Class Title: Battling the Grantwriter's Conundrum: When the Grantwriter Has to (Help) Plan Programs
Class Format: This class is recorded from the live teleclass. On registering, you are transported to the classroom page, where you download the class slides, and listen to the class from a player on the page. You may log in as many times as you wish for 90 days from the date of registration, enabling you to replay portions of the class as you wish.
Class Description: As grants professionals we have a job that we do very well: obtaining and administering grants. We also have valuable knowledge and skills we can contribute to program planning. But the "grantwriter's conundrum" is how to balance these demands. On the one hand, we wish to avoid becoming a program manager or doing our co-workers’ job for them. On the other hand, we want to ensure that the program is fundable.
The instructor discusses the unique skills and abilities that grants professionals can bring to the planning and design stages of programs while helping you draw clear boundaries and communicate clear expectations to the others who must participate. Sample forms and real-life examples will give you tools you can immediately put to work guiding others to great program development! At the same time, you will learn ways to help your clients or co-workers design and articulate their own projects.
Class Objectives
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Highlight grant professionals' unique role in shaping organizational vision and futures and encourage them to embrace it;
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Give grant professionals tools to help them serve their colleagues or clients and participate in program planning more effectively; and
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Help program personnel understand the grant-seeking process more clearly.
Benefits to Grant Professionals
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They will learn how they can strengthen their organization through pro-active intervention in the program design process; and
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They will take home samples and forms they can use in developing their next proposal and in squeezing critical information out of others.
Do You Have a Group? Class registration is for you only* with the following exception: If you wish to convene a group to physically gather around a single speakerphone for the class on one occassion, you may do so at no additional charge. With the money you'll save, you can spring for pizza for everybody!
*Please note that it is impermissible to share your individual log-in username and password, or your unique dial-in passcode, with others without express permission from CharityChannel.
CEU. Participation in this class is applicable for 1.5 points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
About the Instructor
Cheryl L. Kester, CFRE
Cheryl L. Kester, CFRE is owner of Thomas-Forbes & Kester, LLC a grants consulting firm serving faith-based and community non-profits, higher education and health care nationwide. She has over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector and nine years of experience obtaining foundation and government grants and as a grant reviewer.
Ms. Kester frequently makes conference presentations on grants topics and presented at the 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 AAGP national conferences, AAGP’s first regional conference in Chicago and the AFP International Conference in 2008. She has published articles in CharityChannel’s Grants and Foundation Review, the “National Charter School Clearinghouse Newsletter,” and the AAGP Journal.
Ms. Kester is a CFRE subject-matter expert and an experienced grant reviewer. Prior to joining Thomas-Forbes, she was Director of Grants and Foundation Relations at John Brown University in Arkansas. Kester holds a B.A. in English from John Brown University and an M.A. from Georgetown University.