Thursday, January 12, 2023


As non-profit leaders compete for scarce grant funding, it makes sense for them to develop their skills at picking the grant writers they work with on sensitive projects. As the owner of a grant writing company, I have a powerful need to make the right decisions about who I hire and bring on as an associate grant writer.

Consequently, non-profit leaders may be curious to know how I identify heavy-weight grant writers.

My System

I have my own system, which is based, in large measure, on the strengths and weaknesses of my own personality. I have absolute trust in my abilities as a teacher. I also have my own way of doing things, the Lightning Fast way. Nevertheless, I do consider the major, obvious factors, that quickly come to mind when evaluating candidates for grant writing positions: total dollar amount won, years of experience, level of education, and any grant writing courses and/or credentials.

I have my own spin on all these factors. For example, I do look at the dollar amounts the grant writer has won so far. In contrast, I pay much less attention to years of experience.

I do look at the individual’s level of education. I am doing this, in part, because their level of education is an indicator of their IQ. Surprisingly, I find I am less interested in the subject matter they studied than in the level of education they have attained. I value higher education, that is those with an MA, MBA, or Ph.D. because I know earning a graduate degree is a great measure of someone’s level of independent, unsupervised discipline. It is also a good proxy for the candidate’s ability to read accurately, and faithfully follow the funder’s directions. After all, these are indispensable core skills of successful grant writing.

I completely disregard courses and credentials. I think everyone should study and master them, but I would not hire grant writers based on their coursework or credentials. After all, I have my own way of doing things and I think most grant writer training is obsolete if not downright self-serving and counterproductive.

For much the same reasons, I am reluctant to hire someone simply because they have taught a grant writing class. I do, however, make an exception if they have published a book on grant writing. (Those people are heavy-weight grant writers through and through.)

One other thing I should point out is that as an employer, I am looking for cost-effective grant writers. As such,  I like to hire extremely talented young people, picking them for their enthusiasm and willingness to learn. I do not mind bringing them on and teaching them grant writing if I am confident, they have a great attitude, and are interested in what I must teach them.

Ultimately, however, I keep people on board largely because of the results they produce. Before Lightning Fast Grant Writing retains or promotes a grant writer, I ask myself a few simple questions:

Can we trust them to work with our clients on their own?

Can they solve problems on their own without me hovering over them?

Can they save us time and expenses?

So, for better or worse, I identify heavy-weight grant writers by their actual performance working with me.  Why exactly do I do it that way? Here are my more detailed thoughts on the topic.

Differentiation By Total Dollar Amounts

Personally, I do not think it is fair to compare grant writers according to the amount of money they have won. This is because I have seen people with only modest skills bringing in millions of dollars simply because they work at a large academic research institution. Frequently, the main authors of these grants are award-winning faculty members who are experts in their respective fields.

Moreover, in my experience, many educational grants are quite large and are easy to win if you know what you are doing. In my view, people who have often won millions in grant money are not necessarily any better at grant writing than peers who have won fewer total dollars. Instead, they have employers who give them access to high-value target-rich environments. People who specialize in government grants will almost always be able to show massive grant totals simply because of the nature of their work.

I am no different. I have a client that wins almost $20 MM a year. They like having me as their grant writer. For the most part, they are expected to win $20 MM every year no matter what because they are a high-quality, government-funded program located in an area of great need. Although I like seeing the total dollar amounts of the grants I have written go up and up by $20 MM a year, I know in my heart that this does not mean I am a more skilled grant writer than someone who is working for a homeless shelter bringing in $250,000 per year.

If the dollar amounts you win are largely dependent on where you work, then we need to ask ourselves is there a better way to measure the quality of a grant writer?

Differentiation By Years of Experience

Common sense tells us that the years someone has spent as a grant writer might be another strong measure of their skill. This seems intuitively right. But is it?

I do know that the grant writers I hire who have experience are better and more dependable than the less experienced people who are exploring grant writing as a career. In some ways, longevity in the field of grant writing might be a proxy measure for the qualities that would make one grant writer better than another. One of the obvious reasons for this is that an experienced grant writer may have seen similar situations before and now they can more efficiently solve a similar challenge. They may even have useful templates they can recycle.

