Together with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), the MCC is offering free grant development and writing workshops to enable communities to tap into federal, state and private funds for climate work. While our initial focus was primarily through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) we understand that this landscape is changing with the new administration. The grant trainings provided below, are still useful for all types of funding opportunities.
Below are the 4 types of workshops offered with in-person and virtual options available. As they are scheduled, registration links will be posted here! These programs are available through a grant from Mosaic, a project of The Tides Center, to connect more Midwest communities to federal funds to advance climate action.
NEW!!! Recordings of the Grant Processes Overview Series Recordings and supporting materials are now available below. This is a great alternative if you can’t attend an in-person workshop or participate in one of the modules!
To get on the MCC mailing list to learn more, click here. Want to share a snapshot with your colleagues? Check out this one-page flyer with details on each offering!
DETAILS: Grant Development Workshops and Modules:
(Limited to 15 participants for each workshop)
Workshop Overview:
This workshop is for 1) people new to the grant process and for 2) people with experience who want to train others in their community seeking grants.
- Do you need knowledge about all the requirements that must be met before you can seek external funding?
- Do you want to help local organizations in your area to be ready to submit state or federal grants?
- Do you want to strengthen your network of collaborators and explore how to use terminology and reframe your projects to ensure a more competitive proposal in this political landscape?
This this workshop is for you!
What will I learn?
This all-day, in-person session will be conducted in two parts. In the morning, the focus will be on an overview of the processes and certifications needed to submit federal and state agency proposals, such as establishing a SAMs account or applying for LLC or non-profit status. The workshop content will include detailed steps in obtaining a SAMs account and UEI, as well as how to establish organizations as an LLC or non-profit. Participants will leave with resources to help local groups in this area meet state and federal requirements that need to be completed before pursuing external funding opportunities.
In the afternoon, participants will have the choice to join one of two groups. One group will actually work on completing application(s) to obtain the desired requirement needed for successful state and federal funding opportunity submissions, such as establishing a SAMs account or applying for an LLC or non-profit status with their state.
The second group will participate in networking and reframing proposal content activities so that a more competitive proposal can be developed given the current political landscape. Participants are encouraged to bring a project idea/summary or proposal to use in discussing how to align the project more closely with current funding opportunities and explore terminology that avoids red flags and strengthens the competitiveness, while participating in networking opportunities to help build strong partnerships to enhance the probability of funding success.
When will it happen?
Attend this all-day workshop on one of the following dates from 8:30 am – 4:00 pm CT:
Friday, Feb. 21, 2025 – Cleveland, OH, Cleveland Foundation (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 – Madison, WI (pre-Summit workshop) (Register Here!)
Wednesday, June 20, 2025 – Indianapolis, IN, KERAMIDA Headquarters (Register Here!)
Friday, Sept. 26, 2025 – Location TBD
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 – Location TBD
Who should attend?
This program is beneficial for individuals or organizations who would like to obtain a 501c3 or LLC, obtain requisite accounts and certificates that are required for state and federal proposal submissions, and for those who want to help applicants be more competitive in the grant application process by sharing what they learn in this workshop with others (all materials will be made available).
More Grant Ready Workshop Details:
This is a highly personalized, hands-on workshop where participants work on personal areas of need or interest to have all the pre-requisites completed that allow them to apply for federal and state grants. An overview of all areas listed below will be provided in a lecture format. If you opt to split into the first group during the afternoon, participants will receive detailed instructions and hands-on how to support to complete desired certifications or accounts.
Areas covered during the workshop include how to:
1) create a SAMs account and obtain a UEI number;
2) create a Grants.gov Workspace account;
3) establish a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC -state specific) or non-profit
organization (501c3), and
4) obtain your Minority Business/Women’s/Veteran’s Business Enterprise certification(s).
As indicated above there will be time during the workshop for participants to apply information reviewed in the lecture to actually complete the certifications or applications with presenter support. Participants will need to bring bring a laptop and the documents indicated on this grid with them to successfully complete the application(s) or certification(s) desired. When registering please fill out the information completely in order to have a fully personalized presentation and hands-on experience. Please note, some laptops will be available for those participants who don’t have one.
