Want to learn more about grants and proposal writing?
We have designed in-person and online sessions to support school district administrators, curriculum/grant specialists and teachers. From those just beginning to learn about grants, to those who have knowledge and experience in proposal development, we're here to help you.

Quest for Grants Training Series
Quest for Grants Training Series consisting of online webinars and face-to-face workshops, are held throughout the year. It provides grant specialists or program staff with in-depth knowledge and tools to start or continue funding their programs. You may search for each opportunity via our workshop management system by Quest for Grants or event title.

Quest for Grants Webinars/Workshops:

The webinars/workshops are designed to support school district staff including administrators, curriculum specialists or teachers who are new to the grants arena or those grant specialists who are new or experienced professionals. 

So, You Want Me to Write a Grant: Grant Writing 101

So, You Want Me to Write a Grant: Grant Writing 101 teaches participants components of a grant proposal; how to manage the writing process from preparation through grant submission; how to justify the budget; and how to make reviewers like the proposal.

  Study grant-related definitions, key terms and acronyms.
  Learn the broad areas and basic components of a grant proposal.
  Acquire tools and techniques for pulling the proposal together.
  Understand the review process and what reviewers like.
  Share resources that will assist in proposal planning and preparation.
The Grant Budget: It's Not Just About the Math!
The Grant Budget: It’s Not Just About the Math! teaches participants the elements of budget preparation and planning while taking them through the development of a detailed line-item budget. Individuals gain resources to assist them in understanding:

  budget categories;
  calculating cash matches and in-kind contributions;
  allowed and disallowed costs; and
  and other budgetary issues. 
Building a Grants Development Office
Building a Grants Development Office covers how to create the structure and processes of a successful grants acquisition program within an organization. The session also equips you with the measurements for assessing the effectiveness of your grants office.

Participants learn:

  factors to consider when developing or revamping their office;
  elements that are central to success;
  proven processes / major activities; 
  promotion of grants office activities / successes; and
  measures of Success
Proposal Writing Best Practices
Proposal Writing Best Practices shares proven strategies, techniques and tools that can improve the success of a grant specialist. It covers:

  habits of successful grant specialists;
  mistakes inexperienced proposal writers often make;
  proposal formatting;
  budget considerations;
  reviewer likes and dislikes; and
  general proposal tips and techniques.

Customized Training for School District Personnel
CGD works with staff from the 25 HCDE school districts and 35+ charters to customize training (1-3 hour sessions) on grant-related topics at a no cost to the district/charter when held at the district/charter site. 

Funding Resources Are Everywhere
Funding Resources Are Everywhere! shares research tools and helps participants analyze their organization's fit with funders. Connecting to funders is the first step to creating sustainable programs. Using the latest online resources, this workshop is designed to:

  train participants to research funding opportunities that support medium to large projects; and
  clarify funding criteria and analyze organizational fit with funding opportunities.
 
It Takes Planning to Save the World
It Takes Planning to Save the World session helps beginning grant professionals understand the fundamentals of program planning. Participants learn about:

  defining program design
  stages of program planning
  components of successful program plans; and 
  using a logic model to plan programs. 
Data Mining for Grant Writers
Data Mining for Grant Writers! guides participants through the process of locating statistics quickly and seamlessly. Participants are led through a series of practice activities to uncover "hard-hitting" local data to:

  strengthen proposal budget categories;
  calculating cash matches and in-kind contributions;
  allowed and disallowed costs;
  and other budgetary issues.
Using a Logic Model to Create Your Grant Project Design
Using a Logic Model to Create Your Grant Project Design covers the elements of a logic model and how it can be used by your grants team to create your project. The session will walk you through strategies to engage your grant writing team to conceptualize a project.

Participants learn:

  purpose and benefits of a logic model;
  logic model and theory of change examples;
  components of a logic model;
  steps to create the model; and
  how to use the logic model in a grant proposal.
Grant Writing Composition and Its Process
Grant Writing Composition and Its Process introduces participants to the fundamentals of writing a grant proposal. Developing a successful grant proposal takes time and effort. Writing a proposal is an integral part of the process. Participants learn about writing techniques, different writing styles, the writing process, appropriate grammar use and much more.

  Getting Started – The Process
  Composing Proposals
  Requests For Proposals | Funding Guidelines
  Writing Tips