Grant Writing Learning Circle Highlights Collaboration and Accessible Learning

In the evolving world of nonprofit work, collaboration has become a necessary tool for success, even with tasks that have traditionally been done alone. Although it may only take one person to write a grant, the impact goes far further with team effort. Partnerships are paving a new way forward for nonprofit organizations, and the recent Grant Writing Learning Circle hosted by Muncie Public Library and Nonprofit Support Network was no exception. The grant writing process can be complex, but it’s far less daunting when you have support and resources at your fingertips. 

This past year, Muncie Public Library and Nonprofit Support Network joined forces to host a free grant writing program for nonprofits. The three-part workshop series, which took place in January, February, and April of 2024, provided participants with essential skills and knowledge for finding, writing, and managing grants. Additionally, a main focus of the program was to raise awareness of Muncie Public Library’s subscription to Candid’s Foundation Directory, an online tool used to find information about grant makers and their recipients. 

Laura Janiga, Adult Services Librarian at Muncie Public Library, and Carly Acree King, Relationship and Resource Director at Nonprofit Support Network, spearheaded the collaboration. Augusta Isley, Associate Director of Pre Award Development and Outreach at Ball State University, and Barbara Schafer, President of Schafer Grant and Project Management, were brought on board to facilitate. The unique partnership offered a hands-on learning experience rather than a traditional lecture, utilizing local expertise and tools to benefit the nonprofit community. 

“Nonprofit Support Network reached out to the library in late 2023 to suggest the idea of collaborating on a workshop series. We agreed that we wanted to offer something that would bring nonprofit staff and volunteers together for an introduction to finding and managing grants, but not just a lecture or demonstration,” said Janiga. Rather, they wanted the workshop to be interactive and for participants to be able to learn from multiple perspectives by encouraging them to share their own experiences with those assembled.

When it came to the decision to collaborate with Nonprofit Support Network, Janiga said it was an easy decision. “Nonprofit Support Network has a great understanding of the wants and needs of local nonprofits, and the library has space, information sources, and employees like me who are trained to teach people how to use those sources,” she said. The facilitators also wanted to encourage collaboration between the participants, to maximize the learning experience for the more than thirteen nonprofit organizations who were represented in the learning circle. These individuals came from various stages of development experience, with some just getting started in the world of grants and others having long histories. By combining resources, expertise, and different participant backgrounds, a more impactful learning experience was created. 

Barbara Schafer, a long-time grant writer in the Muncie community, was eager to participate in the program partnership and work with individuals with similar goals and aspirations for the future of nonprofits. Engaging with a group of “like-minded people with the same mission of bettering the community” was meaningful for her. Janiga shared a similar sentiment, emphasizing that, “with partnerships, we can do more than any one of us could do alone.”

There are several topics nonprofits can gain knowledge on to advance their mission, but little are as vital as mastering the grants process. Nonprofits require funding to sustain their services while making an impact and grants can be a major source of that funding. Few know this better than Schafer, who has written hundreds of local, state, and federal grants. Through her experience, she has seen how grants are used to communicate and contribute to an organization’s mission, if done confidently. “Grants do not exist in a bubble, as one leads to another. If it is well-written and thought out, your grant will prepare you for your next one,” Schafer said. 

Delaware County has many local grants; knowing how and where to look for them is key. With Muncie Public Library’s access to the Foundation Directory Professional, a database published by Candid, the task became a little easier for participants. Facilitators walked them through the online directory to look at profiles of funders that included everything from their grant history to limitations on their giving. Not only was how grant seekers can research funders discussed, criteria for what makes an organization “grant ready” and advice for building relationships with funders was also covered. Participants enjoyed these learning activities and practical application exercises, indicating on a feedback survey that they were prepared with useful ways to find, write, and manage grants for their organization because of them. 

Dave Franklin, a board member of Muncie OUTreach and the Hospitality Manager at Minnetrista Museum and Gardens, was one participant who greatly benefited from the program. Franklin originally signed up for the learning circle so he could better understand and “demystify” the grants process, but ended up getting even more out of the program than he anticipated. The Candid directory was particularly helpful to him, providing insights into why certain grants were successful and others were not and a deeper look into grantor and grantee perspectives. 

“Twenty years ago, if you wanted to get a grant, you had to figure it out by yourself.”

Dave Franklin

This was not the case this past year when Franklin walked away from the program, instead feeling inspired by the encouraging presenters welcoming different experiences in the room to learning alongside his fellow nonprofit workers for a common goal. The program encouraged him to look at other attendees as partners and not just competitors in the nonprofit space. Franklin also feels he has taken what he has learned back to the organizations he is a part of in a meaningful way. “Development may not be my shtick, but understanding the grants process makes me a better board member and leader,” he said. 

With knowledgeable presenters, accessible resources, and valuable education experience, the Grant Writing Learning Circle met local nonprofits exactly where they were at-and helped them grow. The next series of the program will kick off on Wednesday, September 18 and its planners hope to accomplish even more. The facilitators worked to change and expand the original workshop based on attendee feedback and their needs and goals. Interested nonprofit employees and board members should not miss out on this accessible opportunity right in their backyard. 

For more information and to register for the new workshop series, follow the link above.