The Ultimate Grant Proposal Blueprint

THE ULTIMATE GRANT PROPOSAL BLUEPRINT - Spring 2020

YOUR STEP-BY-STEP ROADMAP AND BUILD-IT-YOURSELF TOOLKIT FOR CRAFTING AN A+ PROPOSAL - EVERY TIME!

Watch Intro Video

Course Description

Enrollment now open - course starts March 16!

Click here for complete course details and enroll.

10-week, on-line, on-your-own-schedule course runs March 16-May 18

Everything you need to take your grants success to a new level - no matter where you're starting out - all in one at-your-own-pace, on-your-own-schedule, affordable 10-session online course

Train 2 team members ... at no additional cost

Two team members can take the course with you ... staff, board members, volunteers, you name it ... for the price of just one enrollment! (That's three enrollments for the price of one.)

Your step-by-step "insider's guide" -

for grants rookies and veterans alike

The Ultimate Grant Proposal Blueprint offers a complete, practical, hands-on, step-by-step approach to corporate, foundation, and government grant-building - for beginners and veterans alike.

In 10 fast-paced, information-rich weekly sessions totaling about 16 hours (released every Monday, March 16-May 18):

You'll learn how to build a solid, fundable proposal from the inside out and the bottom up ...
You'll work with a unique set of tried-and-tested planning tools, worksheets, roadmaps, checklists, and step-by-step, fill-in-the-blanks templates to make your proposals clear, concise, complete, coherent - and compelling ...
You'll learn literally hundreds of "insider's tips" from grantmakers and successful grantseeking organizations that you can put to work for your organization - right away ...
And you'll learn how to organize the details of your work in a way guaranteed to take you to the next level of grantseeking success - no matter where you're starting out

Questions?

Click here for complete course details - and to enroll.

Email: [email protected]

A sampling of 5-star student reviews:

Will take your grantwriting to the next level!

I have been grant writing for 15 years and was a little prideful of my knowledge....much to my dismay! I learned so much from this course. The tools and lessons helped me to create source documents that we can now use for all future applications. The clarity that came with this educational opportunity has made my job so much easier. Thank you, Maryn! Well done!

-- Mary Schilling, His Heart Foundation (Vancouver, WA)

Exceptional Grant Proposal Course

I've been writing grants for just under 10 years and have also served on reviewer panels for a particular federal grant for about as many years. I enrolled in the course because although I had gotten very "good" at writing and winning grants, I lost two big ones in the last couple of years. It rocked my self-confidence - this, in spite of the fact that I have won about 4.5 million dollars in federal, state and local funds for several school districts over the last 5 years. This course didn't just restore my confidence, but the sections on having a 3-D Perspective, what occurs in the Black Box of Grantmakers (awesome, awesome, awesome), and the powerful use of the Logic Model in shaping, planning and developing a grant proposal so that everything makes sense, were particularly healing and strengthening to me. Maryn, what a wonderful job! I have learned a great deal from you, grown tremendously, and been truly blessed by your final perspective of what all of this should truly be about! Thank you again and again for giving so much value and so much really rich instruction to even those of us who have been at the "grantmanship game" for quite awhile. My kudos to you!

-- Elaine Penn (Arizona)

Top Notch Grants Education!

This course was AMAZING. As a self-paced, online course with live support (online, phone, and bi-weekly call-in opportunities) this course gave me a much greater insight into why my proposals have and have not been funded. AND it gave me concrete ways to review/revise those proposals for the future.

- Kaddee Lawrence, Community Leadership Consultant (Seattle, WA)

Five Stars Plus! - for "The Ultimate Grant Proposal Blueprint"

This course made a difference not only for me but for the team-members I invited to take part in the course. Our collective confidence is sky-high and everyone is talking enthusiastically about “the magic wand”. This course is not only a complete decoding of vital elements that go into a successful proposal, it unlocks behind-the-scenes information about funders, their perspectives, and how decisions are made. The templates and workbook are wonderful tools and everything is easy to understand. This course has made my colleagues and me true believers that we are capable agents of positive change in the world through our grant writing. And Maryn Boess is unquestionably a card-carrying member of our grant success team!

