Course overview

This is a practical, interactive course involving discussion, exercises and group participation throughout. Participants should come prepared to have cameras on, contribute to discussions and work through practical activities during the session.

We will cover:

• Getting grant ready – building a grant library and understanding the foundations of a strong grants program
• Designing fundable projects – defining the problem, approach, impact, aims, outputs, outcomes, evidence, budgets and timelines
• Choosing the right grants – assessing fit, using Go/No-Go approaches, finding opportunities and interpreting assessment criteria
• Writing competitive applications – writing clearly and persuasively, structuring responses and using AI appropriately in grant writing
• Grant management and reporting – turning funding agreements into operational plans, managing reporting and maintaining funder relationships
• Dealing with unsuccessful applications – reviewing feedback, learning from rejection and improving future applications

What you'll learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Develop a targeted grants prospecting approach that aligns with organisational strategy.
• Break down funder guidelines and evaluation criteria to write more competitive applications.
• Implement systems for managing grant deadlines, compliance, and reporting.
• Use acquittals and reporting to build trust and long-term funder relationships.

Targeted skills

• Strategic prospecting and funder research
• Grant writing and application development
• Stakeholder management
• Reporting and compliance

The course includes work in pairs, group discussion and practical exercises where participants will apply the material to their own organisation or projects. It is not a lecture-style session, so active participation is expected.

Who is this course for?

Early to mid-career fundraising coordinators, managers, nonprofit leaders, program managers, and anyone responsible for identifying, writing, or reporting on grants.

Delivery

2 x 3hr sessions via Zoom.

This course won’t explore

• Technical budget design
• Legal advice

Participant Level

Suitable for early to mid-career professionals looking to refresh their skills on the fundamentals, as well as learn more about the strategy and techniques that help you have more success in grant applications and management. 

Meet the facilitator

Read Caitlin Boucher's bio (PDF).

Guidelines for enrolment

Make sure you have a login for the FIA Learning Hub. Click "Sign In" or "Forgot Password" if needed.

You can enrol a staff member if they already have a login.

If you require assistance, please email training@fia.org.au.

CFRE

Full participation in Winning Grants: From Prospecting to Reporting is applicable for up to 2.25 continuing education points in Category 1. B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.

FIA Code

This course relates to the following aspects of the FIA Code of Conduct:

The course integrates the FIA Code of Conduct by highlighting compliance (2.0), ethical grant writing practices (3.0), responsible stewardship of donor funds (4.0), and respectful reporting to beneficiaries and stakeholders (5.0).