Professional Writing for Grantmakers
April 29, 2026 @ 12:30 pm–4:30 pm EDT
Learn about the importance of compelling writing and advance your voice and skills for the editing process.
Program officers, and other grantmaking staff, are essential communicators in the philanthropic ecosystem. Successfully distilling the history, projects, and impact of grantee partners and conveying it to decision-makers is essential to the grantmaking process.
Strong writing skills are essential, alongside empathy and evaluation, when determining how to share information in a meaningful way. It can be challenging to convey critical observations within a foundation’s grant recommendation template. This course is designed to pair well with the Johnson Center course Proposal Analysis, designed to assist program staff in the presentation of programmatic data to best represent community partners.
This four-hour, live online course guides you step-by-step to sharpen your voice and written delivery. Through the process of effectively communicating an accurate, authentic representation of the proposed work – you will practice writing and editing while maintaining your own voice. By the end of this session, you will increase your exposure to grantmaking tools and writing experience to build confidence in your ability to develop, edit, and revise narratives.
Join us to build your professional writing skills and better support the grantees and communities you care about.
Content will include:
- The role and importance of writing in philanthropy
- Writing for audience/purpose with an authentic voice
- How to effectively present and support an argument from purpose statement to closing paragraph
- Small group practice of identifying, editing, and giving feedback on various writing samples
- Editing: what to look for and resources to support self-editing
- How to give (and receive) feedback
Individual Rate: $495
Group Rate: $445 per person for groups of 3 or more from the same organization
Deadline to register: Friday, April 24
Meeting Dates & Times
This workshop will take place over four hours and participants will be expected to attend the entirety of the session. Participants will meet virtually on Wednesday, April 29th from 12:30–4:30 p.m.(ET).
Participants will be expected to participate in polls, breakout sessions, and discussions either verbally or via chat.
Please Note: Registration is limited to 30 participants. It will NOT be recorded.
Course Instructor
Who should attend this course?
This course is intended for foundation staff, donors, and others engaged in grantmaking. If you do not fit this profile but are interested in attending, please email jcp@gvsu.edu before registering.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
This course may be subject to cancellation if it does not reach the minimum number of registrants. In the event of a cancellation, you will be notified at least two weeks before the course start date and will be offered a full refund or the option to transfer your registration to another Johnson Center course. Refund requests for any other reason must be made at least two weeks before the start of the course.
Questions about this event or your registration?
Call 616-331-7585 or email jcp@gvsu.edu.