- Barbara Gorzinski, Associated Ministries of Tacoma-Pierce County (WA)

5 stars - covers EVERY aspect of a proposal

I give 5 stars. I've taken a couple of other courses that I found informative and useful. However, this course probes deeper into grant readiness. Maryn covers EVERY aspect of a proposal -- from digging more deeply to create a mission statement to producing a proposal that clearly details an organization's purpose and necessity. I came away with many tools and insights that have enabled me to provide more value to my clients. Included in the course are Q&A group conference calls that answer any questions we might have. Even though I've completed the course, Maryn has made sure that I and other "graduates" are still connected to the program. We are encouraged to contact her any time with questions.

-- Suzanne Ryan, Suzanne Ryan Grantwriting (VA)

My Experience

Being new to the grant world this was a very eye opening experience. I am part of a grant managing team but took this course to understand the process it took to get the grant and how to manage it. This course has given me the tools to seek my own grants and know what grant makers are looking for. Thank you for a wonderful course.

-- Mark Cox

The Ultimate Ultimate

This course is not for those who think that learning to be a grant writer is easy, for it isn't. The course is thoughtful as well as practical and requires a commitment to DO SOMETHING after every one of the eight lesson. I've taken grant writing courses before that took tactical approach to the grant making process. They concentrated on how to write an application or how to fill out forms. They did not tackle the planning aspects necessary to prepare an organization for conceiving a proposal, for seeking out appropriate grant funders, for submitting a grantable application, or for following up if the proposal us successful in getting funded. To the serious student of mission-centered grant writing (the only consistently successful grant writing ), the course is worth every penny of the tuition price.

-- Nancy Mitchell Ash, Equamore Foundation (CA)

Five Stars - Outstanding Grant Writing Class

I have attended other grant workshops in the past, and I can say unequivocally that The Ultimate Grant Proposal Blueprint was the most comprehensive, useful, worthwhile class I've ever taken. The skills and resources that I took away have already helped me write three proposals, and I'm optimistic they will succeed. There is much information here that carries beyond grant writing to nonprofit planning and management. Maryn's style is friendly and engaging; she really knows the grant writing world from both the funder's and the fund seeker's perspective.

-- Marilyn Smith, Executive Director, Unite to Fight Paralysis (OR)

Maryn Boess

Chief Magic-Maker

Over her 20+-year career in the nonprofit world, Maryn has been an on-staff program developer and grantwriter; a independent grants consultant (winning more than $42 million for her clients over 10 years); a grants project manager; a grants trainer; a grants reviewer, author, speaker, mentor and coach; and - for the past 10 years - even a grantmaker. This done-it-all background gives her the unique 3-D "insider's" perspective she brings to the practical and inspiring trainings on healthy, successful grantsmanship that she has been blessed to share with thousands of nonprofits of every size, nationally and internationally as well. GrantsMagic U, launched in fall 2015, is the "virtual academy" she created to make her extensive portfolio of grantsmanship trainings available (and affordable!) for anyone, anytime, anywhere. GrantsMagic U is an Approved Continuing Education Provider for both the Grant Professionals Certification (GPC) and Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) credentials. Since 2006 Maryn has also been “in the grantmaker’s chair,” managing up to $2 million annually in grantmaking for K-12 education in the Southwest. She considers herself a dual citizen in the grants world, and may be the only person currently holding membership in both GPA (Grant Professionals Association, for grantseekers) and GEO (Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, for grantmakers). Every hour of GrantsMagic U training qualifies as 1 credit toward CFRE and GPC continuing-education and certification requirements.