If you have questions about this program prior to registering please contact Anna Munson, anmunso@siue.edu
(Limited to 15 participants per workshop)–
What will I learn?
Participants will leave this all-day in-person workshop with knowledge of various grant processes from funding origin to budget development as well as resources and templates that can be used over and over again. This workshop also includes networking activities designed to boost your proposal’s competitiveness and teach you how to adapt your content and language for successful funding in the current political landscape. We encourage you to bring a project idea or proposal to discuss aligning it with current funding opportunities, explore effective terminology, and leverage networking to build strong partnerships and increase your chances of success.
When will it happen?
Attend this all-day workshop on one of the following dates:
JANUARY 24, 2025 – Des Moines, IA (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 – Madison, WI (pre-MCC Summit training) (Register Here!)
Early Summer 2025 – Location TBD
Who should attend?
This program is beneficial for non-profit professionals, educators, community activists/organizers or small business owners who are beginners or looking to develop a basic understanding of the grant process or experienced grant writers or current community groups who are seeking resources to help support less experienced local groups interested in beginning to pursue external funding.
Workshop Overview:
Do you wonder: Where does grant money come from? What do you put in a project proposal? How do I find funding for my projects? Or do you need knowledge around grant processes or do you want resources to help support local organizations in your area to understand how to seek external funding? If so this workshop is for you!
Detailed Grant Processes Workshop Synopsis:
This all-day face-to-face workshop is intended to provide participants a broad overview of the grant making process. This workshop format is structured so that participants can have their personal concerns and questions answered during the day.
Topics covered include:
1) Learning about the grant cycle, the origins of grant funding and an explanation of the common elements included in most grant proposals. Strategies and resources for crafting each section of a grant proposal from the executive summary/abstract to the budget with tips on how to make your application stand out will be shared. An introduction to the new federal guidelines will also be shared to help participants remain in compliance in developing their projects;
2) Discovering how to identify the best funding opportunity for your project and align your proposal with the funding agency’s priority. Participants will participate in hands-on activities to explore a variety of the different funding databases and locations of funding opportunities for federal, state and private funding in order to find the best funding opportunities for their projects. Strategies for aligning funding opportunity focus with the participant’s project will be shared which will allow participants to develop a more competitive proposal; and
3) Learning strategies to use in building the type of budgets required by various funding agencies including line item and modular budgets. Practice in assigning project expenditures to the appropriate line item and awareness of federal guidelines in relation to budget development will be shared.
Practical, easy to apply strategies will be shared in the areas covered throughout the day with a variety of resources and real-life examples being provided related to each of the areas addressed. There will be ample opportunity for participants’ questions and concerns around the topics covered during the day to be addressed.
Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop to explore grant funding sites and to workshop proposals/ideas in real time. We also encourage you to bring a project or proposal, so we can discuss aligning it with current funding opportunities, explore effective terminology, and/or leverage networking to build strong partnerships and increase your chances of success. Some laptops will be available for those participants that don’t have one. Participants will also be provided presenter contact information so that ad hoc support can be provided after the workshop day if desired.
If you have questions about this program prior to registering please contact Diane Cox, diacox@siue.edu
GRANT DEVELOPMENT
(Limited to 15 participants per cohort)–
What will I learn?
Participants who complete all modules will have the demonstrated knowledge and skills in how to submit a competitive proposal when seeking external funding as well as having a submission ready proposal for a self selected funding opportunity.
Who should attend?
This program is beneficial for non-profit professionals, educators, community activists/organizers or small business owners who are beginners or looking to sharpen grant development skills.
When will it happen?
Two cohorts will be formed during the timeframes indicated below. This program is self paced and participants will have the entire time indicated below to complete the modules. No registrations will be allowed after the first meeting of each cohort.
