Beginning Grantwriting (In-Person Event)
June 24 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
In-Person – St. Paul, MN
Fee: $100 for MCN members / $140 for nonmembers
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
2314 University Avenue West
St. Paul, MN 55114, Suite 20
This workshop will introduce grantwriting to nonprofit professionals who have less than one year of experience with the skill. Many people who work in nonprofits find themselves in the position of “accidental grantwriter” and do not feel fully equipped for the challenge. This session will provide a balance of applicable content and resources to deepen participants’ knowledge of and skills in grantwriting. It is specifically designed for beginners.
By the end of this session, participants learners will learn the steps to craft, construct, and submit an effective grant application, including:
- Understanding the various elements of a standard grant proposal application
- Managing the grant timelines so that high-quality and complete proposals are submitted on time
- Finding data sources to support proposal narratives
- Creating effective presentations of grant-narrative elements and ideas among or within proposal components
- Identify which proposal-writing approaches, styles, tones, and formats will work best.
- Using appropriate and accurate visuals to highlight information
- Identify effective practices for developing realistic, accurate line-item and narrative budgets that describe the relationship between line-items and project activities
- Selecting evaluation models and methods for the grant applications
Workshop participants will receive a copy of the Handbook for Successful Grant Writing that covers topics ranging from research and planning to a glossary of commonly used terms. The Handbook is only available to participants and is not otherwise for sale.
This session focuses on the grantwriting process. The first session in this series is Beginning Grantseeking, which centers around the nonprofit funding landscape and the process of seeking grants. There is also an Intermediate Grantwriting session that serves as a writing workshop. Visit MCN’s Event Calendar to register for one or all.
Event Details
The date and time of this in-person event is: June 24, 2025 1:00 p.m. – 4 p.m. Central.
Refreshments: Coffee, tea, and a light snack will be provided.
Travel: Driving directions, transit options, and parking instructions are available on MCN’s website.
Accessibility: Visit our Contact Us page for information on MCN’s office space, accessibility details, and additional features.
Doors will open 30 minutes before the event start time.
Masks will be optional at this event.
Speaker Information
Georgina Chinchilla Gonzalez is the executive director of ComMUSICation, a St. Paul music youth development organization. Her recent work experience includes fundraising roles at Think Small and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, as well as roles in youth development through Girl Scouts of MN and WI River Valleys and as a Peace Corps volunteer. Georgina holds a masters of business administration from the University of St. Thomas, a masters in musicology from the University of Minnesota, and a bachelors in violin performance from Eastern Michigan University. She volunteers as a youth program quality external assessor through Sprockets, the St. Paul out of school time network.
