This past week we held two great workshops - one in Franklin, TN and the other in Maryville, TN. The Franklin workshop was hosted by Graceworks Ministries and Maryville was hosted by the Blount County Chamber of Commerce.

The highlight of both workshops was the attendee participation - lots of good questions! More and more we are getting questions about the involvement of the board. Questions like, “How can I get my board more involved in raising funds?” Or, “We feel like our board has settled into rubber stamp mode. How can we get them to take a more active role?” And beyond the board we’re hearing questions like, “How can I get past cold, impersonal rejections from foundations and move more in the direction of building relationships?”

In future Monday Morning Blogs I’ll be addressing these types of questions in more depth than I can at the workshops. Next week: The Difference Between Donor Advised Funds and Private Foundations.

The Coach is booking workshops for 2007 NOW. If you are interested, contact The Coach ASAP because we are only booking 10 workshops this year.

The workshop at Grace University in Omaha, NE was outstanding. Not only was the room full, but also the energy in the room was high all day. Grace U was the perfect host – the room was comfortable, the set up included the necessary technology, AND they served a complete continental breakfast and a delicious lunch.

Omaha is a pretty city situated on wooded bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. There are many very effective nonprofits in the city and Grace University is committed to empowering them through equipping and networking events like TheGrantWritingCoach Workshop.

Well done Grace University!

Tomorrow is a full workshop at Grace Universtiy in Omaha. Grace U. is an extraordinary Bible college with a rich history in the plains states. The workshop is approved for CEU credits as well as CFRE credit through the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Jacqueline Jeter and Jim Nichols are the workshop hosts and they have done a wonderful job. I’ll report in tomorrow how it went.

Yesterday was a wonderful workshop in Florence area of north Alabama. The workshop was graciously hosted by Stephanie Newland and the Shoals Area Chamber of Commerce. All sorts of organizations were represented but there seemed to be a preponderance of those concerned with community mental health.

Community mental health efforts often labor “under the radar” of the rest of the community. I for one want to give them the kudos they deserve. With that in mind, here are a few foundations that have a special interest in mental health:

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
URL: http://www.cafritzfoundation.org

Harry S. and Isabel C. Cameron Foundation

Otto Bremer Foundation
URL: http://www.ottobremer.org

Altman Foundation
URL: http://www.altmanfoundation.org

The Stanford & Joan Alexander Foundation

The workshop at Whitestone Country Inn was yesterday – what a beautiful setting for The Grant Writing Coach! The Inn is situated on 360 acres of rolling green hills overlooking Watts Bar Lake and the facilities are first class all the way. However, the best aspect of the Whitestone is the hospitality of the staff. A big THANK YOU to Paul Cowen, Joe Castillo and their staff.

The workshop was very well received - everyone was actively engaged, even after the lavish lunch served by the Whitestone staff. I thought you might enjoy a few of the comments written on the evaluations:

- “The use of anecdotes and the multiple references to participant’s specific needs were quite useful in both keeping my attention and helping my understanding of the subject manner… I admit that I was overwhelmed and intimidated at the very thought of attending a grant writing workshop. But after just a few hours of instruction, I now feel that writing a successful grant proposal is actually possible for me!”
Stephanie Kirby, Soles4Souls

- “Excellent Plus! [Especially] the matching of the workbook and the lecture.”
John Clevelle, First Church

- “[I] attended a three-day “How To Write A Grant” seminar supposedly presented on a college level. I really only needed grade school level. Today’s workshop has been exceptional! I now have the tools, instruction manual, and confidence to begin writing my first proposal. Thank you!”
Sandra Armstrong, The Health Center at Standifer Place

- “The detail provided was so much more than I expected, and the emphasis on integrity was truly refreshing. [This was] one of the most eye-opening conferences I’ve ever attended. I expect great things for our organization!”
Debbie Lance, Erlanger Health System

- “The Grant Writing Coach seminar saved our school between the $25,000.00 and $60,000.00 we were about to spend on ‘Donor Surveys’ and ‘Targeting’ our community money. As a Christian school, we are thankful we have found a match in our philosophy of grant writing in Dr. Moucka.”
Paula G. Evans, Maryville Christian School

Here are a few of the questions (and answers) asked at the workshop:
Q. How much should we ask for if we have a million dollars of needs and several projects we’re working on?
A. You should attack one project at a time and ask for that project’s bottom line, or the amount that will not be covered by other revenue.
Q. Our organization’s mission statement is way too long – can I just shorten it for the purposes of the proposal?
A. Go ahead and work on a more succinct version and then run it by your executive director for approval. You may want to use the occasion of writing a grant to prompt your board to consider a new, more effective mission statement.
Q. Which is more important, to highlight our organization’s strengths or our positive reputation in the community?
A. If you craft your proposal artfully you can accomplish both at the same time. There’s no doubt your strengths are the source of your positive reputation. I would identify a few of those strengths and connect them to particular organizations/people that hold you in high esteem.

If you’d like to host a workshop in your community check out the hosting page at www.thegrantwritingcoach.com.