Among the obvious reasons for relying on experience in judging a grant writer would be that the longer someone is in the grant writing profession the more likely it is that they have developed good habits including a strong work ethic, proven contentiousness, capacity to overcome writer’s block, and a basic ability to write well enough that a client invites them to come back and write some more.

In many ways, the total dollar amount won by a grant writer is conflated with the number of years they have devoted to grant writing. Longevity is interesting to me because it indicates, at some basic level, that the applicant enjoys grant writing. They like the isolation, the structure, the challenge, the ability to influence projects, and the sense of being needed in a high-pressure, time-constrained situation.

All in all, I think years of experience are an indicator of a heavy-weight grant writer than the total amount of money they have won. On the other hand, individuals with many years in the field of grant writing can sometimes be stubborn when it comes to applying new methods and advanced technologies. Nevertheless, if I intended to hire someone without planning to train them too, I would value years of experience over the total dollars won.

Differentiation By Years of Education

Based on what I see when I am hiring grant writers, I think it does pay off to hire people with high levels of education. Years of schooling is correlated with greater skill in grant writing. Folks with college degrees seem to do better than folks without them. Likewise, those with master’s degrees seem to outperform college graduates. Finally, folks with PhDs seem to outperform those with MAs.

Again, it does not seem to matter what field they took their degree in. It is possible that getting a degree is an exact match with the skill sets that matter the most to grant writing including the ability to understand and answer questions, the ability to decern what someone else is expecting, and the ability to follow directions.

It may also be that securing a degree is also associated with less well-known traits of great grant writers including an interest in learning new subjects, the ability to work alone for extended periods of time without direct supervision, a high level of conscientiousness, and a strong mastery of academic style writing, that is supporting basic arguments with facts and statistics. At Lightning Fast Grant Writing, I seem to make better hiring decisions when I bring on people with at least a master’s degree.

Differentiation By Courses and Certificates

It is possible that people who have completed the most grant writing courses or achieved the most grant writing certificates are the best grant writers. Here, I may be a bit prejudiced. I have only attended three grant writing courses over my lifetime. One was at the Grantsmanship Center, another was at the Volunteer Center of Orange County, and the third was offered by the Foundation Center. All three of them were awful. The first taught me to research using a commercially available database, the second taught me to go after local funders, and the third taught me that some instructors do not like it if you ask questions even if they told you they did not mind if you asked them. Although I have issued certificates in grant writing, I have never actually earned one myself.

I tend to devalue courses and certificates mainly because the most important skills being taught might not show up in the individual’s day-to-day work. Even worse, they may be stuck with bad habits that interfere with doing commercially viable grant writing.

Conclusion

I imagine that the non-profit leaders who are searching for heavy-weight grant writers will most likely add all these measurements together and pick those who score the highest on the whole package. After all, if you rely on every conceivable standard of measure, how could you go wrong? In my next article, I will write about how you can go wrong with this approach and what we can do to objectively improve our measurement of grant writing skills.

Saturday, January 22, 2022

Direct Strike: Introducing Lightning Fast Grant Writing | Urgent


In the nonprofit world, we often talk about the importance of speed. How quickly can we get this project done? How quickly can we reach our goal? But when it comes to grant writing, many organizations seem to take their time. Unfortunately, this can lead to missed opportunities and funding gaps. In this blog post, we will introduce you to Lightning Fast Grant Writing – a new service that can help your organization write grants quickly and efficiently. So why wait? Contact us today to learn more by calling 949-338-5921 or clicking on the following link.

APPLY NOW!

Lightning Fast Grant Writing is a new company with a bold promise: We will write 200 tailored applications per year for the same cost as a regular, full-time grant writer! This system is uniquely designed to produce high volume with excellence and RESULTS.

After all, when was the last time you had to write a grant proposal on short notice? How did it go? In today's competitive grant climate, proposals must be finely crafted and submitted with all due haste. This can be a daunting prospect, especially when your organization doesn't have a dedicated grants department. But what if there were a way to speed up the process, and make grant writing practically effortless? With Lightning Fast Grant Writing, there is. 

Check out our new website for more details by clicking on Lightning Fast Grant Writing


Thursday, June 24, 2021

Gold for Everyone! Open the Vault of Foundation Grants for Your Non-Profit


For the first time in a decade, I will be teaching a rare two-day session of Grant Writing Fundamentals. This is a fleeting opportunity to learn the most important things I know about grant writing during a weekday, online course. (Normally, I only teach on Saturdays.) 

