Grant writing is an essential skill to ensure financial support for projects and campaigns of nonprofit organizations. Grant writing professionals master the art of communicating with government agencies, trusts or foundations, who award grants to human rights organizations, non-profits and charities. Online courses are an excellent way to learn how to create compelling and effective grant proposals. We have compiled a list of 3 top-rated grant-writing courses you can take online.
Fundraising and Development Specialization (University of California, Santa Cruz)
This fundraising specialization consists of four courses you can audit for free. The courses included are: Fundraising and Development Foundations, Annual Campaigns, Planned Giving and Major Gifts, and are offered by the University of California, Santa Cruz. In the first course of this specialization you will learn how to develop a case for support, identify and assess prospective donors, and match a donor’s interests with your organization’s mission. You will also explore career opportunities in this field and discuss some of the issues fundraising managers are facing today.
In the second course you will learn how to write a direct mail appeal, craft an impactful email appeal, and develop a script for phone solicitation. The third course in this specialization is focused on effective proposal writing, making a successful ask and on-going donor stewardship. You will also hone your fundamental major gift development skills by developing your own prospect strategy. In the last course of this specialization you will learn to identify and assess prospective donors and match a donor’s interests and needs with the appropriate planned giving options. The entire specialization takes roughly 5 months to complete and is taught entirely in English.
Grant Writing and Crowdfunding for Public Libraries (University of Michigan)
In this course you will learn about various fundraising and grant writing approaches. You will learn how to properly read a grant application and how to understand and identify what funding organizations are looking for. You will also explore different strategies of crafting a strong grant proposal and be inspired by crowdfunding stories and strategies. This free to audit online course is offered by the University of Michigan and takes roughly 10 hours to complete.
Grant Proposal (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology) – currently not available
Grant Proposal is an online course offered by Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. The online class will provide you with guidance on writing a strong grant application, equip you with strategies to put your ideas into words, and demonstrate how you can search the grant market for potential funders. You will also learn how to react to negative feedback from reviewers, learn some project management basics and possible develop awareness for budget pitfalls. The self-paced course takes roughly 17 hours to complete and is taught in English. The course is part of a specialization named English for Research Publication Purposes but can be taken own its own.
