VC/UHV Library hosts grant writing workshop for nonprofits
Since grants often are an essential part of keeping a nonprofit group up and running, the Victoria College/University of Houston-Victoria Library will host a grant writing workshop to help train nonprofit employees and volunteers.
“We’ve received requests for this training from several nonprofit groups in the area,” said Amanda Breu, UHV instruction and outreach librarian. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for any grant writers to learn about the best grant-seeking strategies and the elements of a successful proposal.”
The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 5 in the UHV University North Multi-Purpose Room, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., and a continental breakfast will be served. There is a $25 fee per person.
The VC/UHV Library is a Funding Information Network affiliate of the Foundation Center, an international organization that works to connect nonprofits and social change organizations with the resources necessary to do their work. The library offers two free training sessions a year to help nonprofit groups learn how to use those resources to find grants and other available funding sources. This will be the second time the library has offered a workshop focused on grant writing, Breu said.
The library contacted the Grant Professionals Association Austin/Central Texas chapter to ask for help offering a grant writing workshop. Experienced grant writers Chris Marcum, founder and principal consultant of the PaCRS Group in Central Texas, and Cecilia Blanford, senior grants coordinator for the Seton Fund for the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, will present the workshop.
“It’s exciting to partner with the Grant Professionals Association and have two professional writers come share their expertise with our area,” Breu said. “This is our first time working with the Austin/Central Texas chapter, and we are looking forward to learning more about the grant writing process and how to successfully solicit funds for nonprofits.”
The workshop will focus on how to make proposals timely, targeted and well-constructed, Breu said. Attendees will learn about grant-seeking strategies, how to draft a calendar of prospects, and writing and packaging a proposal.
“It can be difficult to find someone with grant writing skills and experience in a city the size of Victoria, especially for nonprofits that heavily rely on volunteers,” said Joe Dahlstrom, UHV senior director of libraries. “Our previous workshops on finding grants have been well attended, and I expect this to be another popular topic.”
Attendees should register by July 29 at www.uhvconnect.org/event/grant-writing. Those with questions can contact Breu at 361-570-4169 or breua@uhv.edu.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