This new, updated, Zoom class will be offered from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, July 7 and 8, 2021.

For students in the Philippines who are scheduled to participate in this class, the Zoom meeting will run from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Philippine Time on Thursday and Friday mornings, July 8 and 9, 2021.

Special Schedule for Students from the Philippines

Why the change? I am teaching the class on two weekdays as a favor for a dear friend, Dr. Rufino L. Macagba Jr., the chairman, and president of Lorma Medical Center and Lorma Colleges in the Philippines. To provide my course in an accessible manner, I had to split it in half and teach it over two weekdays. 

For those who know best, you will undoubtedly be relieved to learn that I have finally found a way to teach students in the morning while avoiding the morning myself. 

The pricing for the Zoom class is about the same as what is charged by the community colleges which offer Grant Writing Fundamentals in California. The course fee is $70 and there is a materials fee of $45. The total price is $115. The materials fee includes your booklet and handouts for the course. Right now, there are only seven seats left. If you want to access this class and interact with some of the greatest and nicest people you will ever meet, it would be wise to buy the class right now. Just click on the button below.

Course Description

Learn this valuable skill in a highly interactive videoconferencing format from the comfort of your home. Join Dr. Drew in an invigorating and informative workshop created for new and experienced grant writers, executive directors, organizers, board members, community volunteers, and individuals who want to get a detailed look at the grant writing process. Dr. Drew will introduce you to all information needed for a successful grant proposal. You will learn how funding is announced, how applications are judged, and how to construct each element of a winning proposal. The techniques Dr. Drew emphasizes—including how to work quickly, how to create a winning message, and basic evaluation techniques—apply with equal force to small or large grants. Certificate of completion given to each participant who finishes the class.

About Dr. Drew

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an author, trainer, speaker, and consultant. Dr. Drew has raised over $53 million for charities including the Los Angeles SPCA, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, and the Petersen Automotive Museum. Dr. Drew has taught at Cornell University, Hope International University, University of Oregon, and Williams College. He is the founder of the International Grant Writers Association.

Course Popularity

Antelope Valley College - since 2007, Glendale Community College – since 2007, Gavilan College since 2008. It has been popular throughout southern California at the following schools: Chaffey, College of the Canyons, Cuyamaca College, Imperial Valley College, Irvine Valley College, Long Beach Community College, Los Angeles Harbor College, Mira Costa College, Orange Coast College, Santa Ana College, Santiago Canyon College, Riverside College, Rio Hondo College, West Los Angeles College, and Soka University.

Praise for Dr. Drew's Courses

“Learned about the database to find grants.” – Nicole Sims, West Los Angeles College

“Interacting with the group sparked many great ideas.” - Neekole Glaspie, West Los Angeles College

"Very informative, with positive energy transferred to the students."

"The course was very inviting. Dr. Drew was very clear and knowledgeable. He made it easier for me to achieve my goals and enjoy success in life."

"Dr. John Drew was very knowledgeable, invigorating, timely, and made learning interesting and clear."

"This was constant, good practical information. The first 15 minutes made the whole class worth it!"

"Dr. Drew is wonderful. He taught me a lot in a very short time."

"The course was very informative and gave me a good insight into what it takes to be a grant writer."

"This class was excellent and very informative."

"Great class. Thank you for offering it!"

"Yay! Great class!"

"Excellent-- I really enjoyed Dr. Drew. Best organized information."

"Dr. Drew has given me the tools to stay motivated and to move forward on my non-profit."

"Overall outstanding."


Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Looking At the Neighbors: Critiquing the Paint Designs at Milano and Expressions

 I thought it would be useful to provide some more comments about the paint designs being used by our neighbors at Expressions and Milano. 

In some ways, Expressions is a botched paint job. The black balcony railings look good, and so do the dark-colored doors. These were both good design choices. The dark-colored doors are visually interesting, and create more volume in the look. The railings aren't attractive and are properly de-emphasized. The problem with Expression, in my view, is it was a mistake to paint the trim darker than the walls on a number of the buildings. This is what is giving them that blocky institutional look...sort of like a set of college dorms. In addition, the lighter-colored buildings are too washed out. The pinkish and cream-colored buildings seem especially bad to me. 

