Write grant proposals that actually win funding
A hands-on, workbook-driven workshop that teaches nonprofit leaders, schools, and government agencies how to write compelling grant proposals that win funding. Move from blank page to submitted proposal with confidence.
"A worthy mission deserves a proposal that does it justice — and that's a skill you can absolutely learn."— Shannon Martin
What you'll learn
What you'll be able to do
- Identify the right grant opportunities that match your organization's mission and eligibility
- Craft a compelling needs statement backed by credible data that funders can't ignore
- Write a clear, measurable project narrative with goals, objectives, and evaluation plans
- Build a realistic, funder-ready budget and budget justification from scratch
- Tailor and adapt your core proposal to multiple funders without starting over each time
- Submit a polished, complete grant package with confidence and track your pipeline for future cycles
How it works
A school that adapts to you
This isn't a set of static videos. Every lesson is generated live and tuned to where you actually are.
We learn your level
A quick placement check tailors your starting point so you're never bored or lost.
Lessons adapt as you go
Each lesson is written for your pace and your goal, adjusting as your skills grow.
Your AI coach keeps you moving
Checkpoints, feedback, and gentle nudges turn progress into a real result.
The curriculum
What's inside your school
6 modules · 15 lessons
Finding Your Funding Match
Before a single word of a proposal is written, grant seekers must understand their own organization's strengths, eligibility profile, and funding landscape. This foundational module establishes the self-awareness and research skills needed to pursue only the right opportunities — saving time and increasing win rates. It intentionally precedes all writing modules because knowing your funder shapes every section that follows.
- 1.1Know What You Bring to the TableIncluded
- 1.2Grant Research and Opportunity VettingIncluded
Making the Case — The Needs Statement
The needs statement is the emotional and intellectual engine of any grant proposal. It answers the question funders ask first: 'Why does this problem demand our money right now?' This module teaches participants to find, evaluate, and cite credible data and then weave that data into a narrative that creates urgency without overstating. A strong needs statement is built before the project narrative because the problem must be established before the solution can be introduced.
- 2.1Understanding What Funders Look for in a Needs StatementIncluded
- 2.2Finding and Citing Credible DataIncluded
- 2.3Writing a Needs Statement That Compels ActionIncluded
Building the Project Narrative
Once the problem is established, participants design and articulate their solution. This module covers the full arc of the project narrative — from setting measurable goals and objectives to mapping program logic, detailing implementation methods, and demonstrating how outcomes will be evaluated. Sequenced after the needs statement, this module ensures that every element of the project responds directly to the problem already defined. Evaluation is included here — not as an afterthought — because funders expect it to be integrated into the design, not bolted on at the end.
- 3.1Goals, Objectives, and Logic ModelsIncluded
- 3.2Writing the Methods and Implementation PlanIncluded
- 3.3Evaluation Plans That Satisfy FundersIncluded
Budget Building and Justification
A proposal with a weak or unrealistic budget rarely gets funded, no matter how strong the narrative. This module teaches participants to build a complete, funder-ready line-item budget from scratch and pair it with a budget justification that explains every figure in plain language. Sequenced after the narrative, this module reinforces that the budget is not a separate document — it is the financial translation of everything already described in the methods and evaluation plan. Participants will also learn basic budget compliance concepts (allowable vs. unallowable costs, indirect costs, match requirements) so they don't make costly errors.
- 4.1Budget Fundamentals and Compliance BasicsIncluded
- 4.2Building a Funder-Ready Line-Item BudgetIncluded
- 4.3Writing the Budget JustificationIncluded
Adapting Your Proposal for Multiple Funders
Winning grant writers don't start from scratch for every funder — they build a smart core proposal library and adapt it efficiently. This module teaches participants to identify which elements of a proposal are universal (and belong in a core library) versus which must be customized for each funder. They will learn to read funder priorities closely, align language and emphasis to each RFP, and make targeted adaptations without rewriting whole sections — a skill that dramatically increases productivity and the number of proposals a team can submit.
- 5.1Building Your Core Proposal LibraryIncluded
- 5.2Tailoring for Funder Priorities Without Starting OverIncluded
Submitting with Confidence and Managing Your Pipeline
A great proposal that is submitted late, incomplete, or without required attachments is a rejected proposal. This final module ensures participants know exactly what goes into a complete grant package, how to conduct a rigorous pre-submission review, and how to build sustainable pipeline management habits so grant seeking becomes a year-round rhythm — not a last-minute scramble. Participants leave with a submission-ready mindset and a tracking system they will actually use.
- 6.1Assembling the Complete Grant PackageIncluded
- 6.2Pipeline Tracking and the Grant Writer's RhythmIncluded
Who it's for
Is this you?
First-Time Grant Writers
You've never written a grant proposal before and need a clear, step-by-step roadmap from opportunity research to final submission.
Nonprofit Program Directors
You run the programs that need funding but have been handed grant-writing duties without formal training — this course builds your confidence fast.
Small Nonprofit Executive Directors
You're a team of one or two wearing every hat, and you need a practical, repeatable grant-writing system that doesn't consume your entire calendar.
Mission-Driven Entrepreneurs
You're building a social enterprise or impact-focused venture and want to pursue grant funding alongside other revenue without getting lost in the process.
Development Staff Leveling Up
You've submitted a few proposals but haven't been winning consistently — you're here to diagnose the gaps and sharpen every section of your craft.
Questions
Frequently asked
Your teacher
A note from your teacher
Shannon Martin
If you've ever stared at a blank grant application and thought, I know our work matters — why is it so hard to put it on paper? — I want you to know that feeling is completely normal, and it's exactly why I built this studio.
Grant writing has a reputation for being mysterious, like there's some insider language funders speak that the rest of us weren't taught. In reality, winning proposals follow a clear, learnable structure. Funders want to see that you understand the problem, that your approach is sound, that your budget is honest, and that you'll know whether it worked. That's it. Everything in this course is built around showing you how to deliver exactly that — section by section, in plain language, with real examples and exercises you complete on your own proposal as you go.
Here's what I've seen trip people up most often: they jump straight to writing without doing the vetting work upfront (and spend weeks on a proposal they were never eligible for), or they write a beautiful narrative and then hand in a budget that doesn't match the numbers. We cover both — because the goal isn't just to write a proposal, it's to submit one that holds together start to finish. We also spend real time on the work that happens after you've written once: building a proposal library so you're not starting from zero every cycle, and setting up a tracking system so you stay on top of deadlines before they sneak up on you.
I've structured this as a studio — not a lecture — because reading about grant writing doesn't win grants. Doing the work does. Every module has a workbook component tied to your actual project, so by the time you complete the course, you have a real, submittable proposal in hand. I'll walk you through the hard parts, celebrate the moments when things click, and give you the no-nonsense guidance I wish someone had handed me early on.
If you're ready to stop wondering whether grant funding is possible for your organization and start building the skills to pursue it with confidence, I'd love to have you in the studio. Let's get to work.
— Shannon Martin
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- 6 modules, 15 lessons
- AI-adaptive lessons tuned to your level
- Quizzes & checkpoints to lock in progress
- Your own AI learning coach
- Learn on any device, at your pace
- Full access for as long as you're subscribed