June 16, 2026

Grantseeking Isn’t Rocket Science, It’s Plane-Building

Some grantseekers are born great. Some have grant seeking thrust upon them.

Whether you’re building a career in grants or you got volun-“told” to find funding for your organization, those in the middle of their grantseeking journey are often building the proverbial plane while flying it.

We get it – but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Get the Grant is our most comprehensive training on grant proposal preparation, honed over 8 years and based on our 24 years in the business. This July, we’re excited to make grantseeking more accessible than ever by offering Get the Grant in a four-session virtual format. And don’t worry — we’ll record the sessions so you can rewatch or catch-up as your schedule permits. Sessions will combat Zoom fatigue and enhance learning with activities including hands-on skills development exercises, readiness self-assessments, and project development worksheets for your own programs.

Participants will learn how to exit the cycle of figuring things out mid-project and instead gain a strategic approach to building strong grant proposals. They’ll receive a comprehensive digital workbook with concrete tools to identify competitive grant opportunities, plan proposals, build a compelling case, and develop request budgets. Most importantly, they’ll ensure they have the infrastructure in place to be grant-ready.

Get the Grant uses sequenced modules beginning with funder alignment, screening grant opportunities, and grant readiness. Next up is setting projects up for success from planning components and team efforts to creating document templates and supports. Then participants explore narratives, including building compelling need statements, designing and describing the work, determining results, and talking about the greatness of your team and organization. The final modules cover attachments like budgets and budget narratives, compiling components and quality control checks, and tips and best practices for submitting proposals.

Here are just a few of the expert grant engineering tips you’ll explore in this information-packed training:

  • View funder guidance strategically to understand and plan grant writing and proposal preparation based on review processes and criteria, funder alignment and instructions, elements that often need early and frequent attention, and potential issues that could cause you to hit the eject button mid-flight.
  • Keep a digital grants file of frequently requested organizational documents and past grant proposals to turbo-boost your grant proposal process. Common items include nonprofit documentation, staff bios, at least two years of financial documentation, and other supporting materials that demonstrate impact. If using a platform like Google Drive, you can use AI tools to help quickly upcycle information from your files.
  • Be selective about where you apply. To have a good return on investment, it’s mission-critical for your grants shop to identify opportunities that are a strong fit for your organization, versus applying for every possible opportunity. Ask yourself “Can they” fund you? (you’re eligible), “Should they” fund you? (you’re aligned), and “Would they” fund you? (you’re competitive).
  • Start with the budget. Before launching into writing, we recommend working with your team to create a “back of the napkin” estimate of line items and costs. This process helps define your project scope, grounds your proposal in real funding needs, and ensures your project is realistic given the level of funding. Plus, many grant reviewers read the budget first!
  • Beware the gravitational forces of grant writing. Most people’s tendency is to start out strong and write applications that are too “heavy” at the beginning and “light” at the end, or else focus on what they know (such as their agency background) and neglect the details (such as program design). Ideally, the “weight” of the grant writer’s effort should be focused on areas funders value most. Take a look at the review criteria and plan to spend the most time and space on portions that are worth the most points.
  • Ensure you’re ready for takeoff. End your proposal preparation process with a thorough quality control check that all the components, formatting, grammar, and uploads are in order. After submitting, upload all the final files to your grants folder. Ensure your point of contact carefully monitors for notifications, and be prepared to offer a quick response to any funder questions and award letters!

Preparing a grant shouldn’t feel like an extreme aerial sport. Let us help you build the plane, so you can soar.

Register for Get the Grant at https://tgp-s-site-9d8d.thinkific.com/bundles/get-the-grant-4-weeks-to-fundable-proposals and tune in this July 7, 14, 21, and 28 from 9:30–11:30am MST or watch the recording at your convenience!

Contact: Laurel Meister Schmuck, GPC, Senior Resource Development Officer

[email protected]

 

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