Milano is also botched and amateur-looking in many ways as well. I've already mentioned that the painting of the garage trim is a mistake. The design calls attention to one of their most attractive features, rows of similar garage doors. By highlighting the trim around the garages they called attention to one of the least attractive aspects of the complex. 

There are also numerous errors at Milano, particularly with the lighter buildings on which they painted darker trim. I certainly recommend that Del Prado study up on our neighbors and that we hire a competent designer who can help us create a better design that will help us look better than either Milano or Expressions. 

I am enjoying your phone calls and design tips. Please call me anytime at 949-338-5921. I'll put this article on my business blog too in case it is censored. 

Unfortunately, it looks like a small number of our neighbors are pushing through the blah, 1980s style paint schemes they seemingly prefer without first doing the proper thing which would be to interview three designers, tour their projects, and then choose the one who is best for us. If they are allowed to continue on this path, I'm afraid they will cost some of us up to $35,000 apiece in lost valuation. 

I should add that we need to deal with the disgusting, underlying wood rot and moisture issues on the roofs before we even think of repainting the roof trim. That would be a monumental financial mistake. We need to stabilize the moisture content of the trim before we even consider repainting it. The installation of moisture barriers would do the trick. Given the underlying structural issues of the roof, I think we have plenty of time to slow down, educate ourselves on color theory and design. Once everyone is up to speed, we should interview a number of competent designers and then pick the one that will do a world-class job we can be proud of.

Sunday, May 30, 2021

Will a Free Designer be Good Enough? Modernizing the Del Prado Paint Job

I thought it would be fun to share with you my design-related comments for the modernization of the exterior colors at Del Prado. It looks like Ashlie Hadley deleted my earlier comments. If you are interested in what I have to offer, please read this right away before she deletes it again. 


Personally, I am concerned because I know that a quality paint job on my building could increase the value of my investment by at least $30,000. I don't think we are going to create that sort of increased value if we go with the "free" designer that we used last time. Look at the choices a competent designer needs to make...


1. Break Up the Flat Look.


The best feature of Del Prado is the variation in the surfaces of the buildings. Ideally, the colors should be chosen to highlight that variation. This means darker cooler colors for walls closest to the center of the buildings and lighter warmer colors for the walls furthest from the center. 


2. De-Emphasize the Trim


One of the ugliest features of Del Prado is the cheap trim. This trim is frequently afflicted with dry rot and peeling paint. Right now, this poor quality trim is painted a glaring bright white color. The current bright white color is the mistake of a hopeless amateur. Colors always look brighter on the exterior of a building than they do in the paint sample. Competent designers compensate for this by choosing exterior paint colors that are darker than normal. Once those colors are in the bright light, they perform well. Going forward, we should de-emphazize the trim by picking a darker color. Ideally, the trim should be the same color as the roof tile or the buildings themselves. Above all, we need to fix the underlying problems that cause the trim to rot on us.  


3. Repair the Roofs Before Painting the Roof Trim.


Unfortunately, we have a severe design problem at Del Prado. There isn't an adequate moisture barrier between the tiles on the roofs and the white wood fascia on the edges. The moisture is leaking through and causing us all sorts of headaches including continual rotting of the wood and peeling of the paint. Clearly, no paint job should be initiated until we change the roof design and install standard moisture barriers. Otherwise, we are simply wasting our money. 


4. Avoid the Dated 1980s Look


Right now, much of Del Prado is painted the exact same color. This makes us look tired and old-fashioned compared to our up-to-date neighbors. A contemporary color scheme makes sense today because of improvements in paint technology, particularly in the stability of darker paints. 


All in all, I still have the same recommendations. Let's interview three designers before we pick one and ask them to pick colors on our behalf. Let's fix the underlying moisture problems that are causing the fascia to rot and the paint on the fascia to peel. Let's study our neighboring complexes to see what they have done. After all, we are talking about an extra $30,000 or so in the pockets of our homeowners. The choices we face and the processes we follow are too important to leave to a free designer who will invest the sort of effort needed to do things exactly right. 

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Del Prado opinion: Is it time to update the Del Prado color scheme to match our neighbors?

I thought it would be a good idea to highlight the difficulty of picking colors for complex condominium projects by reviewing what was done at two neighboring projects. 

I will, of course, be offering my full report to the paint committee and the Board of Directors. 

