Workshop to Focus on Securing Federal Grants

Communities that are struggling with finances may find that federal grant funds can give them a much-needed boost. But often, the process for completing a grant proposal seems overwhelming.

To help community leaders explore these funding opportunities, a Grant Writing Conference is being held October 1 at Shawnee Community College in Ullin, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“Participants will learn about the tools and skills that are necessary to target valuable grant opportunities,” says Al Zwilling, University of Illinois Extension specialist in project development and sustainability. “Community leaders will learn how to effectively navigate through the federal funding process, and successfully complete and submit high-quality proposals.”

The program includes the following topics:
• What federal grant opportunities, including stimulus funding, are available and how can local governments and nonprofits navigate through online tools such as grants.gov?
• What capacities are necessary to succeed with a federal grant?
• What pre-grant writing preparation is necessary?
• How can nonprofits assess their readiness for submitting a completed grant proposal?
• What is Illinois ResourceNet and how can it be used to support nonprofit federal grant writing?

This conference is provided free of charge, but advance registration by September 25 is needed. For more details or to register, call U of I Extension in Vienna, 618-658-5321.

The conference is sponsored by Illinois Resource Net, Shawnee Community College, Southern Five Regional Planning District and Development Commission, and University of Illinois Extension.