Grant Writing Certificate Program

Session Leader(s):  Jack Smith, The Smith Group

Time Frame/ Number of Clock Hours:  30 hrs/3.0 CEUs

Date: Monday, February 4th through Friday, February 8th (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m)

Prerequisite / Requirement:  A laptop computer is required for 3 days of the program and familiarity with the personal computer environment is highly recommended as a pre-requisite for this program.

Course Objectives and Description: 
The Grant Writing Certificate Program provides an intensive opportunity to acquire the knowledge and practice the skills necessary to succeed in today's competitive grant writing environment. Instructor Jack Smith is an accomplished grant writer with an easygoing style who packs each day with a vast amount of content and expertise. In addition, you'll receive an extensive package of materials to use both during the week and for future grant writing projects.

The Grant Writing Certificate Program is a hands-on workshop, not just a series of lectures. Class size is intentionally small in order to provide personalized attention while you build a real, usable work product.

This certificate program is composed of four sessions held over five days for a total of 30 contact hours:

• Introduction to Grant Writing (6 hours)
• Hands-on Grant-Writing Workshop (12 hours)
• Grant Research: Targeting Funds for Nonprofits Online (6 hours)
• Coordinating Grant Writing with Development (6 hours)

Grant writing techniques and processes are in a transitional stage. Grant Writers need to stay on top of the latest trends that include more online grant applications, requirements for better-designed evaluations and new social policies that determine grant opportunities.  Participants that have completed our Grant Writing Certificate Program will have increased his/her chances of winning competitive grants through a better understanding of the entire grant process.

(Lunch is NOT provided)

About the Presenter: 

Jack Smith is a nationally-recognized grant writer. Since 1987, his consulting practice has directly contracted writing consulting services with over 150 different organizations. He has taught grant-writing skills for the state governments of Connecticut, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Georgia and Vermont and for agencies and clients of the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Cherokee Nation. Each year, over 2,000 people attend one of his full day writing classes. He is also member of the adjunct faculty of the professional development programs at the Emory University, University of Southern Maine and the University of Georgia.

Much of his current work is teaching advanced grant writing certificate programs at Emory University, University of Southern Maine and the University of Georgia.

Jack earned a master of public administration degree from the University of Maine. In 1986, the U.S. Department of Energy presented its Award for Energy Innovation to Mr. Smith’s National Self-Help Weatherization Program Model. He has also worked as the Development Director for a large social service agency and been on the board of more than a dozen nonprofit agencies.