Start Date and Duration

8 sessions, Wednesdays
4/26/2023 - 6/14/2023
5 - 6 p.m.

Times

Each session is 1 hour

Location and Format

Online

Scope

2.4 CEUs

Non-Credit

Cost

Early Bird/Alumni Rate: $1,099 (ends 4/5)

Regular Rate: $1,299 (ends 4/12)

Program Details

According to Grants.gov, there are over 1,000 federal grants available to government, small businesses and nonprofit organizations. By earning this certificate, you are well-equipped to apply for these grant opportunities.

The course is a blended format of online and on-demand materials, combined with a series of eight live video conference meetings with a learning cohort for problem- and case-based discussions. Course topics include organizational readiness, grant strategy, developing budgets, building relationships with grantmakers, ethics and reporting. By the end, you'll have written an exemplary grant proposal with feedback and encouragement from your instructor and peers. Upon assessment of the final course project, you’ll receive a Certificate in Grant Writing from Western Washington University and 2.4 continuing education units.

Technology Requirements:

  • Basic understanding of computer technology to navigate the learning platform (Canvas)
  • Webcam and Zoom for video conference meetings
  • Word processing software such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs

Reinvent Your Career

Are you new to writing grants, or do you need a refresher? Designed for novice and experienced writers, this course propels your career in the nonprofit, government and startup sectors to fund the development of programs and projects.

What
You'll Learn

  • Organizational Readiness: Gain an understanding of a nonprofit's lifecycle and how it relates to capacity for grant-seeking. 
  • Prospect Research: Learn strategies and resources for researching grant funding sources. Interpret guidelines, limitations and requirements to assess grant maker intent. 
  • Grants Management: Explore methods of maintaining, tracking and updating information on potential funders, culminating in a grant calendar timeline and work plan. 
  • Grant Strategy: Explore structures, values and applications of logic models and theories of change related to project design. Examine proposal writing approaches, styles, tones and formats appropriate for various audiences.  
  • Proposal Writing: Learn to create presentations of grant-narrative elements and ideas in a logical, persuasive, straightforward way. 
  • Project Budgets: Discern effective practices for developing realistic, accurate line-item and narrative budgets and expressing the relationships between line items and project activities in the budget narrative.

Instructor:

Image
Allison Shirk smiles while standing outside in a v neck blouse.

Allison Shirk is a Grant Professionals Association (GPA) Approved Trainer and an adjunct professor. She is the founder of Spark the Fire Grantwriting Classes and has over 25 years of experience in grant writing and nonprofit management. She is a grant reviewer for several grantmakers and consults for 501 Commons, Grant Professionals Association, Idaho Nonprofit Center, Montana Nonprofit Association, Nonprofit Association of Oregon and Washington Nonprofits. She loves working with nonprofit and government professionals who are passionate about making a positive impact in our community. Shirk has an M.Ed. in Adult Education and a background in social services.

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