Course curriculum

1
PREREQUISITE! Getting Started: Important information to get you off to a good start
- PREREQUISITE: Getting Started - Please Come In!
- PREREQUISITE: Getting Around Inside Your Course [VIDEO + DOWNLOAD]
2
SESSION 1 (Mar. 16): Starting Right Where You Are ... Right Now!
- SESSION 1 Downloads and First Steps [READ]
- LESSON 1-A: Foundations - Let's Get This Party Started [READ]
- A-1. Foundations: What's Ahead [WATCH]
- A-2. Foundations: Let's Get This Party Started! [WATCH]
- A-3. Thinking in 3-D: The Ant, The Eagle ... and Superman [WATCH]
- LESSON 1-B: The Power of Mission-Centered Grantsmanship [READ]
- B-1. The Power of Mission-Centered Grantsmanship: Warm-Up [WATCH]
- B-2. The Grantsmanship Game: Playing to Win [WATCH]
- B-3. Rule 1- Know Yourself: The Heart of Mission-Driven Grantsmanship [WATCH]
- B-4. What Do You Know? - Revisited [WATCH]
- LESSON 1-C: The One-Page Grant Proposal: Your Blueprint Framework [READ]
- C-1. The One-Page Grant Proposal: Your Blueprint Framework [WATCH]
- C-2. But First, A Few Words About Mind-Mapping ... [WATCH]
- C-3. The Magic Wand Worksheet: A Guided Tour, Part 1 [WATCH]
- C-4. The Magic Wand Worksheet: A Guided Tour, Part 2 [WATCH]
- C-5. Putting the Magic Wand to Work for You! [WATCH]
- LESSON 1-D. Session 1 Review and Action Steps [READ]
- D-1. Session 1 Review [QUIZ]
- D-2. Session 1: Your Quick-Win Action Step [POST]
- D-3. Session 1: Your High-Leverage Action Step [POST]
- D-4. Session 1: Questions? Discussion? Inspirations? [POST]
3
SESSION 2 (Mar. 23): What's the Problem? - Crafting a Statement of Issue, Need, or Opportunity that's Clear, Compelling - and Completely Irresistible
- SESSION 2 Downloads and Overview [READ]
- LESSON 2-A. You Be the Grantmaker! - Lessons from the Winning Edge [READ]
- A-1. Session 2 - Foundations and What's Ahead [WATCH]
- A-2. You Be the Grantmaker! - Lessons from the Winning Edge [WATCH]
- LESSON 2-B. Building the Issue Statement: Your Fill-In-the-Blanks Formula [READ]
- B-1. Building the Issue Statement: Your Fill-In-the-Blanks Formula, Part 1 [WATCH]
- B-2. Building the Issue Statement: Your Fill-In-the-Blanks Formula, Part 2 [WATCH]
- LESSON 2-C. It's Never About the "What": The Motivating Why and the Universal Ideal [READ]
- C-1. It's Never About the "What" - The Motivating Why and the Universal Ideal [WATCH]
- C-2. More About the Motivating Why and the Universal Ideal [WATCH]
- C-3. Wrap-Up and What Do You Know? [WATCH]
- LESSON 2-D. Session 2 Review and Action Steps [READ]
- D-1. Session 2 Review [QUIZ]
- D-2. Session 2: Your Quick-Win Action Step [POST]
- D-3. Session 2: Your High-Leverage Action Step [POST]
- D-4. Session 2: Questions? Discussion? Inspirations? [POST]
4
POP-UP Q&A (Mar. 27)
- Pop-Up Q&A (Mar. 27)
5
SESSION 3 (Mar. 30): Impact Outcomes: Let's Pay a Visit to Emerald City!
- SESSION 3 Downloads and Overview [READ]
- LESSON 3-A. The Change Map and the Change Gap: From Desolation Island ... to Emerald City! [READ]
- A-1. Session 3 - Foundations and What's Ahead [WATCH]
- A-2. Big-Picture Context: The Change Map [WATCH]
- LESSON 3-B. What's Logic Got to Do With It? - Let's Get Tactical! [READ]
- B-1. What's Logic Got to Do With It? - Let's Get Tactical! [WATCH]
- LESSON 3-C. Crafting Knock-Their-Socks-Off Outcomes Statements: Your Fill-In-the-Blanks Formula [READ]
- C-1. Knock-Their-Socks-off Outcomes Statements - Getting Started [WATCH]
- C-2. The Fill-In-the-Blanks Formula - Two Examples [WATCH]
- C-3. More About Outcomes Statements [WATCH]
- C-4. Wrap-Up and What's Next [WATCH]
- LESSON 3-D. Session 3 Review and Action Steps [READ]
- D-1. Session 3 Review [QUIZ]
- D-2. Session 3: Your Quick-Win Action Step [POST]
- D-3. Session 3: Your High-Leverage Action Step [POST]
- D-4. Session 3: Questions? Discussion? Inspirations? [POST]
6
Q&A #1 (Apr. 8) - REPLAY AND RESOURCES
- Q&A #1 (Apr. 8) - Replay and Resources
7
SESSION 4 (Apr. 13): Work Plan & Partnership: Crossing the Vision Bridge
- SESSION 4 Downloads and Overview [READ]
