Grant Writing Fundamentals

A 2-hour, hands-on, practical, introductory masterclass on the world of Grant Writing from Sara Stepa - a seasoned nonprofit professional who brings over a decade of unique experience from both sides of the grant pipeline.

Think of this masterclass as your grant roadmap – a foundation that will build the infrastructure that gets your organization funded. This session will teach you that it isn’t about chasing money but leveraging strategic knowledge and building confidence in your grant approach.

Workshop outline

Over the course of two hours, we’ll cover five key topics:

• Crack the funder code. Learn how funders think, what drives their decisions, and how to position your organization for success.
• The 8-step grant cycle. Move beyond the one-off application and embrace the full-cycle approach to planning, applying, and managing grants.

• Bring your mission to the room first. Learn how to stop reacting to funding opportunities and instead how to align funding with your mission.
• The 5 key components of a strong project. Understand the essentials of building a fundable project that ties to your vision and goals (includes downloadable Grant Readiness Checklist).
• Mock funder interviews. Practice real-world funder conversations and learn what questions to ask—and answer—for success.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this masterclass, you will :

• Understand the mindset of funders
• Apply the 8-step grant cycle to build a long term funding approach
• Shift from reactive to proactive grant seeking
• Learn how to craft the five essential elements of a strong project
• Build confidence in funder engagement through mock interviews.

About the speaker

Sara has over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector and holds expertise in grant writing, nonprofit strategy, and aligned leadership development, Having worked on both sides of the grant pipeline, she brings a unique perspective on what funders are looking for and what it takes to craft a winning application.

When Sara enters a room, her bubbly personality, positive attitude, and dynamic energy make learning engaging and approachable.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this masterclass, send an email to james@resource-alliance.org.