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Frequently Asked Questions

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How long has A to Z Grantwriting with Linda Vallejo been around?

A to Z Grantwriting with Linda Vallejo was established in 1985 when Ms. Vallejo began presenting a 3-hour grantwriting workshop through the Learning Annex in Los Angeles. She continued to offer these workshops for ten years. At this point, Ms. Vallejo had been working as a grantwriter for five years with a variety of non-profit organizations in the Southern California region.

In 1995, Ms. Vallejo expanded the A to Z workshop curriculum and began teaching grantwriting on-line. Today, this on-line course is ranked No. 8 in the nation and is presented in over 2,000 colleges and universities nationwide.

Ms. Vallejo has taken the past fifteen years to perfect the A to Z Grantwriting Manual to provide a multitude of resources, tools and samples to help students raise needed funds for their organizations and efforts.

Over the past thirty years, A to Z Grantwriting with Linda Vallejo has provided grantwriting consultation and training services for a variety of non-profit organizations in Southern California, and presented seminars that have reached thousands of students regionally and nationally. Please go to the home page to review Ms. Vallejo's bio and resume.

What is unique about the A to Z Grantwriting Seminar?

Most grantwriting seminars and workshops take students through the grantwriting process, using a fine-tooth-comb to write and rewrite the proposal until it is “letter perfect.” But what happens to the proposal once it's complete? It's impossible to implement a successful grantwriting campaign, and raise needed funds, without a birds-eye-view of the grantwriting process!

The A to Z Grantwriting Seminar presents a detailed birds-eye-view of the grantwriting process, taking the students step-by-step from researching and organizing good match potential funders, to organizing a development office, to developing positive communications with funders, to organizing a grantwriting team and working with collaborative partners, to submitting the final product, to the final step of submitting a report to the funder.

Also, unlike many other courses, the A to Z Grantwriting Seminar has been designed to work not only for non-profit organizations, education and religious institutions, but also for government agencies, for-profit business enterprises, and individuals seeking support for personal projects and needs.

What resources will be provided with the A to Z Grantwriting Seminar?

Each A to Z Grantwriting student is provided with a series of valuable resources, samples, and tools; a targeted list of “good match” funders in their specific area of interest; and an A to Z Grantwriting Certificate of Completion.

Will the A to Z Grantwriting Seminar be helpful for individuals wishing to become freelance grantwriters?

Absolutely! Ms. Vallejo has taught hundreds of “fledgling” grantwriters! The A to Z Grantwriting Seminar will provide students with the essential resources and tools needed become a successful grantwriting professional.

For those of you wishing to become a grantwriting professional, here are a few suggestions on how to find your first client:

Here are a few suggestions about locating and approaching an organization for a position as a paid part/full-time or contract grantwriter that may be helpful in your future efforts:

1) Find out the organization's schedule and attend a few special events to introduce yourself to leadership and express your willingness to write grants in an informal setting.

2) Work on your knowledge of the grants available in your region for their specific type of organization and program.

3) Collect a few letters of recommendation from community members and previous employers/educators to provide a character reference and to share your excellent communication, organizational and writing skills.

4) Offer to volunteer to write one proposal and if the process is completed successfully (you work well with the organization, executive director, and staff) you can then discuss a position with the organization.

Will the A to Z Grantwriting Seminar certify me as a grantwriter?

Students who successfully complete the A to Z Grantwriting Seminar will receive a Certificate of Completion, but A to Z Grantwriting does not certify its students. No independent body is capable of certifying grant professionals. There is no legitimate certification process that can be compared to that followed for Certified Public Accountants or Certified Fundraising Executives. Organizations that claim to certify their students as grantwriters are incorrect.

Can the A to Z Grantwriting Seminar help for-profit businesses in finding grants and loans?

Many of my students are interested in learning how to write grants to support business efforts! All of the tools and resources presented in the A to Z Grantwriting Seminar can be used in implementing a for-profit business grantwriting campaigns. Also, students will be provided with a detailed outline of a complete business proposal package, proposal samples links, and research and writing tools.

Can an individual get a grant?

An individual can receive grants to assist with emergency and health needs and an individual artist can receive a fellowship or an artist in residence grant.

Also an individual can affiliate with a like-minded organization or school, and use the organization's non-profit status to submit proposals for grants. As an example, an individual who wants to develop a program to provide art classes for the elderly, would work with a non-profit organization that serves the elderly, write a grant in collaboration with the organization, and provide the class at the organization's site for their elderly clients as well as at other centers in the region.

The nonprofit organization will serve as the fiscal agent receiving the awarded grant funds. In some cases, the non-profit fiscal agent will request 10% of the awarded grant in exchange for keeping appropriate financial records and submitting final reports to the funding source.

Can a faith-based organization get a grant?

Yes, but support to faith-based organizations is limited. A faith-based organization may choose to create a separate, community-based non-profit organization not associated directly with the parent faith-based organization. This separate non-profit organization must maintain separate financial records and a separate board of directors to avoid a conflict of interest. Non faith-based organizations, serving the community at large, have access to a broader number and variety of funding sources.

What is a “Red Hot Resource Book” Potential Funder Research Campaign?

A to Z Grantwriting conducts THOROUGH FUNDER RESEARCH CAMPAIGNS and produces RED HOT RESOURCE BOOK to organize “targeted- good match” potential funders in a three ring binder. Each “good match” funder included in the binder is researched thoroughly and comes with highlighted application guidelines and a recommendation sheet with funder contact information and a listing of documents, items, and materials required in a complete proposal package. The binder is complete with “due date tabs” to help the organization meet monthly application deadlines. The RED HOT RESOURCE BOOK is topped off with a one-year grantwriting plan to help the organization forecast opportunities and deadlines.

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