Writing winning grant proposals can be a daunting task that leaves many nonprofits feeling stressed, confused, and overwhelmed. If you struggle with the grant application process, spend too much time writing proposals that do not get funded, or simply need assistance with the process, this series is designed for you.
Over six sessions, GrantStation President Alice Ruhnke will guide you through the entire grant proposal process. The series will offer an approach to proposal writing that can be used repeatedly and will help you secure grants more often.
TargetEDs are designed with beginners in mind. Each session contains 30 minutes of practical teaching and 15 minutes of Q&A with Alice. Individual session details can be found below.
July 8th, 2024 (Recording will be shared after registration)
Read Between the Lines: How to Read a Request for Proposals*
One key to grantseeking success is understanding exactly what funders are looking for and knowing how to tailor information to each specific funder’s format so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel for each application. During this TargetED, Alice Ruhnke will outline how to read an RFP and set up your responses to meet each grantmaker’s instructions.
July 15th, 2024 (Recording will be shared after registration)
Building Credibility in Your Background Section
First impressions matter. That is why the background section of your grant proposal needs to immediately establish your organization’s credibility with a funder. During this session, Alice will demonstrate how you can use your background section to quickly show you’re an organization that gets things done.
August 5th, 2024
Writing a Compelling Statement of Need
Funders want to address real problems in their giving areas, which means your proposal must demonstrate why your program is necessary and important to your community. During this session, Alice will show you how to craft a compelling statement of need that highlights the importance of your project in your community.
August 19th, 2024
Crafting a Process and Outcome Evaluation
When writing proposals, you should clearly demonstrate the impact of your work. Providing the number of classes held or participants served is useful information, but it isn’t enough because funders want to know… "So what?" What difference will your program make? How will it change people's lives? And how will you measure those changes? During this session, Alice will show you how to use outcomes and indicators so you can answer a funder’s “So what?” question confidently.
September 9th, 2024
Building an Approach That Gets Noticed
The approach section of your proposals should be aligned with the needs you previously identified, your proposed outcomes, your budget, and the funder’s requirements. With so many factors to consider, it's easy to make mistakes and write an approach that has insufficient detail or is misaligned with other portions of your proposal. During this session, Alice will show you how to build an approach that inspires confidence in your program and shows it is well-planned, feasible, and builds on community assets.
September 23rd, 2024
Developing Project Budgets That Make Sense
Even small errors and omissions in your budget or budget narrative can undermine the credibility of the proposal and reduce the chances of funding. Beyond that, your project budgets must demonstrate you can truly achieve your goals while keeping costs reasonable. During this session, Alice will show you how you can develop a project budget that makes sense: one that justifies all of your proposed costs and demonstrates you’ll be an effective steward of the grantmaker’s funds.
*Read Between the Lines: How to Read a Request for Proposals is a free TargetED session. You'll save $20 by joining the full series.
Full participation in this series is applicable for 6 points in Category 1.B -Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
Can’t attend live and still want to watch the webinar?
Want to review the materials after the session?
You will receive an email with the full recording and any handouts within 10 business days after the webinar.
After you register, you will receive the following emails:
- A sales receipt for your bookkeeping records
- A confirmation email from Zoom with the login credentials
- Instructions for other attendees if you registered a group
If you do not receive these emails within 48 hours of registering, please email or call 1-877-784-7268.
GrantStation does not refund registration fees. Fees may be applied to any webinar scheduled within 30 days.
Alice Ruhnke
Alice Ruhnke is the President of GrantStation. Having raised over $45 million from federal, state, and private grantmakers, she knows what it takes to get funded. As a former nonprofit program coordinator and director, and the Founder of The Grant Advantage, Alice has a deep understanding of the challenges that nonprofits face. Over the last 20 years she's worked in the trenches with hundreds of nonprofit organizations to improve their capacity to raise funds. Alice is an author and educator with a passion to share her expertise. Her insightful trainings on grant proposal writing and development, community change models, service projects, and measuring outcomes have helped over 4,000 individuals positively impact their communities.