Milano. 

Milano has adopted a complex, up-to-date color scheme, which has made their complex more attractive than ours. Notice what they did. First, they picked out three different color schemes for their large buildings. There is a beige version, a pinkish version, and a darker brown version. 

What is interesting to me about Milano is how they varied the color pallet within the buildings. For example, parts of the building that stick out are painted in lighter colors. This is to make those features of the building look lighter and less obtrusive. (We could do the same here at Del Prado if we had the right designer in place.) The portions of the building that are more recessed, however, are in darker colors. I think they did a good job in pulling this off. I also notice that the trim in Milano isn't very interesting. They covered it up by painting it the same color as the buildings themselves. 

The one mistake I see at Milano is the way they made the garage areas so light and then put dark paint on the trim around each garage door. This was a design mistake because it called attention to an unattractive feature of the building. I think a better color scheme would have been to pick a slightly darker color for the garage areas painting the walls and the trim the same color. 

One contrast between the 1980s and today is that building exterior colors have gotten darker, probably because of improvements in paint quality. In the 1980s, for example, it was considered a mistake to use too many dark colors because there were more likely to fade on you. 

Expressions. 

Expressions are interesting in that they too choose different overall colors to make the buildings individualized. They are also strict about highlighting every bit of trim in their complex. Since their trim is nice, this was probably a good idea. 

I notice that they de-emphasized the railings on the porches by painting them black. This is a means of making them less noticeable. At Del Prado, we have that same dated, step pattern on our balconies, a relic of the 1980s obsession with all things Southwest. 

Here, we might follow their lead and go with darker colors for the railings too. The doors in Expressions are subdued, generally a dark red or a dark blue which looks acceptable compared to the building colors. My main point, of course, is that to get the best possible paint job for Del Prado we need to do a careful survey of our neighboring complexes and we need to pick an experienced designer who can make the most of what we have to offer. 




Recommendations for Doing a State of the Art Paint Design at Del Prado


As a board member, I think we probably failed the new paint committee by not providing them with a precise mission and more detailed tasks to complete. Here are my suggestions for getting things back on track. 

1. Research Stage. Analysis: As far as I can tell, they are working off of inaccurate information, particularly regarding our closest neighbors Expressions and Milano. Recommendation: The committee will serve us best if they go back to the basics and present the board of directors with a report which surveys the neighboring communities before they do anything else. 

2. Choice of Designer. Analysis: The repainting of the condos requires the work of a skilled, professional designer. The condos are more complex and more difficult to design for than the villas which are basically individual, small homes. Repainting the condos will require much greater and detailed attention to a) which features need to be accented and b) which features need to be minimized. Because the condos have larger blocks of color, these color choices need to be handled with great sensitivity. Recommendation: We should interview at least three designers, review their portfolios, and pick the one that best matches our needs. 

3. Representation. Analysis: The interests of villa owners and condo owners are not the same. Recommendation: I have two ideas. First, representation on the committee should be enlarged to accurately reflect the proportion of condo and villa owners in the complex. I think Steve agrees with this. Second, no villa owners should be involved in paint choices regarding the condos for conflict of interest reasons. 

4. Minutes of Meetings. Analysis: State of CA law requires board committees to compile minutes. The paint committee basically hired a designer without consulting with us first. They need to slow down and share with us, in writing, what they are doing. Potentially, if we had minutes of their meetings we might have been able to realize our mistake in establishing their mission and then steer them in the right direction sooner.

Recommendations: The paint committee should follow State of California law and providing us with the minutes of their meetings.

Rethinking the Paint Committee

Almost all of the complexes around us have abandoned the 1980s style in favor of an approach that assigns slightly different, but still matching, colors to the larger buildings. This is done, in part, to create a smaller, home-like feeling in what would otherwise be a warehouse-like environment. Unfortunately, keeping with our existing color scheme looks to me like a somewhat risky approach. Our complex already looks dated and elderly compared to our neighbors.  

Nevertheless, I know there are strong opinions on each side. I'd like to hear your opinion on the topic. Please send me an email at johndrew25@msn.com or call me on my cell at 949-338-5921. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

I was a little bit shocked to learn that the committee we tasked with picking a color scheme for Del Prado has already made the decision to maintain the dreary, dated 1980s look of the complex. You know what I mean. That drab, browning yellow, stretching on the block after block without interruption. It was a bad idea in the 1980s and it is still a bad idea now. 

