Before I began working as a grant consultant, I did not understand all the details and intricacies of grant budgets, including the difference between restricted and unrestricted funds. I remember working with one nonprofit that was thrilled to receive a significant grant for program staff salaries, only to realize later that they could not move those funds elsewhere when a staff member unexpectedly left the position, and it took three months to find a replacement. They could not use any of that money for other programming or general operating expenses, which made the organization feel they had missed out on money on which they previously budgeted. This experience taught both me and the nonprofit the benefits and challenges of having restricted funding in their budgets. If you are working with grants as a consultant, or even working as a grant professional within a nonprofit, getting a handle on the differences between restricted and unrestricted grants is going to make a big impact on how you approach funding and budget development.

    Evaluation and Logic Models Session 6 of the Grant Funding Basics Series Almost all grant funders ask what effect a program will have on the participants and how the organization knows of a program’s success. This session will teach the development professionals who write grants methods for defining...

    Continued Grant Professional Development Session 12 of the Grant Funding Basics Series For some people, grant writing is just a job. For others, it is a passion. In this course, Leah Hyman, GPC, presents information to individuals about career choices,  professional credentialing opportunities, and where your grant career can...

    Basic Grant Management Session 11 of the Grant Funding Basics Series Grant management is a continuum directly related to grant readiness. It points to an organization’s ability to follow through on what it said it would do and follow established best practices for financial, data, and records management. This...

    Grant Ethics Session 10 of the Grant Funding Basics Series All grant professionals experience ethical moments throughout their careers. It is our professional duty to guide the organizations we work for on ethical conduct. This conduct extends beyond whether funding can be spent differently than was written in...

    Common Grant Attachments Session 9 of the Grant Funding Basics Series A grant proposal is only one component of most grant applications. Other components include proof of nonprofit status, a board roster, an organizational budget, a program budget, and financial statements, as well as an annual report, tax...

    Demonstrating Sustainability Session 8 of the Grant Funding Basics Series A common question on grant applications is “How will you sustain this program after the grant funding is over?” Many grant writers will want to answer glibly, “Write more grants, of course!” But, what should you really include...

    Grant Budgets Session 7 of the Grant Funding Basics Series Grant budgets seem like they should be so simple, just ask for what you need, right? Instead, they can be very complex with unique terms and phrases all their own. This training will start at the very beginning...

    Describing the Key Components of Your Program Session 5 of the Grant Funding Basics Series A common mistake of many grant proposals is not providing enough information for the funder to truly understand the program. This session will guide attendees on what key program components funders expect...

    Describing the Need Session 4 of the Grant Funding Basics Series In every grant proposal, the writer must convey the importance and urgency of their target population’s needs, problems, and challenges with data and heart. In this webinar, presenter Julie Assel, GPC, will start at the surface and then take...