- LESSON 4-A. Leveraging the Power of Partnership: A 3-D Perspective [READ]
- A-1. Session 4: Foundations and What's Ahead [WATCH]
- A-2. Collaboration: Let's Get Tactical [WATCH]
- A-3. Developing the Collaborative Proposal [WATCH]
- LESSON 4-B. Lights! Camera! Action! - 3-D Thinking and the Work Plan [READ]
- B-1. Lights! Camera! Action! - 3-D Thinking and the Work Plan [WATCH]
- B-2. Breaking It Down: Our Working Example [WATCH]
- LESSON 4-C. "Scripting" Your Work Plan, Step by Step: Your Fill-In-the-Blanks Formula [READ]
- C-1. "Scripting" Your Work Plan, Step by Step: Your Fill-In-the-Blanks Formula [WATCH]
- C-2. Time to Build It Up: Two Practice Examples [WATCH]
- C-3. Another Example [WATCH]
- C-4. Pulling It All Together [WATCH]
- C-5. A Quick Look Back: Where Have We Been? [WATCH]
- LESSON 4-D. Session 4 Review and Action Steps [READ]
- D-1. Session 4 Review [QUIZ]
- D-2. Session 4: Your Quick-Win Action Step [POST]
- D-3. Session 4: Your High-Leverage Action Step [POST]
- D-4. Session 4: Questions? Discussion? Inspirations? [POST]
8
SESSION 5 (Apr. 20): The Essential Evaluation Toolkit - Defining and Measuring Success
- SESSION 5 Downloads and Overview [READ]
- LESSON 5-A. Evaluation: So What Is It ... and Why Do It, Anyway? [READ]
- A-1. The Essential Evaluation Toolkit: Getting Started [WATCH]
- A-2. Evaluation: So What Is It ... and Why Do It, Anyway? [WATCH]
- A-3. Learning from Failure: My Favorite Evaluation Story [WATCH]
- LESSON 5-B. Let's Get Tactical Redux: A Closer Look at the Logic Model in Evaluation Planning [READ]
- B-1. Let's Get Tactical, Redux: A Closer Look at the Logic Model in Evaluation Planning [WATCH]
- B-2. The Logic Behind the Logic Model: Let's Plan a Vacation! [WATCH]
- B-3. Where Does the Planning Process Begin? ... Looking at Real-Life Examples [WATCH]
- B-4. Back to the Bottom-Up Logic Model: Mapping Out Your Grant Proposal [WATCH]
- LESSON 5-C. Zeroing In On Success: Where's the Finish Line ... and How Will We Know When We Reach It? [READ]
- C-1. Zeroing In On Success: Where's the Finish Line ... and How Will We Know When We Reach It? [WATCH]
- C-2. Knock-Their-Socks-Off Outcomes Statements - Redux! [WATCH]
- C-3. Key Steps and Benchmarks - Redux! [WATCH]
- C-4. Mapping Your Evaluation Plan, Step by Step [WATCH]
- C-5. The Project Evaluation Summary Chart: Pulling It All Together [WATCH]
- C-6. Session 5 Wrap-Up [WATCH]
- LESSON 5-D. Session 5 Review and Action Steps [READ]
- D-1. Session 5 Review [QUIZ]
- D-2. Session 5: Your Quick-Win Action Step [POST]
- D-3. Session 5: Your High-Leverage Action Step [POST]
- D-4. Session 5: Questions? Discussion? Inspirations? [POST]
9
SESSION 6 (Apr. 27): Building an Unbreakable Project Budget ... Guaranteed!
- SESSION 6 Downloads and Overview [READ]
- LESSON 6-A. Mastering Mission-Centered Budgeting: Your Essential Power Tools [READ]
- A-1. Mastering Mission-Centered Budgeting: Your Essential Power Tools [WATCH]
- A-2. The Budget Hierarchy, the Bottom-Up Logic Model ... and Chocolate Chip Cookies [WATCH]
- A-3. Introducing the Master Budget Planning Checklist and Worksheet [WATCH]
- A-4. Two Warm-Up Examples ... and a Solemn Pledge [WATCH]
- LESSON 6-B. Let's Put On a Play! - Bringing in Detail with a Real-Life Scenario [READ]
- B-1. Let's Put On a Play! - Bringing In Detail with a Real-Life Scenario [WATCH]
- B-2. Our Scenario: Salaries ... Two Examples [WATCH]
- B-3. Our Scenario: EREs and Contractual Services [WATCH]
- B-4. Our Scenario: Space Costs and Equipment [WATCH]
- B-5. Our Scenario: Supplies; Travel; Building Costs; Other [WATCH]
- LESSON 6-C. Everything Else You Need to Know to Build an A+ Proposal Budget [READ]
- C-1. Everything Else You Need to Know to Build an A+ Proposal Budget [WATCH]
- C-2. More About "Direct" and "Indirect" Costs [WATCH]
- C-3. The Funder's Budget Form - and a Few More Considerations [WATCH]
- C-4. How It All Lines Up ... A Final Look [WATCH]
- LESSON 6-D. Session 6 Review and Action Steps [READ]
- D-1. Session 6 Review [QUIZ]
- D-2. Session 6: Your Quick-Win Action Step [POST]
