Heart Centered Grant Writing

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“Jane was absolutely the best presenter on federal proposal writing that I have ever heard! I had never had a training on advanced grant writing. All are always for beginners. This was a great use of my day for very nominal fee.”
— Ritika, Ohio

Do you want to win your first federal or state funded grant?

You’ve spent years running your program or organization and know what needs to be done. You’re probably also too busy already and can’t see how you can find time to write a big grant proposal.

You know that you could make a big impact if you could build or grow your program in certain ways but finding the funding just seems daunting. You have a vision of how the world could be better. And, you see deadlines glide by and know that you could have a really good shot at getting funding if only you could put something together in time.

Or maybe, you’ve been successfully winning foundation grants and are ready to spread your wings and take a shot at a government proposal. You know you are ready but would like to learn more about how the process works before jumping in.

You may have already tried learning about federal or state grantwriting but nothing did the trick:

• you looked at grant trainings or national conferences but they were just too expensive or too far away for your travel budget;



• you took a course but it was too rudimentary or the instructor wasn't actively preparing grant proposals and lacked the depth of experience that you expected – and you haven’t had time to apply what you did learn;



• in the daily whirl you simply don't have time to read all the grant writing books that are out there and still have a life;



• the listservs are just too much to keep up with on a day-to-day basis.

Well, the truth is that preparing government proposals is not as complicated as you may think. This class is designed to get you on the road to winning a major grant that will make a real impact on the problems that your organization tackles.

There are a few things that you need to win your first state or federal proposal. First, you probably know a lot more than you realize. Second, you need an understanding of how the government funding process works. Third, you need systems to help you plan the proposal development process. And finally, you need to approach the work from your heart so that you can be more effective and not feel drained by the process.
 

Our approach emphasizes the practical application of skills in a fun atmosphere that incorporates connecting with your heart. We have found it to be a winning combination that produces results and a rewarding life.

This workshop, designed by a grants professional, will provide you with valuable new skills and the opportunity to draft a proposal during the class and receive support and feedback from your peers.

This course will cover:

“This was a great workshop for someone with years of experience – most workshops/ seminars give only the basics.” — Trish, Ohio

During the 5-week course you will draft a grant proposal and review it with peers. Many people find that the peer review process and mutual support is the most helpful element of the class. During the class we will use a heart-centered planning approach and focus on:

Session 1 - Understanding the Grants Game: 2 hours

• What to expect when you submit a state/federal proposal The need for planning

Session 2 - Planning to Win: Full Day

• Determining your organizational capacity and readiness for new funding Visioning – building your concept from a place of strength
• Understanding what funders want
• Reading and understanding a Request for Proposal
• Becoming familiar with the fundamental elements of a proposal
• Writing a persuasive summary
• Crafting a compelling needs statement

Session 3 - Writing from your Heart: Full Day

• Becoming familiar with the fundamental elements of a proposal continued Drafting goal, objectives, and measurable outcomes and indicators
• Designing project activities
• Using research in your proposals
• Heart-centered program design that gets results

Session 4 - Budgeting that Makes Sense: 2 hours

• Management Capacity
• Public Sector Budgets

Session 5 - Evaluation & Review Processes: 2 hours

• Letters of Commitment
• Sustainability & Dissemination Plans
• Evaluation Plans
• Grants.gov submission
• Understanding the review process to maximize your chances of winning

Session 6 & 7 - Heart-Centered Feedback: 2 hours

• Peer Review of drafted proposal

Early Bird Bonus Session

• How to research federal and state grant opportunities on the web.

This course is for you if:

• Your funding is dwindling and you need to diversify your funding base
• Your boss asked you to start writing public sector proposals
• You already write foundation and corporate proposals but need to tackle a federal proposal
• You have written a couple of proposals but feel overwhelmed by the process

Don't worry if you are completely new to grant writing and this class is too advanced. We have plenty of support for you through our introductory classes.

Why Grants Champion?

“Expertise was clear but Jane also presented information like “one of us” Very personal and reassuring.” — Nicky, Ohio

The Grants Champion approach combines practical knowledge to give you the skills to take action and connect with your heart so that you can be more effective in making a better world. What does that mean in practical terms? Well, we spend time teaching you the ins and outs of the grants game so that you can win. And, we also focus on making sure that we take a heart-centered approach so that you work from a place of strength and don't get drained by the grant writing process. We know from experience that when you write with power from your heart and top it off with a sprinkle of fun you’ve got a recipe for success.

You’ve probably seen lots of other grant trainings and wonder how ours is different. Of course our first priority is to yield results and ultimately grant funding, but it's our approach and emphasis on accomplishing this from a heart-centered place that sets us apart from the rest.

And we know that for you to reach that goal you need to have skills, feel comfortable applying them, and have time to do the work.

So, we’ve designed a grant training program that is unique in our field.

1. Time to Learn. Our class isn’t just lecture – a blast of information that no one can digest in a short time. Our classes incorporate lots of exercises and are spread over several weeks so that you can digest and assimilate what you learn.

