Intensive grant-development course gives Del Norte and Curry County community leaders a better shot at landing federal grant dollars
Download the Grants Architects Training Course application here.
The competition for billions of federal grant dollars available each year is fierce and not easy for beginners nor for the faint of heart. That’s why Humboldt Area Foundation and Wild Rivers Community Foundation are offering nonprofits, government and tribal organizations in Curry and Del Norte counties an intensive, 8-month federal grant development training course that launches April 18-20.
“We expect by the end of the eight months that trainees will have acquired in-depth knowledge and skills for successful development of every component of a federal grant application in various disciplines,” said Tim Hoone, course trainer and Planning Director for the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation in Smith River.
Hoone will be joined by trainer Lyn Craig, an independent grants consultant based in eastern Oregon. Consultant Angela Glore, also an experienced grant writer, will serve as facilitator. Hoone and Craig are graduates of an intensive, hands-on 10-month training in federal grant writing, sponsored by The Ford Family Foundation in 2014-15. Taken together, Tim and Lyn have obtained more than $75 million in federal grant dollars over the past decade. Both also have considerable experience in government and nonprofit administration and in managing grant-funded projects from conception to completion.
“This isn’t your average grant training workshop. It is intensive and will be focused on the real needs of the trainees and how the organizations they serve can best benefit from current and future federal funding opportunities,” said Craig.
The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. March 18. Those interested in learning more about training before it starts are encouraged to attend an information webinar at a date to be determined. Tuition is $4,500, but grant funding and scholarships are available.
The training:
HAF+WRCF developed the “Grant Architects” training —modeled after one created by the Ford Family Foundation — because it knew that many organizations and local tribal and government entities were missing out on significant federal grant money. The course is designed to help state, county and local agencies, educational institutions, hospitals, private nonprofit organizations, and even for-profit organizations that are eligible for specific programs.
Because of the breadth of information to be shared, the course will be held via Zoom on three consecutive days per month over eight months — equaling approximately 120 hours. Training is scheduled Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the third week of each month from April through November 2022. Training hours will typically be 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with breaks for lunch.
The presenters will share in-depth information, tips, and techniques covering virtually every component of federal grant writing — from learning about funding resources to collaborative planning, development of all parts of a strong proposal, and follow-up upon successful notice of a grant award. While the course will focus primarily on developing successful federal grant proposals, tools for writing foundation grants will also be presented.
To apply:
Those interested in the course are asked to fill out an application by the priority deadline, 5 p.m., March 18. To download the application, click here or contact the Wild Rivers Community Foundation at apply@wildriverscf.org.
To apply, people must have a quiet place in which to participate, a laptop, strong internet connection, and an average of 4 to 6 months outside of training to work on assignments.
The application process includes a cover letter explaining why one is interested in the training; a resume indicating work experience, community activism or volunteerism; examples of previous grant writing or professional writing; a brief narrative describing the organization, size of budget and current level of grant funding; and a paragraph explaining circumstances requiring financial aid assistance.