GWC Offers “Grant Writing 101”, July 16, 2024
On Tuesday, July 16, GWC’s Grants Review and Awards Committee hosted Grant Writing 101. This annual workshop was offered at no charge to representatives from local nonprofit staff and volunteers. West Side Baptist Church generously provided comfortable meeting space for a third year.
The Rev. Kyle Richter, Senior Pastor of West Side Baptist Church, offered a warm welcome to our workshop participants and presenters. Mary Woodiwiss, Chair of GWC’s Advisory Board and member of the Grants Review & Awards Committee, extended a welcome on behalf of GWC and made introductory announcements.
Debbie Coesens, Jan Puzar, Kathy Emily, Deborah Natvig, and Donna Foster led workshop sessions designed to strengthen participants’ abilities to write an effective grant proposal, determine outcome measures for assessment of a program or project, and provide appropriate budget details to a prospective funder. These included activities with discussion among participants. Each session leader is a GWC Member who has professional experience in grant writing, assessment, program direction, and/or management.
Coffee and bagels provided by Margaret Conrad were served during the break.
The workshop concluded with a Funders Forum comprised of representatives from local granting organizations. Funders Forum presenters were: Marisel Losa, United Way of the Lakelands; Andria Wendell, Self Regional Community Health; Mamie Nicholson, Self Family Foundation; Mary Dula, Greenwood Women Care; and Mary Woodiwiss, Greenwood County Community Foundation. Each spoke about their organization’s granting process, and funding priorities, and responded to workshop participants’ questions.
This training provided attendees with fundamentals for improving their skills in submitting grant applications, whether in GWC Grant cycles or in requests made of other local or external funders. GWC’s Grants Review & Awards Committee members are pleased to offer Grant Writing 101 as a beneficial way to support our local nonprofits in their missions to serve our community.
