate, 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 in achieving 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.
Jessica has a Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Development from Cal State Fullerton and a Master of Arts in Human Behavior from National University. She has spent over 10 years working in the family services field with various nonprofits and private agencies. She currently teaches at Santiago Canyon College and University of the People, while also working as a Project Manager for grant writing at MissionQuest. She specializes in private, corporate, and family foundation grant writing. Jessica has extensive experience working with vulnerable, at-risk, and underrepresented populations and the community organizations that serve these populations as well. She is committed to developing and implementing fair and equitable strategies for nonprofits and cultivating diverse communities. Jessica enjoys working hands-on with clients to help them achieve their fundraising and capacity building goals. In her downtime, she enjoys spending time with her children and husband doing anything outdoors!
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.
