Workshops, scheduled July 25-26, will offer a hands-on approach to grant writing
The Somerset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority (SPEDA) will partner with Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Inc. (SOAR), Grant Ready Kentucky and Somerset Community College (SCC) to host a Grants 101 and 201 Workshop in July in Somerset.
The workshops will provide a hands-on introduction approach to grant writing and provide the steps and resources to compete and secure grant dollars.
The workshops will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 25 and 26 at SCC, 808 Monticello St. in Somerset.
“Re-investing in the people who invest in Somerset-Pulaski County by choosing to work and provide services here is a vital part of enhancing economic and workforce development,” said Chris Girdler, SPEDA President and CEO. “We constantly look for training opportunities that will help local organizations gain a competitive advantage and give them the tools and resources they need to be successful. Understanding how to apply for grants is incredibly important for every organization, and we’re proud to partner with SOAR, Grant Ready Kentucky and SCC to help them enhance these skills.”
SOAR and its partners created the workshops to equip organizations with the basics to identify, compete, and ultimately win funding from federal and state governments and foundations.
During the two days, participants will learn about and complete actual work related to:
- Proposal planning and writing
- Reviewing a request for proposal
- Identifying data to validate problem(s) and solution(s)
- Development outcomes, methods, and action steps
- Creating an evaluation plan and budget
- Discussing requirement attachments to grant applications
- Identifying data sources for supporting the problem
- Reviewing a funded grant application
- Discovering how to find federal grant opportunities
- Discovering how to find private foundation grant opportunities
“This training will provide practical steps, best practices, and examples while allowing participants to work in groups, brainstorm, and place their idea on paper or further develop an existing idea,” said Joshua Ball, Chief Operating Officer of SOAR. “We want to empower communities and organizations to apply for grants and be competitive and secure grant funding. That takes planning and a very detailed approach.”
The workshops will be facilitated by Melissa Vermillion. She is one of only a dozen people in Kentucky to earn the Grant Professional Certification through the Grant Professionals Certification Institute. Vermillion is a grant writer at Hazard Community & Technical College, where she has served in that capacity since 2012.
She serves on the Kentucky Chapter of Grants Professional Association’s Board of Directors. Vermillion has extensive experience working with and securing funding through government agencies and foundations, including:
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Economic Development Administration
- Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization Program
- Kentucky’s Council on Post-Secondary Education
- National Endowment for the Arts
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- Appalachian Regional Commission
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HRSA)
- U.S. Department of Education TRIO Program
- James Graham Brown Foundation
Registrants are required to be in attendance on both days and a representative from the organization should bring a laptop. Registration is $25 with lunch and snacks provided. Scholarships are available.
Email info@soar-ky.org for more information.