Cohort #1* – January 6, 2024 – May 31, 2025 (registration closed Dec. 16th)
*The mandatory first cohort meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 6, 2025
Cohort #2* –June 2, 2025 – November 30, 2025 (registration is currently full, you may register to be put on a waitlist at this time. You may also benefit from the SIUE/MCC Grant Development Series Recordings and Supplemental Materials at the bottom of this page!)
*The mandatory first cohort meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 2, 2025
Workshop Overview:
Do you want to transform your efforts in seeking and obtaining external funds for your organization or project and unlock the secrets to writing winning grant proposals? If so, sign up to participate in this series of six synchronous/ asynchronous online modules focusing on the grant development process to meet that need. Insider insights on funder expectations, real-world examples, sample proposals, templates and other resources to make your grant writing efforts more effective will be shared. Conducted by experienced and successful grant writers, this in-depth, interactive set of modules is designed to equip you with skills, strategies, and tools you need to create compelling proposals and obtain external funding for your organization in collaboration with a cohort of other professionals who are enrolled in the program.
Participants will select a funding opportunity to pursue and by completing all performance-based activities contained within the modules, participants will have a submission ready proposal to submit to a funding agency’s opportunity announcement. It generally takes participants 3-6 months to complete this online program. Participants in this program will have ad hoc facilitator support and optional weekly networking sessions with other program participants.
Detailed Grant Development Modules Synopsis:
This set of six synchronous/asynchronous required modules and an optional seventh module provides a series of in-depth, performance-based activities addressing the objectives indicated below. Completion of these modules will help participants create compelling and competitive proposals when seeking external funding. Completion of the modules generally takes participants 3-6 months. Support for participants is provided in multiple ways. Participants will work through the modules at their own pace with ad hoc presenter support available through email and Zoom sessions as well as the weekly networking sessions that are open to all participants. Participants are required to attend the first kick-off meeting. Optional , subsequent weekly networking sessions, intended to provide ongoing, collaborative support, are available but not required. Through the completion of these modules, participants will have a submission ready proposal focusing on a self-selected funding opportunity. The in-depth, performance-based activities contained within each module help each participant demonstrate skills in the content and are used to help construct the final proposal submission. Individualized feedback is provided by the instructor on each activity completed. Listed below are a summary of the objectives for each module:
Module #1 – External Funding Overview – This module provides information on: 1) the different types of grants and common elements within grants; 2) requisite accounts/permissions required for federal or state submissions; 3) the importance of the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance
Module #2 – Finding/Analyzing Funding Opportunities – In this module participants will: 1) learn how to locate and use sources of data; 2) locate and identify appropriate funding opportunities; 3) select a funding opportunity they wish to pursue aligned with the organization’s needs or project.
Modules #3 & #4 – Proposal Components – In this module participants will learn about all common elements contained in proposals and complete activities to develop the elements required in their selected funding opportunity. Topics/elements covered in these two modules include: 1) how to construct the narrative; 2) setting up required accounts with selected agency; 3) activities to develop skills in writing to required proposal elements including, but not limited to, work plans, logic models, data management plans, program evaluations and SMART goals.
Module #5 – Budget Development – This module provides an overview of the budget development process required by various funding agencies and takes the participant through the development of the budget for their proposal. Strategies for developing indirect cost rate calculation will be learned.
Module #6 – Capstone – In this module all previous activities will be compiled into a submission ready proposal.
Module #7 (Optional) – Team Development – Grant writing is not a solitary event! Objectives in this module include understanding the advantage of collaborative over individual work, skills used in developing an effective team and the creation of a team development.
If you have questions about this program prior to registering please contact Diane Cox, diacox@siue.edu.
Please note: Registration for both Grant Development Module Cohorts are currently full. However, you may register to be put on a waitlist for Cohort #2. You may also benefit from the SIUE/MCC Grant Development Series Recordings and Supplemental Materials at the bottom of this page!
(Limited to 15 participants per cohort)
What will I learn?
Participants who complete all modules will understand the elements of grant management from proposal development to project closeout.
Who should attend?
This program is beneficial for non-profit professionals, educators, community activists/organizers or small business owners who are beginners or looking to sharpen grant management skills.
