Grant Writing and Generative AI: Writing, Seeking, and Beyond

Grant Writing & Generative AI: Seeking, Writing, and Beyond

*CFRE Credits: Earn up to 6 CFRE Credits (2 per session)

Dates: Tuesdays, June 2, June 9 and June 23

Location: Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE) at NIU Rockford

Time: 9:30 am to 11:30 am

Facilitated by NICNE Professional Services Team member, Krista Kurlinkus, Ph.D., founder of Grant Writing Made Easy and CEO of Krista Kurlinkus, LLC.

Krista is a highly-sought after speaker and trainer. Her ten years in grant writing consulting and education have established her as a nationally recognized expert in the field of grant writing. She is also a GPA-approved grant writing teacher. She has revolutionized grant writing education, equipping over 10,000 students with skills to effectively articulate their organizations' mission and programs, secure critical funding, and bring their transformative projects to life.

Attend this workshop series to advance your grant writing strategy. Designed for grant professionals of all skill levels, this series will take you from foundational AI Skills through advanced writing techniques. Those who attend all three sessions will receive a 90-page Grant Writing with AI digital workbook. Cost:

• NICNE Members: $275 (or $99 each session)
• General Admission: $325 (or $120 each session)

Workshop Schedule:

• Using Generative AI for Grant Writing (June 2) *2 CFRE Credits
• Advanced AI Techniques for Grant Seeking and Research (June 9) *2 CFRE Credits
• Advanced Grant Writing: Beyond AI (June 23) *2 CFRE Credits

Details:

Using Generative AI for Grant Writing (June 2) Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the grant writing and granting landscape, but many are using it ineffectively, producing generic, uninspiring, or error-riddled proposals that fail to secure funding. Session 1 equips you with the skills and tools to use AI the right way, enhancing efficiency and creating standout proposals. You will learn:

• Strategic Use of AI in Grant Writing: Break complex tasks into manageable steps. Learn to use AI effectively to analyze funding opportunities, craft compelling narratives, and revise for clarity and impact.
• Effective Prompt Creation: Guide AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude with detailed context, examples, and iterative instructions to craft precise, tailored, results.
• Practical Applications: Explore AI-driven techniques to summarize RFPs and funding announcements, draft key proposal sections, and conduct research.
• Ethical AI Use: Understand key considerations for ethical and effective AI integration into your grant writing workflow.

Advanced AI Techniques for Grant Seeking and Research (June 9) With a focus on how grant seekers can use AI to process and critically evaluate prospect research results for alignment, feasibility, and potential impact, this session goes beyond basic prompting to leverage AI for strategic decision-making. Learn how to:

• Find Grant Opportunities with AI: Effectively generate lists of targeted grant opportunities using strategic AI prompts, with or without access to paid databases.
• Assess Grant Results with AI: Use AI-driven tools to evaluate opportunities beyond surface-level criteria, analyzing requirements, finding trends, and revealing historic giving patterns.
• AI-Assisted Comparative Analysis: Compare multiple grant opportunities, side-by-side, ranking them based on custom criteria such as funding amount, application timeline, and organizational capacity.
• Practical Tools and Demonstrations: Learn about practical tools and see them in action to see how AI can help you process grant database search results, with customized prompts and workflows to improve your results.

Advanced Grant Writing: Beyond AI (June 23) This session equips you to outshine AI-reliant grant writers by mastering techniques that exceed the current capabilities of generative AI. Take your grant writing skills to the next level, elevate your overall expertise, compose more refined proposals, and position your organization for long-term success in a progressively competitive funding environment. Learn how to:

• Master the Art of Persuasive Storytelling: Craft compelling narratives that resonate on an emotional and intellectual level with funders.
• Structure Proposals with Precision: Use expert techniques to organize complex ideas into clear, logical frameworks to build connection and understanding.
• Integrate Research Seamlessly: Incorporate credible data sources, case studies, and contextual evidence to strengthen your proposal and help it stand out.
• Refine Writing Style: Improve sentence structure, tone, and word choice to create professional, polished proposals.
• Elevate Grammar and Mechanics: Hone grammar, punctuation, and mechanics to produce error-free, persuasive, proposals that outshine AI-generated content.