Introduction to Grant Writing for News Organizations

Let’s start at the beginning: In the first video you will meet Molly Penn and Marissa Lewis, who will guide us through what we can expect from the course, show us how to use the Grant Writing Workbook, and introduce us to some key definitions.

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• Grant Writing Workbook (PDF) Grant Writing Workbook (PDF)
• Grant Writing Workbook (Google Doc) Grant Writing Workbook (Google Doc)

Every grant proposal begins with research. As fundraisers, we need to identify prospective grantmakers whose mission and funding priorities match our own. In this lesson, Molly and Marissa will walk through research best practices and share a case study of how they would research a potential funder.

The Grant Writing Workbook includes links to some of our favorite free and subscription-based research resources. The list begins on Page 1. On Page 3 you’ll find a table to begin to build your list of prospective funders.

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It’s important to try to build relationships with funders before submitting grant proposals.  Most cold proposals don’t get funded, so it’s worth investing the time to try to get on their radar and help them get to know you before you submit a proposal. 

Check out page 4 of the Grant Writing Workbook for tips on the different ways to approach relationship building with funders and a calendar template to help you keep track of your outreach.

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Persuasion is at the heart of grant writing. This session will teach you the art of structuring a proposal and making the case to a funder. You’ll learn the difference between journalistic writing and grant writing and how to structure your narrative.

The Grant Writing Workbook, on Page 6, includes a proposal template to help you start building your case for support. You’ll utilize this for Lessons 5 and 6 as well.

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In this video, Molly and Marissa explain how to use “asset-based language” to describe the need of your project while still respecting the communities you’re aiming to serve. This session will also share tips for how to personalize your narrative — while ensuring that it is both respectful and relatable.

Check out Page 15 of the Workbook for an infographic with some nonprofit storytelling tips that you can utilize in your narrative.

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This session will help you make the case for why your organization is best positioned to address the challenges you’re trying to solve. Funders review dozens upon dozens of applications, so you’ll need to make yours stand out without resorting to flowery, superlative language. Check out the video to learn more from Molly and Marissa.

On Page 8 of the Workbook, there are links to a number of studies, reports, and articles that describe the importance of journalism and the positive outcomes that are enabled by journalism. These may be a good starting point to help describe why your outlet is well positioned to make a difference.

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Funders will want to know the impact of their investments, and it’s incumbent upon news organizations to track the outcomes of the work they are supporting. Measures of success are a key component of any grant application, and in this video Marissa and Molly will share insights into the “if, then” nature of measuring success.

Turn to page 26 of the Grant Writing Workbook for an impact measurement framework you can begin working from. (And on page 25, there’s a book recommendation to get you started.)

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Budgets are an essential part of any grant application — in fact, many funders read the budget before reading the narrative. They’re looking for your budget not only to make dollars and cents (sorry!), but also to reflect your narrative. This video covers the basics of building a budget.

There’s a basic budget template on Page 28 of the Grant Writing Workbook that you can use as a starting point. On Page 29 there is a sample budget narrative. Turn to Page 31 for more on the other attachments a funder may ask you to submit.

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Think of the letter of inquiry (LOI) as a short version of your application. Many funders ask that you submit an LOI before submitting a full proposal in order for them to make sure you’re on the right track and it’s a good fit. This session covers how take everything we’ve been working on for a full application and synthesize it effectively for an LOI.

Page 33 of your Grant Writing Workbook features an overview of what to include in your LOI and there’s a full sample on page 35.

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“Congratulations! You got the grant.”

“I’m sorry. We couldn’t support your organization at this time.”

As a fundraiser, you’ll get both responses from funders throughout your career. In this video, Molly and Marissa tell you how you’ll need to respond and what you need to do to maintain your relationship with the funder, no matter whether they are giving you money or not.

Check out page 39 of the Grant Writing Workbook for sample acceptance and rejection letters.

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Grants aren’t free money. In the contract you sign to accept the funding, there will be reporting requirements and regular updates you need to share with the funder. This session will go over common requirements — and also share opportunities for you to go above and beyond with your funders.

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In our final video, Marissa and Molly will put all that we’ve learned in the context of the broader philanthropic movement. They’ll share resources for where you can learn more about how leaders are re-thinking the field through concepts like trust-based philanthropy.

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