Grant Writing USA ?

[Stuart]

Has anyone attended the two-day "High Performance Grants Training" class presented by Grant Writing USA?

Is it worth the $395 ?

http://www.grantwritingusa.com

[FFDFFD]

I think that any grant writing class would be a benefit.

I took Kurt's Class at Chiefs. I really feel I got allot out of it. Kurt has allot of the experience about what works and what doesn't. I also feel I learned something from everyone in the class. We all had experiences that we could relate and learn from.

[Greenacres2]

Education is a great thing, but if i were going to spend caxh to enroll, i'd do a seminar focused on emergency services. In most of the country you can access a high quality day or half-day of general grant training for pretty close to free at least once a year. Check with your local United Way, community college or Chamber of Commerce. That saves the larger fees for an area specific (emergency services) training. I don't know anything about the company you ask about, they may be excellent. But...government agencies have different issues than not-for-profit orgs so that's where i'd spend the dough.

I just got back from my second seminar with ktb (Kurt), and it will be well worth the time/money. Focused on our needs with a good background on the general stuff.

Just my two cents...your mileage may vary.

earl (i'm a slow learner, so i had to do remedial ed!!)

[Volchief1]

My fire department has had little success being awarded grants. We have no formal training in grant writing. We have applied many times and have been denied. We were awarded a TIC through CEDAP and I met Greenacres2 and KTB in Orlando at the training. After visiting with them I learned a great deal on grant writing. Kurt (KTB) has assisted me with several applications since. I agree with Earl on locating a siminar that is non-profit specific.
I am enrolled in one of Kurts siminar he is hosting in Mississippi in November and I am looking forward to learning the proper techniques in grant writing.

[LVFD301]

I would have to echo GreenAcres. If I was going to enroll in a grant writing class, it would be one that was focused on Emergency Services, not a class that trys to include everything.

[steverfd]

My city sent me to a grant writing USA course. Overall it is a good course, however from the fire service view it was a huge disappointment. This program is geared more toward the educational side. The fire grant or grants to benefit the Fire Service were not mentioned at all.

Just my .02.

[dekalbchief]

It's worth the money!!!

A lot of people look at $400-$500 as being too much to pay for grant information. It may be, but only if it don't help you write a successful grant. Is spending $400 for a seminar worth getting awarded a grant for $10,000? You do the math. I've been one of Kurt's seminars in Penn. and after getting a CEDAP worth $16,000 and a 06 AFG for a little over $100,000, I think I'll go again and visit with Kurt in Nashville in December. I'm not saying this is the only good seminar, I'm just saying that getting pertinent information on writing specific grants is the way to go.

[tdpearce]

Where can we get information on the upcoming grant writing seminars?

[Stewart46]

E-Mail Kurt at Chief for starters, just be ready for the phone calls from Chief. I did it at work and by the time I got home I already had a message on the machine, and they had already called city hall. There is going to be a seminar in Dallas in January if I remember correctly. Kurt will let you know!

(Dallas is for you td! Sorry I forgot to add that earlier)

[Diane E]

Where can we get information on the upcoming grant writing seminars?

www.firegrantsupport.com -- usually classes are Jan/Feb/March. Just checked and nothing's up there for 2007.

Also, you may find someone in your area with grant experience interested in helping via Fire Corps (www.firecorps.org). And try your local universities/colleges (if you have any in the vicinity) or chamber of commerce.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

The DHS workshops are free, and I go myself but in DHS's own words they have them to explain the changes in the PG and answer administrative questions. Not to teach anyone how to write.

Hence the reason I started teaching workshops myself last year and why I made my format different than anything else out there. Not saying any others are better or worse, just we're all different. I haven't heard of one yet that someone said they learned nothing at so find one you can make and go.

Best way not to learn and not get ahead in the game is don't show up to any, and like many others said sometimes you can't afford not to go.

[tdpearce]

I went to the DHS workshop this year and like you said, it was pretty much just an informational session.

[Greenacres2]

I would have to echo GreenAcres. If I was going to enroll in a grant writing class, it would be one that was focused on Emergency Services, not a class that trys to include everything.

The general education is valuable--don't overlook it. But...my point is that some of those are available at little or no cost (state EMA, community foundations, community colleges, etc), keep those under $100 and little travel. IMHO--the greater bang for the $300-$500 comes from our industry-specific folks.

As mentioned, the AFG workshops are not where to learn from the ground up, but they have tremendous value and should be attended. I traveled two hours for one of the earliest ones last Feb (to get a "heads-up" on the changes), then went to the one in my home district 4 weeks later (to greet our FPS and Congressional Grants Liason).

earl

[onebugle]

The Idea Bank (http://www.theideabank.com/index.php) conducts a 1 day grant seminar for the fire service. I attended one a couple of years ago and learned some valuable lessons.

Attending a grant seminar is only one step in producing a winning grant. You need to be able to write effectively. Proper sentence and paragraph structure, spelling, grammar etc. are extremely important. If not done correctly the narrative is difficult to read and will turn off the reviewer. If you have been out of school for a while or just rusty you should think about taking a college writing class to develop your skills.

[AFD2181]

Spend the money

I too wandered aimlessly through the vast wasteland that is grant writing, and like many thought that attendance at the DHS sponsored program would be the class to help me out.

Up to a point I had moderate success, approx 106K however I was 1-3; so I pitched my chief on sending me to Kurts class last year. It was not an easy sell in a budget year that saw a 22% reduction on the fire side alone, however I told the chief, 106K was a freebie, and if I was able to get an even larger grant then the 1500.00 to fly me to houston was worth it.

Low and behold I pursuaded the boss to send me, and I have to tell you it made a world of difference.

What you learn is not just how to write, yes proper eglinsh, and spelln, and book leanrn are improntant, impotent, improp...awe shucks, they are a big deal.(I hope everyone gets that for what it was.....)

What Kurts class taught me was a whole new way to approach grant writing, and it gave ME the tools necessary. I can write a grant and be successful; and I in turn helped two departments this year be successful becuase I have the knowledge and skill set to do it.

Bottom line is Kurts class taught me I would suspect that Brian and Alana's class would be similiar is this: Grant writing is not "throw it at the wall and see what sticks"

This is a skill, just like many other disciplines within the fire service, and the only way to become proficient with any skill is applying what you know(writing the grant), and continously improving your base level of knowledge(going to classes).

Just like the Haz-matiers, and EMS folks have continuing ed; so should a grant writer.

The class should focus on Fire / EMS / law enforcement, becuase getting educational grants are an entirely different animal, not to mention foundation grants.

Bottom line here folks, ya gotta go to a class...I dont know any city adminstrator or chief who wouldnt like to see a 178,000.00 return on a 500-2000.00 dollar investment.

Okay....well somehow a soapbox slipped into my living room while I was typing..

My name is Chris and it's been 2 minutes since I checked my AFG application.....