One of the reasons why we all know this is a bad idea is by viewing the HOA complexes all around us. I drove around with Trish to take a look. They are all using the new, more varied, modern style. Below us on Expressions, each building is a slightly different tint. Moreover, the colors are chosen to bring out key architectural features and cover up less appealing architectural features. 

Likewise, over at Impressions, the buildings are painted slightly different to create a refreshing more human scale. I drove around our whole neighborhood and didn't notice a single building complex that has maintained the old-fashioned 1980s style. 

Even here at Del Prado, we changed out of the 1980s style a number of years ago and adjusted the paint scheme so that the Villas matched our neighbors even as the condos were left in the 1980s approach. To me, the risking choice is maintaining an old-fashioned look that makes us stand out from our neighbors, which makes us, in a sense, an abnormality in our community, or - more succinctly - and an eyesore. 

I'm having a hard time understanding why a group of people would decide to stick with an obviously flawed, dated, and unpopular color scheme. To my surprise, two of the people who I thought got it, and favored an updated, contemporary look, flip-flopped on me and announced their support for this drab, dated alternative. 

I asked for reasons. 

Here is the best that I got. It is important to keep the 1980s style because otherwise, the complex would look cluttered. 

As far as I can tell, not a single person on the committee debated this premise. I haven't seen any justification. The fact of the matter is that the contemporary trend is to make large complexes appear to be smaller, built to a human and not an industrial warehouse scale. The reason why so many of our neighbors have dropped the 1980s style is that they are trying to get away from the warehouse look, they are trying to make their neighborhoods look smaller, friendlier, and populated with smaller structures that address a human scale, not an industrial scale. 

The illusion created by contemporary paint schemes is to emphasize the individuality and character of each residence. 

This is why other HOAs give homeowners the opportunity to pick the color of their door, even though they may have no say on the color of their overall building. Likewise, the new color schemes make the complex family-friendly by emphasizing the different units and not a massive, corporate, blah. 

Besides, this is not the color scheme that was used on the Villas. These homeowners enjoy a contemporary look that matches with the style of the other neighborhoods. If the paint scheme harms the community by making it look choppy, then why does the modern look seem so perfect when it is applied to all the Villas. Frankly, all we are really asking is that the condos be treated equally as the Villas when it comes to having a modern and up-to-date image. 



Thursday, May 6, 2021

Dr. Drew to Offer Grant Writing Fundamentals Class in New Two Evening Format for Busy Executives in the US and Philippines


I am excited to announce that I will be offering my Grant Writing Fundamentals class as a two-day evening event from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM on July 7 and 8, 2021. This new class is being offered, in part, to meet the needs of non-profit executives in the Philippines who could not take a regular Saturday course. The picture above is one of my favorites. It shows me teaching a class for the Lorma Hospital Foundation in March 2005. 

This new class has a fee of $115 which includes a $45 course materials fee. You can secure your place now by clicking on one of the buttons below.


For local participants, this rare evening class provides an opportunity to enjoy Grant Writing Fundamentals without having to commit a whole day to the process. It is also a great opportunity to refresh your understanding of grant writing, learn about my latest ideas and techniques, and meet class members from around the globe. 

Grant Writing Fundamentals (Remote Live) Course Description

Learn this valuable skill in a highly interactive videoconferencing format from the comfort of your home. Join Dr. Drew in an invigorating and informative workshop created for new and experienced grant writers, executive directors, organizers, board members, community volunteers, and individuals who want to get a detailed look at the grant writing process. Dr. Drew will introduce you to all information needed for a successful grant proposal. You will learn how funding is announced, how applications are judged, and how to construct each element of a winning proposal. The techniques Dr. Drew emphasizes—including how to work quickly, how to create a winning message, and basic evaluation techniques—apply with equal force to small or large grants. Certificate of completion given to each participant who finishes the class.


