Course Introduction

Course Introduction



This course is based on the content found on our website. We created the course as a way to help our readers interact and master the material we cover in our blog. 

We've put a lot of content into the course, so we recommend taking your time as you work through the chapters. The course is free and there's no expiration date—you can come back to it as many times as you need. 

Course Content

The course is split into three chapters: 

  • Chapter 1: Finding Potential Funders 

  • Chapter 2: Writing Your Grant Proposal

  • Chapter 3: Submitting Your Proposal

Each chapter consists of 5 to 6 lessons. When you open the lesson, you'll use the scroll bar on the right-hand side to move to the next page. Each chapter ends with an assignment to help you apply what you just learned.

In addition to the chapters, you'll find additional content like surveys and a resource list.

How Much Time Will It Take to Complete the Course?

If you don't tackle any of the assignments, you can probably read through all of the material in an hour.

To complete the full course—assignments and all—you'll need at least 3 hours.  Since the course is free and you can come back to it at any time, you can pace yourself and take the course over several days.


Join the Discussion!

This course has a discussion feature that allows you to post questions and comments and engage with us, the course leaders, as well as others taking the course. We hope you'll take advantage of this feature to share your questions as well as your expertise! 

To join the discussion, you can add a comment on any lesson by scrolling to the bottom of the content.

Download Materials

You will be able to download each of the modules. Additionally, at the end of each course module, you'll also be able to download a single PDF file that contains all of the module's lessons.

Final Thoughts...

This course isn't meant to be exhaustive. There's lots more that can be said about any of these topics. Our goal with this course is to get you started on a more efficient path to securing grant funding. 

We welcome your feedback on how we can improve our content, so we hope you'll complete the survey at the end of the course.

Thanks again for joining us!

Getting Started: The Basics of Finding & Applying for Grants

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Welcome to the Course

  • Course Introduction2

Chapter 1: Finding Potential Funders

  • Welcome to Part 1.pdf
  • 1.1 Evaluate Your Organization.pdf
  • 1.2 Evaluate Your Funding.pdf2
  • 1.3 Assess Other Organizations.pdf
  • 1.4 Research Funders.pdf
  • 1.5 Create a Tracking System.pdf
  • 1.6 Create a Grant Strategy.pdf
  • Part 1_Summary.pdf
  • PProp_GettingStarted_Pt1.pdf

Chapter 1: Supplemental Reading

  • Preparing to Search for Funding Opportunities
  • Researching Potential Funders: Tools for Prospect Research
  • Resources for Finding Funding Opportunities
  • Getting Started with Prospect Research
  • Identifying the Right Grant Opportunities
  • Focus on Partnerships to Increase Funding Options
  • 8 Things to Consider When Evaluating Grant Opportunities from Foundations
  • Overview of the Go/No-Go Meeting Process

Chapter 2: Writing Your Grant Proposal

  • Welcome to Part 2.pdf
  • 2.1 Review the Solicitation.pdf4
  • 2.2 Assemble Your Team.pdf
  • 2.3 Draft an Outline.pdf
  • 2.4 Create a Proposal Schedule.pdf
  • 2.5 Write Review and Repeat.pdf
  • 2.6 Arrange for Editing.pdf
  • Part 2_Summary.pdf2
  • PProp_GettingStarted_Pt2.pdf

Chapter 2: Supplementary Reading

  • The 6-Week Proposal Process
  • Writing a Strong Proposal Takes How Many Drafts?
  • How to Write a Grant Proposal
  • How to Write a Grant Proposal Part II: What Will You Need to Prepare?
  • Make Grant Writing Easier by Using Boilerplate Text
  • Best Practices for Writing an Executive Summary
  • How to Create & Use a Style Sheet for Grant Writing
  • Three Faulty Assumptions about Grant Writers

Chapter 3: Submitting Your Proposal

  • Welcome to Part 3.pdf
  • 3.1 Create a Submission Checklist.pdf
  • 3.2 Prepare Email Templates.pdf
  • 3.3 Final Proposal Review.pdf
  • 3.4 Submit the Proposal.pdf
  • 3.5 Archive the Proposal.pdf
  • Part 3_Summary.pdf
  • PProp_GettingStarted_Pt3.pdf

Chapter 3: Supplementary Reading

  • How to Increase the Odds that Your Grant Application Will Be Funded
  • 6 Strategies to Make the Grant Proposal Submission Process Less Stressful

Final Notes

  • Thank You for Joining Us!
  • Course Feedback