Basic Grant Proposal Writing for Nonprofits

This introductory lecture includes the background of the instructor, information on the format of the class, and the goals for those who complete the course.

This introductory lecture gives the students background on how grants fit into their fund development plan, other sources of nonprofit income, the types of foundations, and why a diversified funding stream is important.

A few questions about the first lecture...

Students will learn to create an assets inventory, write a strong mission statement, understand the role and importance of success stories, and put them all together into a strong case statement for supporting their organization.

Students will learn what makes a project fundable (what foundations are looking for), how to research foundations, and about the different types of submittals and funding categories.

A quick check-in and review of the first portion of the class. Take a self-check and make sure you're comfortable with all we've learned so far before diving deep into grant proposals in the next sections.

Students will learn about the seven standard narrative components of a successful grant proposal and the story arc, and then dig deep into the first three sections.

Students will learn the difference between counting outputs and measuring true oucomes, how to write SMART goals, and see examples of strong outcome statements.

How well can you identify good outcomes statements?

Here we go through the final three elements of a successful proposal, Act III in our story arc: Methodology, Evaluation, and Sustainability, and learn what we mean by each.

Students will learn about putting their proposal into the language of dollars and cents, and fully funding their programs, including overhead costs.

What to include in online and offline submittals, tips for using online application forms, and what to do after you submit your proposal.

A few final questions to make sure you're ready to roll.