Grant writers seeking skill enhancement, non-profit employees and volunteers and people seeking marketable skills in the NPO environment.

Our program is primarily geared towards those seeking funds for nonprofit organizations. However, artists and scholars seeking personal support for projects will also benefit from this class.

Note: This class requires and assumes a core competency in expository writing and focuses on extending these skills into the specialized technical writing involved in fundraising. Students without fundamental writing skills, or those for whom English is a second language, may feel challenged at times.

In this class, you will:

• Receive an overview of philanthropy and nonprofit culture
• Use online resources to identify foundation funding for a program or project
• Evaluate and draft Letters of Intent or Inquiry (LOI)
• Develop your writing skills via peer-review and individual conference
• Draft and revise a complete Grant Proposal Narrative
• Reflect on the importance of Grant Stewardship
• Compare Grant-Writing to Individual Donor Solicitation Case-writing

Week 1
Understanding the market: philanthropy overview

Week 2
Finding the fit: researching prospects

Week 3
Refining your ask: persuasion 101and introduction to LOI's

Week 4
Ducks in a row: preparing for a grant-writing campaign

Week 5
Breaking down the proposal I (outline, background and need)

Week 6
Breaking down the proposal II (project description and evaluation)

Week 7
Breaking down the proposal III (capacity and sustainability, budgets and cover letters)

Week 8
Teacher/student conferences and problem-solving

Week 9
Revision, putting the package together, writing style

Week 10
Grant stewardship, ethical issues and career opportunities

Are any writing requirements needed for this course?
While no specific background in writing is required, this class requires a core competency in expository writing and focuses on extending these skills into the specialized technical writing involved in fundraising. Those students for whom English is a second language and who do not have formal writing training may feel challenged at times.

Are there any class requirements?
Full credit and granting of a certificate for participation in this class requires:

• Regular attendance: no more than 2 absences unless approval is expressly given.
• Active participation in synchronous sessions, including engaging in small-group work.
• Satisfactory completion of all assignments.
• Complete Final Draft of the Full Proposal Narrative
• Final score of, at least, 70 out of 100 to earn the certificate.

Are there any required books?
Yes, the program requires 2-3 books costing approximately $30/book. Books are not included in the course fee. The instructor will email a current booklist to all registered students prior to the course start date. All other course materials are included in the tuition fee and will be distributed in class and/or electronically.

Are courses taught in class or online?
All courses are taught online live via Zoom once per week.

How long is the program?
The program runs for 10 weeks and meets once/week on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.