This hybrid workshop is designed to help students develop award-winning grant proposals in an interactive style.
This workshop explores how Artificial Intelligence can enhance grant writing, including where it helps most and where to proceed with caution. You'll learn the key components of a strong grant proposal, including budgets and narratives, and how to tailor them for success. We'll cover how to identify aligned funders and position your request to support their goals. Participants will receive feedback on real examples from their organization, and when possible, hear directly from a foundation representative on how funding decisions are made.
Q – Everyone has AI. Do they really need a course on grant writing?
Scott – AI is very good at some aspects of grant writing, but it misses a couple of very important things.
Q – Such as?
Scott – First, AI often misses the strategy behind a proposal. It can write words, but it doesn't always know which points deserve the most emphasis and which details to minimize. In the course, we focus on identifying and communicating those key points that win support.
Second, the class emphasizes something AI can't easily teach: how to think like a funder.
We talk a lot about funders: What are they Like? What do they Know? What are they looking for? What are red flags in a proposal? Once you understand that mindset, your writing changes dramatically—and it becomes much more persuasive.
Q – Does AI change the way you teach the course?
Scott – Absolutely. AI allows us to spend less time worrying about grammar, sentence structure, and basic wording. I have a couple of great prompts I use to get AI to phrase things in a way that is most appealing to family and corporate foundations.
Because AI can assist with the mechanics of writing, we can spend more time on strategy.
Q – You mention family and corporate foundations. Is that the focus of the class?
Scott – Yes. The course is specifically designed for organizations seeking support from family and corporate foundations. Government grants are a very different process, so they aren't a major focus.
Q – Do You use AI in your grant writing?
Scott – I do. My current view of AI is that of a collaborator, a writing partner. I craft the strategy and a draft. I work “with” AI and hammer it out. We go back and forth until I think we have the best and most persuasive proposal.
Q – What is the structure of the class?
Scott – There are five sessions. #1 and #5 are in-person and 2-3-4 are via Zoom.
We cover all aspects of the proposal. At the conclusion of the class, students have a sort of template they can use for all the online proposals they submit.
One of the most valuable parts of the course is the weekly homework assignment. Students submit their work, and we review examples together during class. I provide feedback live and then follow up with written comments afterward. I invite students to comment on each other’s proposals.
There's another benefit that's easy to overlook: most nonprofit professionals never get to see grant proposals from other organizations. In this class, you'll see a dozen or more real examples. You'll learn what works, what doesn't, and you'll discover ideas and phrases you can adapt for your own proposals. I’m all for stealing ideas!
Q – It sounds like you’re enjoying this.
Scott – I really love teaching this class. It's rewarding to help nonprofits tell their stories more clearly and watch their proposals come to life. Over the years, I've had many conversations with funders, and one thing I've heard repeatedly is that a surprising number of proposals are confusing. Most funders say at least 30% of the proposals are confusing. Many say 50% and one even said 90%!
My big win is getting the proposals from my students to be in the basket of proposals funders DO understand. I’m helping nonprofits. I’m helping people explain their programs better. I’m even helping funders in receiving more comprehensible proposals. All of that is super fun!
Q – Anything else?
Scott - Almost forgot to mention that each student gets access to Foundation Search for one month. You can’t buy access for a single month. You can only purchase a year or more at a time. The cost? $3-5000 per year. You’ll love using it.
Course Dates:
July 29, 2026 - In Person
August 5, 2026 - Virtual
August 12, 2026 - Virtual
August 19, 2026 - Virtual
August 26, 2026 - In Person
Meet the Instructor:
Scott Evans has been a freelance grant writer since 2005 and is the former Director of Development for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. Scott has written proposals for many types of non-profits including education, research, human services, youth development, workforce development, and the arts. He also serves as the Administrator for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Orange County chapter and is a Past-President of the organization. His measurement of the success of the course is dependent on the students’ writing improvement and their better understanding of the audience, that is reading their proposals and making decisions. With that, students will create clear overtures that accurately portray their organizations’ good work.
