Leadership & Civic Engagement

Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing

For more than 20 years, the award-winning Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing program has been helping Hoosiers improve their communities by leveraging grants of all sizes. Participants of the Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing workshop draft and polish a grant proposal and learn how to navigate the grant process. Both beginners and experienced grant writers learn to develop ideas into winning proposals, identify and build relationships with potential funders, and speak and write confidently about how their proposal will make an impact.

Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing is a 2-day in-person workshop hosted by Purdue Extension in counties around the state. At the end of Day 1, participants will have a proposal outline and all the resources they need to develop it into a full proposal. On Day 2, participants practice reviewing a grant proposal, interacting with a funder, and searching for funding.

Workshop participants across the state have leveraged millions of dollars in grant funding to improve the quality of life. Thanks to their success, Indiana is home to new community playgrounds, expanded social services, inclusive arts initiatives, natural resource enhancements, renovated historical buildings, and innovative educational offerings and so much more! Our trainers can also provide customized training to existing groups with a shared focus.

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Program Takeaways

Participants completing the 2-day workshop (13 educational hours) receive a certificate of attendance. Check with your professional association to see if CEUs are available.

Included in the training are:

  • Lunch, refreshments, and materials for both days of the workshop
  • The Beginner's Guide to Grant Writing manual
  • Free 2-week Pro access to Candid's Foundation Directory Online
  • Professional review of a final proposal draft

Target Audiences

Past participants have included staff and volunteers from local governments, nonprofits and educational organizations as well as members of community groups, clubs and concerned citizens who see a need in their communities that they want to help address. Participants should have an idea for a proposal in mind, so that they can develop it over the course of the workshop.

Testimonials

  • “The program was extremely beneficial. The staff were professional and helpful. They are available even after the program for questions or brainstorming. Great for beginners and good as a refresher program.”
  • "The Beginner's Guide to Grant Writing workshop was one of the better workshops I've ever attended. I've always felt that I was a strong grant writer, but this training helped me see grant writing from the perspective of many other organizations and fields rather than just my own. One of the key components I took from this training was the ability to identify short, medium, and long-term goals that an organization should have when pursuing and securing grant funding."

To learn more about the Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing program-Leadership and Civic Engagement, contact:

Kris Parker
Community Development Regional Educator
parkerkj@purdue.edu

Team

Overview of the Grant Proposal Process

In this 90-minute interactive virtual or in-person workshop, participants will build their awareness of the grant process and the key steps to submitting a proposal. This workshop is geared towards staff and volunteers of nonprofits and local government agencies who are new or relatively new to grant writing.

The Basic Elements of a Grant Proposal

In this 90-minute virtual or in-person workshop, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the main building blocks of a grant proposal, including writing tips and best practices for communicating a project idea to a funder. This workshop is geared towards staff and volunteers of nonprofits and local government agencies who are new or relatively new to grant writing.

Finding Grant Funders

In this 50-minute webinar, participants will learn tips for finding funders, including navigating governmental and other grants databases. This workshop is geared towards staff and volunteers of Indiana nonprofits and local government agencies.

Customized grant workshops

Purdue Extension can sometimes provide customized workshops for groups. We have worked with several funders to provide workshops to applicants interested in applying to a specific grant opportunity.

Contact Kris Parker parkerkj@purdue.edu with inquiries about these programs.

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