Become a Grant Writer
In the nonprofit world, grant writing is one of the most important aspects of fundraising. This 100% online course will teach you to how to research, write, and manage a funding proposal for your nonprofit organization. Key topics include grant writing templates, budgeting, and other nonprofit fundraising techniques.
Kevin Feeley
BS in Electrical Engineering
HVCC Class of 2005
“Excelsior took all of my credits. I was able to jump right into upper-level courses.”
- According to workforce analytics company Burning Glass, the need for grant writers and other fundraising specialists is expected to grow by 15% over the next decade.
- PayScale.com estimates that grant writers can earn up to $68,000 annually, with the current median salary sitting around $48,000.
- In the United States, metropolitan regions and areas adjacent to cities like Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Seattle provide the biggest opportunities for grant writers.
Grant Writing Course FAQs
Not-for-profit (or nonprofit) 501(c) entities rely on fundraising and development to sustain their mission. Grant writing is one of the key strategies in the nonprofit sector for fundraising.
Grant writers are tasked with researching, drafting, and submitting proposals for nonprofit organizations, including educational institutions, social advocacy groups, and healthcare groups. Often, grant writers also handle other fundraising activities, including identifying funding sources, budgeting, and managing resources.
The federal government is the largest source of grant funding. Additionally, nonprofits organizations can sustain themselves with grants from state, foundation, and corporate grants.
Nonprofit organizations will always need fundraising to maintain operational expenses, and grant writing is the main way this is done. Grant writing can be a well-paying career if you have strong history of winning grants, but it can also be very rewarding if you believe in the causes you are writing for.
Grant Writing Course Objectives
- Be able to research, plan, and write effectively for multiple purposes in the nonprofit sector
- Understand the entire grant proposal writing process, including defining scope, project management, and financial projections
- Learn the fundamentals of budgeting
- Identify roles of funding agencies, philanthropic foundations, and giving institutions
Prerequisites and Requirements
There are no prerequisites to take this course. This course is 100% online. Start anytime.
Curriculum
- Introduction to Grant Research
Identifying grants that fit with your organization; flexibility in the grant research process
- Introduction to Grant Writing
Common myths about the grant process, preparing the request for proposal, analyzing and responding to the RFP
- Advanced Grant Writing
Program planning and evaluation, defining your program or service, and writing a grant proposal
- Specialized Writing Techniques for Grants
The front matter of the grant proposal; common errors made in preparing a response to a request for funding
- Technical Writing
Technical writing skills; writing process of preparing a technical document
- Writing Essentials
Technical writing skills; writing process of preparing a technical document
- Grammar Essentials
Grammar, syntax and parts of speech; rhetoric and argumentation
- Budgeting Essentials
The concept of budgeting; factors to consider in budgeting
- Fundraising Fundamentals
Locating funding sources; types of fundraising, including foundation and government grants, annual giving campaigns, and corporate sponsorships
Instructors
Katherine Squires Pang
Katherine Squires Pang, JD, LLM., MEd has practiced law since 1983. She has served as an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate School of Management at the University of Texas, Dallas, and has been an adjunct faculty member of many universities, including New York University and the University of California, Irvine. She received her BA in 1980 from Clark University, her JD from the University of Dayton Law School in 1982, her LLM in Taxation from Georgetown University Law School in 1983, and her MEd from the University of Texas in 2001.