2. Practice Applying What you Learn. You will sign up for this class to win grant funding. We know that. And the best way for you to win funding is to write a grant proposal. We won’t just tell you how to do it. We’ll guide you and support you as you craft a proposal during class.

3. Feedback. We can learn so much from one another when we are given constructive, supportive feedback. Our class incorporates plenty of time for reflection, questions and critiquing of each other’s work – always within a safe and supportive atmosphere. There are no wrong answers nor silly questions at Grants Champion. We are all on the same journey towards creating a positive impact – and we don’t forget that. Our goal is that at the end of the program you will have a solid proposal draft ready for you to tailor to the needs of specific funding agencies when they release RFPs.

4. Heart-centered Approach. All this happens within a framework of working from your heart. Our experience is that when you incorporate your heart into your work it is more meaningful, effective and deeply satisfying. That means that we take time to heartstorm as well as brainstorm

We also incorporate simple energizing practices into the training so that you can manage the day to day stress of grant deadlines with ease and grace. We know that sounds a little far-fetched. It did to us at first, too.

But after lots of experience taking a heart-centered approach we have found that the process is more fun and the results more rewarding. We’ve found that you don’t have to run yourself ragged to meet grant deadlines – you can do it with ease and still get results.

The bottom line for us is that we want to make the world a better place. And that can’t happen very effectively when our creative social entrepreneurial types are getting burned out. So, we want to show you how to thrive in the grants world so that we can create the kind of world in which our children and their peers around the world can grow and thrive. When that happens we all win.

All Grants Champion classes are:

• taught by seasoned professionals;
• priced to be affordable to even the smallest non-profits;
• short and yet packed with fresh ideas and up-to-date information about the grants field.;
• designed to include time to talk with your peers about how they have creatively solved common problems.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, you will show a measurable increase in:

• Knowledge and understanding of the public funding processes;
• Research skills;
• Knowledge of grant proposal components;
• Program planning skills;
• Ability to approach the grant writing process with ease and sense of fun;
• A sense of empowerment in writing competitive proposals.

What are VideoSeminars?

So, you’re probably wondering how we do this remotely and what in the heck are videoseminars. Videoseminars are the next generation after webinars. But, it’s not scary or difficult to use. I am not technologically adept and yet I’ve managed to use the system very well, even without my 12 year old’s assistance. It’s really a breeze and you don’t need a webcam for it to work for you.

For this course we require that you have a webcam. If you have a Mac with a built-in webcam you're all set. And, if you don't - don’t panic, they cost $20 at the local office supply store. When you register, we’ll send you an email with a link to a website and a password. At the beginning of the seminar simply login and voila you’ll see me and all the other participants and we’ll be able to hear one another through the headsets using VOIP (Voice-Over IP means sound via the internet).

If you want to ask questions you can simply ask or use the chat feature on the website depending on your preference. The system is a fully interactive system and our classes will have the same feel as a live in-person class.

When:

“Excellent! Jane’s experience, spirit and expertise shine through her professional presentation.”
— Linda, Ohio

Session 1: October 29, 12- 2 EST

Session 2 & 3: November 11 & 12th 10 – 4 EST

Session 4: November 19th, 12-2 EST

Session 5: November 25th, 12-2 EST

Sessions 6 & 7:December 10 & 11th, 12-2 EST

Early Bird Bonus Session: Date to be announced.

What if I can’t make those times? No problem. We will be recording the class and it will be available in video and audio formats for you to listen to at your leisure.

If what I've said resonates for you, you'll probably want this package.

(This package? What's involved?)

Okay, so here is what you get with this course:

1. The Heart-Centered Grant Writing seminar itself

This includes all 7 sessions spread over 5 weeks – including 2 full-day sessions.

2. The Heart-Centered Grant Writing Manual

The 150 page course manual includes all the exercises and sample proposal components

3. Proposal Review

When you are ready to submit, I will review the proposal you developed in class. I will give you feedback and a critique for you so that you can feel the comfort of having your proposal read by an independent reviewer before it even gets to the funding agency. If you'd prefer a consultation time instead, just ask. I want to do what's most helpful for my students to succeed.

4. Video Recording

A recording of all the sessions will be mailed to you so that you can review the class while sitting at your computer, or, if you're like me while you are driving.

5. Community

We will have an online community for class members so that we can ask questions, share information and share drafts of our work. We simply cannot do anything in this world alone - at least not well or with a sense of joy. Accepting that, we are working to create a Heart-Centered grant writing community to support you as you redefine our world.

Is there a guarantee? Yep, 100% Satisfaction Guarantee – with 2 questions asked.

We are in business to create a better world by providing excellent grant trainings. If you fully participate in the course (attend all sessions) and feel that the course was not a sound investment of your time and money simply call me and I will give you a 100% refund.

My only questions will be

1) what was your experience, and

2) how can we do better.

That’s it. No quibbles. No arguments. Simply a request for feedback so that I realize my dream of empowering you to create great communities.

Package Tuition: $559

Early Bird Bonus: Register by June 10, 2008 and receive the bonus session on researching federal and state grant opportunities.

AAGP Members: $499