Nonprofit Grant Writing Course

Lesson 1 • The Grant Funding Cycle

Traces a grant from announcement through award and closeout, showing how each phase informs writing strategy. Students map their own organization's calendar to funder timelines.

Lesson 2 • Types of Grants and Funders

Distinguishes competitive, formula, and capacity-building grants and the funders who offer them. Students match grant types to organizational needs and readiness levels.

Lesson 3 • The Grant Writer's Role and Ethics

Defines the grant writer's responsibilities within a nonprofit team and establishes ethical standards. Students recognize conflicts of interest and professional boundaries from day one.

Lesson 1 • Researching Funders Strategically

Teaches systematic use of databases, tax filings, and funder websites to identify aligned prospects. Students build a tiered prospect list ranked by fit and feasibility.

Lesson 2 • Cultivating Funder Relationships

Explains how pre-application contact and relationship-building improve proposal success rates. Students draft an introductory letter of inquiry and a funder meeting agenda.

Lesson 3 • Analyzing Request for Proposals Documents

Breaks down a Request for Proposals into eligibility criteria, scoring rubrics, and formatting rules. Students annotate a real RFP and create a compliance checklist.

Lesson 4 • Assessing Organizational Grant Readiness

Identifies the internal infrastructure—financial systems, board governance, program data—required before pursuing grants. Students complete a readiness audit for a sample organization.

Lesson 1 • Understanding the Purpose of a Needs Statement

Explains how the needs statement establishes urgency and positions the organization as the right solver. Students analyze funded and rejected needs statements to identify success patterns.

Lesson 2 • Structuring and Drafting the Needs Statement

Provides a paragraph-by-paragraph structure for a complete needs statement and drafting techniques. Students write a full draft and apply a self-editing checklist before peer review.

Lesson 3 • Gathering and Presenting Evidence

Covers primary and secondary data sources and techniques for presenting statistics compellingly. Students select and cite data appropriate to their project's geographic and demographic scope.

Lesson 1 • Sustainability and Replication Planning

Addresses how funders evaluate long-term viability and potential for scaling or replication. Students write a sustainability plan that identifies future revenue sources and institutional support.

Lesson 2 • Designing Evidence-Based Program Activities

Guides students to select program activities supported by research or proven practice models. Students justify each activity with a citation or practice evidence in their program design section.

Lesson 3 • Building a Logic Model

Introduces the logic model as a visual tool linking inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Students construct a logic model for their project and use it to guide proposal writing.

Lesson 4 • Goals vs. Objectives: Key Distinctions

Clarifies the difference between broad goals and specific, measurable objectives and why funders require both. Students rewrite vague goals into SMART objectives using a structured template.

Lesson 1 • Why Evaluation Matters to Funders

Explains funder expectations for accountability and learning and how evaluation strengthens proposals. Students review funder evaluation requirements from sample RFPs to identify common standards.

Lesson 2 • Writing the Evaluation Narrative

Structures the evaluation section to address who collects data, when, how it is analyzed, and how findings are used. Students draft a complete evaluation narrative and align it with their objectives section.

Lesson 3 • Developing Performance Indicators

Teaches students to select quantitative and qualitative indicators that directly measure stated objectives. Students create an indicator table linked to each objective in their logic model.

Lesson 1 • Cost-Sharing and Matching Requirements

Explains when funders require matching funds, how to calculate match, and what qualifies as in-kind contributions. Students calculate a required match and document in-kind contributions for a sample project.

Lesson 2 • Grant Budget Fundamentals

Introduces direct and indirect costs, allowable expenses, and the relationship between budget and program design. Students categorize a sample budget and flag unallowable line items.

Lesson 3 • Writing a Persuasive Budget Narrative

Teaches line-by-line justification that connects each expense to program activities and demonstrates cost-effectiveness. Students write a complete budget narrative and revise it for clarity and compliance.

Lesson 4 • Indirect Cost Rates and Overhead

Demystifies indirect cost rates, negotiated rate agreements, and how to present overhead to skeptical funders. Students calculate indirect costs using both a negotiated rate and a de minimis rate.

Lesson 1 • Organizational Capacity and Qualifications

Explains how to present staff credentials, organizational history, and past performance to build funder confidence. Students draft an organizational capacity section tailored to a specific funder's priorities.

Lesson 2 • Submission Processes and Deadlines

Covers online portal submissions, mailed packages, and deadline management strategies to prevent last-minute errors. Students simulate a portal submission using a sample application system.

Lesson 3 • Assembling Required Attachments

Identifies common required attachments—tax-exempt determination letters, audits, board lists—and how to organize them. Students build a complete attachments checklist for a sample RFP.

Lesson 4 • Editing, Proofreading, and Compliance Review

Provides a systematic editing process covering narrative quality, formatting compliance, and internal consistency. Students apply a three-pass editing protocol to a complete draft proposal.

Lesson 1 • Writing Interim Progress Reports

Teaches how to structure a progress report that documents accomplishments, challenges, and corrective actions. Students draft an interim report using real program data from a sample project.

Lesson 2 • Leveraging Reports for Renewal and Relationships

Shows how strong reporting builds funder trust and positions the organization for renewal or expanded funding. Students draft a renewal inquiry letter based on a completed final report.

Lesson 3 • Writing Final Reports and Closeout

Guides students through final report requirements, lessons learned documentation, and grant closeout procedures. Students produce a final report outline and a closeout checklist.

Lesson 4 • Grant Award Agreements and Compliance

Explains grant agreement terms, conditions, and the compliance obligations that begin at award. Students review a sample grant agreement and flag key compliance requirements.