Waco-McLennan County Library
to Host Workshop on Grant Writing

Five-day Workshop to Explore Application Process

New grants are one way for cash-strapped agencies to bring important services into the community and get innovative ideas off the ground. Yet applying for and receiving grants is a very competitive process.

To help members of the nonprofit community and government agencies decipher the intricacies of the grantseeking process, the Waco-McLennan County Library's Grants Resource Center will be hosting the Grantsmanship Training Program, March 24-28, 2008 at the Central Library at 1717 Austin Ave. The five-day workshop will be conducted by The Grantsmanship Center, the world's oldest and largest training organization for the nonprofit sector.

"Anyone with nonprofit management or grant proposal writing responsibilities, including staff, volunteers, and board members, will benefit from attending this workshop," said Susan Duecy, Waco Foundation Grant Writer. "Nonprofit organizations continue to face a challenging future. With limited state, federal and foundation funding, we must acquire the skills to develop effective programs and be able to demonstrate positive results in a highly competitive environment."

Designed for both novice and experienced grantseekers, this workshop covers all aspects of program planning, searching for grants, proposal writing and negotiating with funding sources.

"Participants will work in teams to actually develop a grant proposal, and many of these are ultimately funded," Duecy said.

To ensure personal attention, registration is limited to 30 participants. The program fee of $875 includes workshop tuition and one year of TGCI Membership benefits and services. Fifty-percent scholarships may be available for organizations with annual operating budgets under $300,000.

To register for the workshop, or to apply for a scholarship, contact The Grantsmanship Center, at 800-421-9512 or go to www.tgci.com. For local information, call Susan Duecy at the Grants Resource Center, (254) 750-5975.