- D-3. Session 6: Your High-Leverage Action Step [POST]
- D-4. Session 6: Questions? Discussion? Inspiration? [POST]
10
Q&A #2 (May 7) - REPLAY AND RESOURCES
- Q&A #2 (May 7) - Replay and Resources
11
SESSION 7 (May 11): What's This All About ... Quickly? (And Who Are You, Anyway?)
- Session 7 Downloads and Overview [READ]
- LESSON 7-A. The Hard-Working Proposal Summary ... and How to Muscle It Up [READ]
- A-1. Our Session 7 Road Map: Getting Started [WATCH]
- A-2. Lesson A: The Hard-Working Proposal Summary ... a First Look [WATCH]
- A-3. You Be the Grantmaker! - Two Exercises [WATCH]
- A-4. More Hands-On Examples for Your Practice! [WATCH]
- LESSON 7-B. The Credibility Statement: Who Are You - What Are You All About - and How Do We Know We Can Trust You? [READ]
- B-1. The Credibility Statement: Introduction [WATCH]
- B-2. Your Fill-In-The-Blanks Worksheet [WATCH]
- B-3. Two Samples - and More Things to Think About [WATCH]
- LESSON 7-C. What About Sustainability? - Answering the Tricky Question About Future Funding [READ]
- C-1. What About Sustainability? - Answering the Tricky Question About Future Funding [WATCH]
- C-2. The "Sustainability" Checklist and Worksheet [WATCH]
- LESSON 7-D: Frameworks, Frameworks, Frameworks! - The Proposal Checklist and Review Worksheet [READ]
- D-1. Lesson D: Frameworks, Frameworks, Frameworks! - The Proposal Checklist and Review Worksheet [WATCH]
- D-2. Frameworks: The Proposal Sections [WATCH]
- D-3. Where We've Been, What's Ahead [WATCH]
- LESSON 7-E. Session 7 Review and Action Steps [READ]
- E-1. Session 7 Review [QUIZ]
- E-2. Session 7: Your Quick-Win Action Step [POST]
- E-3. Session 7: Your High-Leverage Action Step [POST]
- E-4. Session 7: Questions? Discussion? Inspirations? [POST]
12
SESSION 8 (May 18): Turning Your Blueprint Into an A+ Proposal ... On Paper or Online
- Session 8 Downloads and Overview [READ]
- LESSON 8-A. The Myth of the A+ Proposal: Let's Take a Peek Inside the "Black Box" [READ]
- A-1. Our Session 8 Roadmap: Getting Started [WATCH]
- A-2. The Myth of the A+ Proposal: Let's Take a Peek Inside the "Black Box" [WATCH]
- A-3. Inside the "Black Box": Who's In, Who's Out ... and Why the Points Don't Matter [WATCH]
- A-4. Lessons from Inside the "Black Box": Beyond Mission [WATCH]
- LESSON 8-B. The Inner World of the "Grantmaker": A Reality Check [READ]
- B-1. The Inner World of the Grantmaker: A Reality Check [WATCH]
- B-2. "Thinking" Through the Grantmaker's Eyes, Revisited: Let's Do a Reality Check [WATCH]
- B-3. The 12-12-12 Scenario ... and What Grantmakers Really Want [WATCH]
- LESSON 8-C. "So ... What's an RFP Again?" ... Making Sense of the Grantmaker's Guidelines [WATCH]
- C-1. "So ... What's an RFP Again?" - Making Sense of the Grantmaker's Guidelines [WATCH]
- C-2. Think of It This Way ... and a Tip to Keep Your Sanity [WATCH]
- C-3. Inside the Ben & Jerry's Foundation: A User-Friendly Example [WATCH]
- C-4. Let's Do a "Reverse" Scavenger Hunt! [WATCH]
- C-5. Going to the Well ... and Rule 6, Revisited [WATCH]
- LESSON 8-D. Creating a Winning Proposal: Putting It All Together ... On Paper or Online [READ]
- D-1. Creating a Winning Proposal: Putting It All Together ... On Paper or Online [WATCH]
- D-2. Online Proposals ... Attachments and Appendices [WATCH]
- D-3. The Golden Rule of Good Writing ... and More, More, More [WATCH]
- D-4. Session 8: Wrap-Up and Review [WATCH]
- LESSON 8-E. Session 8 Review Quiz and Action Steps [READ]
- E-1. Session 8 Review Quiz [QUIZ]
- E-2. Session 8: Your Quick-Win Action Step [POST]
- E-3. Session 8: Your High-Leverage Action Step [POST]
- E-4. Session 8: Questions? Discussion? Inspirations? [POST]
- LESSON 8-F. Course Reflection: Not Your Typical How-to-Write-a-Grant-Proposal Training [WATCH]
- An Important Note About Course Completion! [READ]
13
GET-IT-DONE WEEK (May 25) - with Q&A #3 (Wed., May 27)
- Q&A #3 (May 27) - Replay and Resources
14
PLEASE READ: An Important Note About Course Completion
- An Important Note About Course Completion

