Ready, Set, Grant - Oregon Main Street:

Getting Your Organization Funding-Ready

Join us in October/November 2021 for a series of five virtual sessions targeted to Main Street downtown associations in Oregon. Classes will be designed for volunteers and staff working in rural Oregon downtowns who are new to fundraising and grant writing, or those who wish to brush up on their skills. This is a great opportunity to learn how you can find funding to support your Main Street activities!

A limited number of organizations will be eligible to receive one-on-one coaching from Kristin Monahan of Kelley Nonprofit Consulting. 

Also see here for more details about the program.

Session 1 -- Wednesday, October 20: 10 am – 1 pm
"Building Blocks for Funding Success"

This 3-hour introductory session covers all your nonprofit needs to make your organization and funding requests appealing to potential funders.  We’ll provide a brief overview of important building blocks, including Board Governance, Strategic Planning, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Project Planning, and Building Partnerships. Learn what funders look for in your proposals to make sure you are a thriving, healthy organization.

Session 2 -- Wednesday, October 27: 10 am – 12 pm
"Budgeting Strategies for Organization and Project Success"

Learn how to translate your organization and project goals into financial plans that are ready for funding.  We will cover preparing program budgets for funders, allocation of overhead and indirect costs, how to handle volunteers and other in-kind support, and tying your program budget to an overall organization budget. Creating realistic, actionable program budgets is an important step in preparing successful funding proposals.

 Session 3 -- Wednesday, November 3: 10 am – 12 pm
"Finding Funding and Diversifying Revenue Streams"

So you have a project plan, now what?  We’ll learn the basics of funder research, including types of funders, research sources, and how grant funding fits into the different revenue streams for your nonprofit.  In addition, we’ll cover maintaining relationships with your donors and funders to ensure your organization is successful in the long-term.

Session 4 -- Wednesday, November 10: 10 am – 12 pm
"Grant Funding Basics"

This session will be designed for nonprofit volunteers and staff who are new to grant funding.  We’ll provide an overview of grant roles and responsibilities, common grant proposal elements, and types of grant opportunities.  The session will include a grant planning checklist to determine whether you are ready to apply for grants for your program or initiative.

Session 5 -- Wednesday, November 17: 10 am – 12 pm
"Meet the Funders"

An opportunity to hear from funders firsthand. Panelists will share what makes a good proposal, how funding decisions are made, and will answer questions from attendees. Participants will have the opportunity to introduce their organization/project.