Discover the best grant writing courses
As I write the title of this blog post, I am transported back to 2008, sitting in my tiny office in Mexico City, scouring the internet for everything I could learn on grant writing. I was one year out of college and now tasked with writing grants for the Mexican NGO where I worked.
Like me then, you maybe haven’t been told there is any budget available for you to learn, so you are doing your best finding resources online. You really want to show up for your organization, your career, and the communities you serve.
Whether you're new to the field or looking to sharpen your expertise, finding the best grant writing course is essential to learn to write grants. In this post, I'll guide you through how to find high-quality training and highlight some excellent free resources.
But first, I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t share this with you: your organization does have budget to support you in this. It is just a matter of them deciding to prioritize, and always putting overhead into project budgets. Because you deserve to get the training and support you need to be successful. And investing in getting the right support dramatically increases your chances of raising grants in 2024 and in the long run. Ok, back to your question:
How do you learn to write grants?
Learning to write grants effectively involves a mix of formal education, hands-on experience, and continuous learning. Here are some steps to get started:
Identify your learning style: Determine if you learn best through structured courses or self-paced online materials.
Research trainings: Look for trainings that don’t just give you theory but also practical tools, tips and action steps. Because let’s be real: how do you learn to write grants? Even if you are Superman, it is impossible to fully “get” it just by hearing it. You also need to put it into action and hands on support and feedback. Finally, make sure the training is made for organizations of your size- what an organization with a $300,000 annual budget needs to learn is very different from what an organization with a $3 million annual budget needs to learn, because their funders are different and require different things.
Check out free workshops: Many organizations offer free webinars, templates, and guides that can give you some initial guidance AND give you a sense of if this is the right person to take you all the way.
Seek reviews and recommendations: Read testimonies from past participants to gauge the quality and effectiveness of the course. If you are still unsure, you can even ask to speak to other organizations that have worked with them before!
Ok, so now that you know what to look for, where can you find great grant writing courses that might be perfect fit for you?
Grant writing courses online & in person
Candid Learning: This is essentially Candid’s free online grant training center and it has great introductory trainings (both self-paced and live).
Social Impact Compass’s Funded with Ease: Our 4-month online, small-group intensive is designed to equip small- and medium-sized NGOs and nonprofits with exactly the tools, skills and confidence, plus the hands on support, you need to secure grants with ease. No wading through online platforms full of resources and then guessing if you are doing it right. And you can watch our free workshop, 5 Steps to Win Grants with Ease, to raise grants in 2024.
Community foundations: If you are located in the U.S., your community foundation surely offers a variety of grant writing workshops in 2024, and they can potentially also recommend local funders in your state. If you find yourself googling “free grant writing classes near me” or “free grant writing workshops near me”, find your local community foundation and check out what trainings they are offering.
In sum, investing time in a high-quality grant writing course is THE way to raise grants in 2024. Whether you're looking for the best grant writing courses, grant writing workshops in 2024, or free online grant writing training, there are lots of options. Just don’t forget to make sure they are right fit for you and your organization! Otherwise you will overwhelm yourself and not see any results.
Happy learning and successful grant writing!
And if you decide that our Funding with Ease course is right fit for you, we would be thrilled to have you join us. In the meantime, don’t miss our free grant writing workshop!
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