Reviews

Great course

Erlette Upshaw

This was a great, educational, and challenging course. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the full spectrum of the grant world.

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Thank you!

Jonathan Kauffman

Maryn -- Thank you so much for putting this course together -- so much work on your part, and so much great information! As someone who is moving into grant writing from journalism, and volunteering with an organization to write grants and look at the ways they're telling their own story, I'm excited to apply the lessons that I learned in the course. What was so helpful about the way you wrote and structured the course was that it addressed the deeper ways that nonprofits think, plan, and work -- it's almost a course on project management as it is about grantseeking. My husband has been in nonprofit administration for 20 years, and I kept bringing up the lessons I was working on, and he kept validating that soundness of all your recommendations. (We've had many talks about logic models over the past two months.) I'm going to start your grantwriting newbie class, too, to see if it helps me sort through other aspects of grant-seeking and contracting with organizations. But in the meantime, I can't wait to get to work!

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Incredibly Empowering

Samuel Hunter

This course taught me so much and gave me all the tools and checklists and strategies I needed to organize the images and ideas in my head. Now I have all the structures I need to put them into form that other people can read and understand, and that I can pull from as needed to fit each grant. It's such a relief to just have the project language on hand, ready to plug and play as needed. I might have liked a little more information in the course on how to find and connect with funders once you have an amazing proposal, but at the same time I understand that's probably going to vary from org to org or person to person, and anyway Maryn was incredibly responsive and helpful. The big wide world of grantseeking feels so much more manageable now.

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Interesting and well presented

Kim Hall

Great course. I look forward to being able to put the many ideas and tools to work. I loved that the course is self directed and you can take as much or as little time as you need on each section. There is a lot to take into not only grant-writing...

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Excellent and thorough

David Drazenovich

A very thorough, comprehensive, inspiring and fun course to reinvigorate my grant writing! Thank you.

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