Cultivate Grant Writing Skills to Meet Your Business Goals

Grant writing is one of the most unique forms of writing. A successful grant writer needs to be able to tell a compelling story that resonates with an audience but also share facts, figures, and metrics in a digestible way. In the nonprofit world, grants can be the difference between launching a new program and laying off critical staff. Now, more than ever, organizations need grants—and strong grant writers—to keep their missions moving forward.

The Forbes Nonprofit Council has identified both key ingredients for a successful grant and the traits of successful grant writers. Winning grants are thoughtful, well researched, and paint a picture using data and impactful language. Grant writers should be driven by this data, as well as a passion for the cause. They should be process- and detail-oriented, organized, and strong writers. More importantly, the best grant writers can weave a compelling, impactful story in a clear and comprehensive way. They are able to connect to the reader through writing.

It takes a great deal of practice to become proficient in grant writing and to navigate the ins and outs of the process. What’s the best way to share data? How do I start gathering essential metric information? Who should I involve in the process? How much should I ask for? Where do I even search for grant opportunities?

The University of Denver’s Center for Professional Development is offering a live online grant writing course to help you answer all of these questions, and more! Join Dr. Sylvia Hall-Ellis, a consultant and grant writing expert, as she guides you through the start-to-finish process of preparing a comprehensive grant proposal. Classes begin February 3. Visit the Center for Professional Development website for more information and to register.