Sunday, April 18, 2021

Sign Up Now for Dr. Drew's Fall 2021 Workshops

Grant Writing Fundamentals (Remote Live) 

Learn this valuable skill in a highly interactive videoconferencing format from the comfort of your home. Join Dr. Drew in an invigorating and informative workshop created for new and experienced grant writers, executive directors, organizers, board members, community volunteers, and individuals who want to get a detailed look at the grant writing process. Dr. Drew will introduce you to all information needed for a successful grant proposal. You will learn how funding is announced, how applications are judged, and how to construct each element of a winning proposal. The techniques Dr. Drew emphasizes—including how to work quickly, how to create a winning message, and basic evaluation techniques—apply with equal force to small or large grants. Certificate of completion given to each participant who finishes the class. 

Meeting: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 18, 2021

Course Fee: $144 includes a $36 materials fee for handouts and booklet. Pay before September 1, 2021 and you will receive the early bird special pricing of 20% off. 




Grant Writing Intermediate (Remote Live)

Dr. Drew presents this hands-on workshop as part of the Grant Writing series of classes. In it, he reveals the secrets of cashing in on grants for individuals in a new, innovative videoconferencing format. Unlimited by the boundaries of a classroom, this new class leverages all the benefits of modern technology to assist individuals seeking resources from corporations, foundations, and government agencies. Dr. Drew also teaches the skills needed to be successful in researching individual grants or educational scholarships. You will have step-by-step guidance on how to become a grant-writing consultant or to create a non-profit charity. John C. Drew, Ph.D., is a speaker, author, and consultant who has raised $52 million for non-profits. 

Meeting: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 9, 2021

Course Fee: $144 includes $36 materials fee for handouts and booklet. Pay before October 1, 2021 and you will receive the early bird special pricing of 20% off. 




Grant Research Fundamentals (Remote Live)

NOW Remote – Truly at least half of your success in winning grants depends on your skill in researching them. Accordingly, this class has been created for non-profit leaders and staff who need a detailed look at the technology and the practical tips needed to speed-up the grant research process. Participants will be introduced to: 
  • Top websites for grant research including those provided by the federal government, State of California, and the Foundation Directory Online by Candid.
  • Useful websites for identifying individual grants for art projects, scholarly research, and college and graduate school scholarships.
This course has been redesigned for the on-line environment. It will now be easier for students to see grant research websites and other tools in action and simultaneously interact with the instructor. 

Meeting: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 13, 2021

Course Fee: $144 includes $36 materials fee for handouts and booklet. Pay before November 1, 2021 and you will receive the early bird special pricing of 20% off. 




Fundraising Fundamentals (Remote Live)

NOW Remote – Learn this valuable skill in a highly interactive videoconferencing format from the comfort of your home. Non-profits can win reliable support through grants, but they also need to know the most important basics about other fundraising methods. "I can’t teach everything I know about fundraising," says Dr. Drew, "but I can teach the six most important things I think will make the biggest possible difference for your success." In this workshop, an award-winning author, trainer, and consultant introduces simple proven techniques and strategies. Participants will learn how fundraising has evolved, how new software keeps track of donors, and how to win individual gifts without the pressure of a face-to-face ask. 

Meeting: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2021

Course Fee: $144 includes a $36 materials fee for handouts and booklet. Pay before December 15, 2021 and you will receive the early bird special pricing of 20% off. 





Praise for Dr. Drew’s Workshops 

“Learned about the database to find grants.” – Nicole Sims, West Los Angeles College

 “Interacting with the group sparked many great ideas.” - Neekole Glaspie, West Los Angeles College


"Very informative, with positive energy transferred to the students." 

"The course was very inviting. Dr. Drew was very clear and knowledgeable. He made it easier for me to achieve my goals and enjoy success in life." 

"Dr. John Drew was very knowledgeable, invigorating, timely, and made learning interesting and clear." 

"This was constant, good practical information. The first 15 minutes made the whole class worth it!" 

"Dr. Drew is wonderful. He taught me a lot in a very short time." 

"The course was very informative and gave me a good insight into what it takes to be a grant writer." 

"This class was excellent and very informative." 

"Great class. Thank you for offering it!" 

"Yay! Great class!" 

"Excellent-- I really enjoyed Dr. Drew. Best organized information." 

"Dr. Drew has given me the tools to stay motivated and to move forward on my non-profit." 

"Overall outstanding." 

More Upcoming Dates for Spring 2022

Grant Writing Fundamentals - February 26, 2022

Grant Writing Intermediate – March 12, 2022

Grant Research Fundamentals - April 9, 2022

Fund Raising Fundamentals – May 7, 2022