When will it happen?
Two cohorts of up to 15 participants will be formed during the timeframes indicated below. This program is self paced and participants will have the entire time indicated below to complete the modules. No registrations will be allowed after the first meeting of each cohort.
Cohort #1* – June 4, 2025 – October 31, 2025
*The mandatory first cohort meeting is scheduled for June 4, 2025
Cohort #2* – December 3, 2025 – April 30, 2026
*The mandatory first cohort meeting is scheduled for December 3, 2025
Workshop Overview:
Are you hesitant to seek external funds because of management compliance and not being aware of the funding agency rules? Do you worry about what is involved in managing external funds? Do you want to know more about what is required in grant management? If so, sign up for this series of four synchronous/asynchronous modules focusing on the grant management process. Conducted by experienced federal and state grant managers, this series of modules will provide insider insights on funder expectations using real-world examples, sample reports, templates and other resources to make your grant management efforts more effective. This in-depth, interactive set of modules is designed to equip you with skills, strategies, and tools you need to manage proposals and successfully submit programmatic and fiscal reports for your organization in collaboration with a cadre of other professionals who are enrolled in the program.
By completing all performance-based activities contained within the modules, participants will gain a solid knowledge base around the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of grant management. It generally takes participants 2-4 months to complete this online program. Participants in this program will have facilitator ad hoc support via email and Zoom and optional weekly networking sessions with other program participants.
Detailed Grant Management Workshop Synopsis:
This set of four synchronous/asynchronous modules provide a series of in-depth, performance-based activities addressing the objectives indicated below to help participants create an effective grant management process upon receipt of external funding. It generally takes participants 2-4 months to complete this online program. Support for participants is provided in multiple ways. Participants will work through the modules at their own pace with ad hoc presenter support available through email and Zoom sessions as well as the optional weekly networking sessions including all participants. Participants are required to attend the first kick-off meeting. The subsequent weekly networking sessions, intended to provide ongoing collaborative support are optional.
Through the completion of these modules, participants will develop a solid foundation of knowledge in grant management. The in-depth, performance-based activities contained within each module help each participant demonstrate skills in the content. Individualized feedback is provided by the instructor on each activity completed.
Listed below is a summary of the objectives for each module:
Module #1 – Grant Management Overview -This initial module will provide an understanding of the grant management cycle, grant management terminology and how to interpret award documents, the variety of reporting systems, differences in reporting requirements between state/federal awards and private funds, and allowable versus unallowable expenditures.
Module #2 – Grant Management Basics – In this module participants will develop an understanding of establishing and maintaining records for reporting purposes, invoicing processes and expense review, basic negotiation skills and understanding the checks and balances necessary for role responsibilities.
Module #3 – Managing the Project – As participants move deeper into the intricacies of grant management the following topics will be addressed in this module: requisite policies needed for grant management, requirements for developing and implementing a bidding process, understanding ICR principles and calculations and the various types of extensions.
Module #4 – Closeout – There are specific requirements associated with closing out the project at the end of the project period. In this module the following topics will address understanding the elements associated with closing out a project, processes for both programmatic and fiscal closeouts, required reporting attached to the receipt of federal funds, document retention requirements and the critical elements to maintain to ensure a successful audit.
If you have questions about this program prior to registering please contact Katie Eilers, keilers@siue.edu
Grant Processes Part #1 Recording, (Overview)
Part #1 Supporting Materials
*12 Keys to Successful Grant Writing
*How to Write a Grant Proposal with Confidence
Grant Processes Part #2 Recording (Finding, Analyzing External Funding Opportunities)
Part #2 Supplemental Materials
*Example: Computer & Information Science Engineering (CISE)
*Questions Grant Reviewers Have about Your Proposal
*Funding Opportunity Analysis Worksheet
*NSF Timeline (Research.gov) updated
*Part #2 Website Links by Slide
Grant Processes Part #3 Recording (Proposal Components)
Part #3 Supplemental Materials
*NSF Budget Justification Template