Thanksgiving and grant writing may not seem immediately similar, but we found some interesting parallels after hosting the Art of Grantwriting Workshop for nonprofit leaders.
Talking turkey
There is no way around it; grant writing comes with the territory when you’re a nonprofit fundraiser, yet very few of us have formal training on the process. It’s a vital skill that supports our organization’s mission, but most of us learn the skills through trial and error on the job.
So, with that in mind, Nonprofit Leadership Initiative and the Association of Fundraising Professionals Northeast Wisconsin Chapter, offered a grant writer training, The Art of Grantwriting. We learned that the demand for this training is high! We soon had over 60 people on a waiting list, and we’re grateful for the technology that allowed us to grow the impact of the session by offering a virtual attendance option allowing 184 people to participate.
Harvesting Local
Rather than hiring an outside trainer, we decided local grant writers with a proven record of success, would be a better fit to share their real-world insights and grant strategies with their fellow Northeastern Wisconsin grant writers. Ariela E. Rosa, Lawrence University; Jenn Harper, Jake’s Network of Hope; Emily Bowles, Girl Scouts Northwestern Great Lakes, and Josh Hernday, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, have a cornucopia of knowledge and were happy to share generously.
Local grantwriters lead the education session: Jenn Harper, Emily Bowles, Ariela Rosa. Josh Hernday not pictured – Josh got sick and couldn’t attend the event, but did a lot of planning, so deserves a shout-out.
Bountiful Learnings
Important lessons emerged during the session.
1. Just like a Thanksgiving meal – preparation is key. Our local experts advised reviewing funders’ websites, contacting program officers, creating a system for organization, involving our boards, and gathering necessary documents.
2. There are tools to help with our research. Jenn shared the tool, Impala Digital, which helps grant writers discover funders to solicit for support.
3. Budgets are important – budgets are one of the biggest disqualifiers of a grant. Ariela led us through a budget exercise emphasizing the importance of gathering input from your team to ensure accuracy and reminding us to use the budget narrative to tell our story.
Gathering friends around the table
Inviting a panel of funders to join the event was a highlight for everyone. Greg Vandenberg, U.S. Venture/Schmidt Family Foundation, Laura Welsh, Kimberly-Clark Foundation, Jenny Krikava, Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region; Wendy Krueger, United Way Fox Cities; and Stephanie Gyldenvand, Basic Needs Giving Partnership graciously answered participants’ questions.
The direct interaction with the people who review grant applications was invaluable. Funders made it abundantly clear that they are our partners in this work and encouraged us to communicate with them regularly.
Funder Panel: Wendy Krueger, Greg Vandenberg, Laura Welsh, Stephanie Gyldenvand, Jenny Krikava
Season of Gratitude
During this season of thankfulness, we’re grateful for the local wisdom and cooperation that helps nonprofits thrive and make a positive impact in our community.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Top Photo: The team from VPI attending the Art of Grantwriting