Essential Grant Skills

Enhance your skills with an Essential Grant Skills Certificate.

• Course Dates - TBA
• Cost - $500

The Essential Grant Skills Certificate provides managers, directors and emerging leaders new to grant writing the opportunity to learn and practice skills in developing successful grant proposals to obtain external funding. This program will teach you what grants are and how they differ from other funding sources, the sources of grants, how to find grants, writing grants and proposal components, and budgeting. You will leave the program with the knowledge and skills to get started on the grant writing process.

This program is designed for those who are new to grant writing. During three interactive evening sessions (six hours), participants will learn:

• Grant basics
• Grant prospecting
• Program planning core concepts
• Grant writing overview
• Proposal components
• Proposal budgeting
• Grant management and stewardship
• Artificial intelligence and technology tools for grant-seeking

After completing this certificate, you will be able to:

• First, describe the grant writing process.
• Then, develop professional, competitive, compelling and successful grant proposals.
• Identify the fundamental elements of a grant proposal, such as objectives, rationale, methodology, evaluation, budget and cover letter.

This 3-night non-credit certificate provides you with the knowledge, ability and skills needed to develop and oversee grants. Set yourself apart and develop new skills with a certificate from Muhlenberg College.

• Bachelor’s degree is not required.
• Previous knowledge of grant writing is optional.
• Certificate issued upon program completion (participants must attend all three sessions and complete assignments to earn the certificate.)

Stephen Payne is an experienced advocate for external support for nonprofit organizations, authoring grant proposals for more than 100 local, regional and national funders. He is currently the Executive Director, External Relations at Muhlenberg College, where he works to advance the College’s strategic priorities through external partnerships. Before this role, he worked to secure more significant federal investment in education. In addition, he supported designing and implementing several grant-funded initiatives at a higher education association in Washington, D.C. He holds degrees in education from Penn State University and the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.