Proposal Writing Boot Camp

About
“It was very helpful to sit down and actually work on drafting an LOI. Having peers review and provide feedback was also very beneficial. I would recommend [Proposal Writing Bootcamp] to anyone, regardless of how much experience they have with proposal writing. ” – Melody in Boston, MA; October 2022 virtual Proposal Writing Boot Camp participant.

“Having many eyes, inputs, perspectives, and feedback was extremely supportive and clarifying. I now know how to refine, clearly address, and present the information funders and organizations are looking for…I will definitely be taking more courses and have already recommended to others. ” – Aubrey in Willow Creek, CA; October 2022 virtual Proposal Writing Boot Camp participant.

About the Proposal Writing Boot Camp
Learn the essential knowledge and skills to develop effective foundation grant proposals in this three-week course. In this interactive course, you will connect with expert Candid trainers and your peers to learn the practical skills needed to: build the key components of a competitive grant proposal to a foundation, develop a well-organized budget, and identify a targeted list of foundation funding prospects. You will be encouraged to approach your proposal from the funder’s perspective and to think critically about what makes a compelling pitch. To accommodate diversity in learning styles, the three weeks are grounded in project-based learning and include individual writing time, self-paced eLearning, live virtual lectures, and small group discussions and peer activities.

Preparing for the course 
We encourage you to prepare for class by identifying a project for which you would like to seek foundation funding. The workshop will include opportunities to draft a logic model and letter of inquiry that you can use to pursue funding for this project.

Course at-a-glance

• Week 1:  Structuring the proposal and letter of inquiry
  Learn the structure of a grant proposal, develop a need statement, and get an overview of using the logic model framework to craft a project description and evaluation plan. This week will also include an introduction to and review of the letter of inquiry format.
• Week 2: Drafting the letter of inquiry and project budget
  Continue to gain familiarity and practice with the components of a full proposal and letter of inquiry. Draft and submit a 1-page letter of inquiry for week three’s peer-review exercise, learn how to prioritize fundraising for your organization, and receive intensive training on developing a project budget.
• Week 3:  Preparing to build relationships with funders

Kick off the week learning how to research, approach, and cultivate relationships with funders. Engage in expert and peer review of your submitted letter of inquiry. Wrap up with summary exercises and evaluation.

We have designed the 3-week course to be equivalent to the 3 days of time spent together during our in-person Proposal Writing Boot Camp. As such, you should plan to invest a total of 6 to 8 hours per week on the course, broken down in the following way:

Weekly 2-hour live and interactive sessions with expert Candid facilitators
Video and written instructional content diving deeper into the topics covered in each week’s live session for you to review in your own time
An assignment to support you in drafting a letter of inquiry that you will be able to use when connecting with funders.
Outcomes

You will learn how to:

• Develop selected elements of a proposal and letter of inquiry, and to improve online applications
• Use a logic model framework to craft key elements of a proposal
• Craft a budget that conveys an accurate picture of your project’s needs and value
• Explain what grantmakers look for in a proposal and how they approach the proposal review process
• Analyze and evaluate prospects using Foundation Directory Online Professional to determine a potential funding fit.
• Frequently asked questions:
• What materials will I receive as part of the course?

Access to self-paced online course content containing expert guidance on how to approach the grant proposal writing process

3 two-hour weekly meetings with expert facilitators, designed with interactivity in mind
A live orientation session and optional LOI working session
Sample letters of inquiry, budgets, and grant proposals
Templates to help guide your proposal writing process
Facilitator and peer feedback on your draft Letter of Inquiry (LOI)
Also, upon completion, you will receive a virtual badge reflecting your completion of the course, which you can share on social media and use to generate a certificate of completion.

Will I need to spend time on the course in addition to the weekly 2-hour meetings? If so, how much time should I plan to spend on the self-paced work each week?

Yes, you should plan to spend additional time on the course content each week, on your own schedule. We have designed the 3-week course to be equivalent to the 3 days of time spent together during our in-person Proposal Writing Boot Camp, so you should plan to schedule 4 to 6 hours each week on completing self-paced online content on your own schedule. The online course material will include video and written instructional content diving deeper into the topics covered in the live lecture and an assignment to support you in drafting a letter of inquiry that you will be able to use when connecting with funders.

If my schedule changes and I can’t make it to the weekly live meeting, will I be able to catch up on what I missed?

While we strongly encourage you to attend the live sessions as they are designed to be highly interactive, we will record each live meeting and circulate the recording to all course participants within 24 hours of the meeting.

What technology would I need to participate in and make the most of this course?

In order to participate in this virtual offering of Proposal Writing Boot Camp, you should have:

An email address we can use to communicate with you
A computer or tablet you can use to access the course material and participate in live video calls
For further details on recommended device specifications, you can consult this page, which describes the computer specifications for Bridge, the Platform where the course will be hosted and this page for specifications for Zoom
NOTE:  dial-in options will be available for live sessions’ audio, in case you encounter any internet/computer difficulties.

We also highly recommend the use of a webcam (built into or attached to your computer), so that you can have a ‘face to face’ experience in the live meetings, especially during small breakout sessions with fellow course participants and an expert facilitator.