DePaul's Certificate in Grant Writing teaches you the art and science of writing successful grant proposals.

Topics covered in the 10-week program include understanding philanthropy, researching prospects, crafting persuasive case statements, outlining and writing full proposals, evaluation, budgets and donor cultivation/stewardship. By the end of the class, students should be prepared to effectively tackle a wide range of grant writing challenges.

Programs Associated with this Course

• Certificate in Grant Writing

Testimonials

“The Certificate in Grant Writing at DePaul has had a great impact on my career. The organization that I partnered with was able to secure over $40K for the program with the help of the materials I provided in my grant proposal. And, I have recently begun to freelance my grant writing services.”
-Emma Palasz

"Less than a month after completion of the Grant Writing course I was hired as a Development Assistant [for] a non-profit organization. I believe the knowledge I gained in the course, and the final proposal which I was able to submit as my writing sample, were integral to me securing this job. I think this course played a huge role in my entry and advancement within the [non-profit] community!"

Who Should Attend

Grant writers seeking skill enhancement, non-profit employees and volunteers and people seeking marketable skills in the NPO environment.

Our program is primarily geared towards those seeking funds for nonprofit organizations. However, artists and scholars seeking personal support for projects will also benefit from this class.

Note: This class requires and assumes a core competency in expository writing and focuses on extending these skills into the specialized technical writing involved in fundraising. Students without fundamental writing skills, or those for whom English is a second language, may feel challenged at times.

Benefits

In this class, you'll learn how to:

• Understand philanthropy and nonprofit culture
• Determine whether a project is fundable
• Use online resources to identify funding prospects
• Evaluate and draft case statements and two Letters of Intent (LOI)
• Develop your critical skills via peer-review and individual conference
• Draft and revise a complete grant proposal

 

Topics/Syllabus

Week 1
Understanding the market: philanthropy overview

Week 2
Finding the fit: researching prospects

Week 3
Refining your ask: persuasion 101and introduction to LOI's

Week 4
Ducks in a row: preparing for a grant-writing campaign

Week 5
Breaking down the proposal I (outline, background and need)

Week 6
Breaking down the proposal II (project description and evaluation)

Week 7
Breaking down the proposal III (capacity and sustainability, budgets and cover letters)

Week 8
Teacher/student conferences and problem-solving

Week 9
Revision, putting the package together, writing style

Week 10
Grant stewardship, ethical issues and career opportunities

FAQ

Are there any required books?
Yes, the program requires 2-3 books costing approximately $30/book. Books are not included in the course fee. The instructor will email a current booklist to all registered students prior to the course start date. All other course materials are included in the tuition fee and will be distributed in class and/or electronically.

Are any writing requirements needed for this course?
While no specific background in writing is required, this class assumes a basic competency in business writing. Students without fundamental writing skills, or for those who English is a second language and do not have formal writing training, may feel challenged at times.

Are courses taught in class or online?
Typically, all courses are taught in class on DePaul’s Loop campus. During the pandemic, all courses are taught online.

How long is the program?
The program runs for 10 weeks and meets once/week on either Saturday afternoons from 1:00 to 4:00 pm or Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.