Grantsmanship Training Program

The gold standard of grants training.

There’s a place for brown-bag luncheons, half-day workshops, and two-day classes (we offer those). But if you want the comprehensive, in-depth experience that gives you a solid grasp on the world of grants, in only five action-packed days, you want the Grantsmanship Training Program.®

Here’s why. During the training, you learn how to:

During this training you'll learn to:

• Use our proven proposal model—a model so successful that many funders have adopted it for their application guidelines
• Demonstrate your organization's capacity and credibility
• Develop a compelling, fact-based description of the problem or need your program addresses
• Understand goals, outcomes, objectives, methods, and outputs—and avoid mixing them up!
• Develop powerful proposed outcomes that are measurable and that can be evaluated
• Create a logical, credible work plan and timeline
• Design a program evaluation that you can actually implement
• Develop a budget that will answer the questions all funders ask
• Identify the grantmakers who are the most likely to fund your programs
• Interpret grant application guidelines
• Think like a funder—evaluate grant proposals from a funder's point of view
• Work with funders as partners
• Practice the art and ethics of grantsmanship

Our grant funding has doubled since a staff member and I attended the Grantsmanship Training Program.
--Barbara W. Auten, Executive Director, Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area, Baton Rouge, LA

Get the tools and experience to secure funding for your cause

You're personally guided by a seasoned expert, a trainer with years of practical experience and loads of up-to-date information about the world of grants today. Your trainer suggests the best approaches to the problems your organization faces—and shares insights that can save you from costly mistakes and years of trial-and-error learning. You actively create real proposals in class. It's theory put into action!

The first half of the training was a welcome refresher; the second half of the training was WOW!
--Donna Sala, Treasurer, Arizona Rural Human Services Network, Arivaca, AZ

Why this learning lasts

The Grantsmanship Training Program® pioneered our Listen & Discuss, Do & Review® curriculum, using best practices for adult learners. Developed and rigorously tested in the 1970s, this curriculum is continuously updated and gives the most current, practical information in the field. Our trainers combine presentations, discussions, and hands-on exercises to take you step-by-step through planning a program and developing a grant proposal. You immediately put new knowledge into practice, building powerful skills, so you retain what you learn.

Working with a small team, you draft a real grant proposal for your project or for a teammate’s. Then you practice reviewing proposals the way funders do, to see what works, what doesn’t, and why. You leave the training with work product under your arm—a copy of each proposal created and reviewed in class, and a network of colleagues to contact, plus 12 months of follow-up support from the Center.

Track record of proven success

The 115,000+ graduates of this training have gone on to win billions of grant dollars for vital programs. Many nonprofit leaders point to this training as a key to their success.

An ongoing independent evaluation funded by five of the top foundations in Los Angeles County gives proof that the Grantsmanship Training Program® delivers a solid return on time and money invested.

I have taken many courses over the years, but your training was the best week I ever spent in a classroom.
--Karen Porter, Associate Director, Insurance Institute of America, Malvern, PA

You’re not alone when class is over 

As a graduate of the Grantsmanship Training Program,® you receive 12 months of full membership in The Grantsmanship Center’s Membership Program at no additional cost. This helps you:

• Strengthen a proposal. You have a full year after the training to submit a proposal to one of our trainers for advice on how to improve it.
• Find funders. You receive a full year of access to GrantDomain, our user-friendly, continuously updated database of foundation, corporate, and federal grantmakers. GrantDomain  helps target appropriate funders, while saving you aggravation, time, and money.
• Build your proposal development team.  Invite a colleague from your organization to attend the Grantsmanship Training Program—at half price!
• Upgrade your own skills. Take advantage of tuition discounts on other training programs, publications, consulting services, and more.
• Find the answers you need. Ask The Center! Need help untangling application guidelines or handling tricky situations? Contact us—we're here to help our alumni find answers.

Tuition:

Tuition for the 5-day Grantsmanship Training Program® is $895. This fee includes everything you need: a binder loaded with information plus follow-up support through The Grantsmanship Center’s Membership Program for 12 months—at no additional cost! Build your team: $50 tuition discount for additional registrants from the same organization.

Details and logistics:

• Once we receive your payment, we email you a confirmation including directions to the training location and parking info.
• Dress for comfort. 
• If possible, bring a laptop computer and a flash drive (thumb drive).
• If you plan to work on a specific grant application, please bring the guidelines and any other relevant information.
• The training begins each day at 8:30 am and ends by 5:30 pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. On Wednesday you may choose to stay later when teams work on projects. On Friday, the class ends by 1:00 pm.
• Morning and afternoon refreshments are included. Lunch is on your own—a list of nearby spots is provided.
• Receive a complete manual of training materials when you arrive on Monday.