Course Description Five weekly sessions on successful grant writing to family and corporate foundations will be presented by long-time freelance grant writer Scott Evans. The workshop is designed to help participants develop winning grant proposals in an interactive style. You'll have homework every week.
Q – Everyone has AI. Do they really need a course on grant writing?
Scott – AI is very good at some aspects of grant writing, but it misses a couple of very important things.
Q – Such as?
Scott – First, AI often misses the strategy behind a proposal. It can write words, but it doesn't always know which points deserve the most emphasis and which details to minimize. In the course, we focus on identifying and communicating those key points that win support.
Second, the class emphasizes something AI can't easily teach: how to think like a funder.
We talk a lot about funders: What are they Like? What do they Know? What are they looking for? What are red flags in a proposal? Once you understand that mindset, your writing changes dramatically—and it becomes much more persuasive.
Q – Does AI change the way you teach the course?
Scott – Absolutely. AI allows us to spend less time worrying about grammar, sentence structure, and basic wording. I have a couple of great prompts I use to get AI to phrase things in a way that is most appealing to family and corporate foundations.
Because AI can assist with the mechanics of writing, we can spend more time on strategy.
Q – You mention family and corporate foundations. Is that the focus of the class?
Scott – Yes. The course is specifically designed for organizations seeking support from family and corporate foundations. Government grants are a very different process, so they aren't a major focus.
Q – Do You use AI in your grant writing?
Scott – Yes. My current view of AI is that of a collaborator, a writing partner. I craft the strategy and a draft. I work “with” AI and hammer it out. We go back and forth until I think we have the best and most persuasive proposal.
Q – The course is entirely on Zoom. Does that work well?
Scott – It actually works exceptionally well.
One of the most valuable parts of the course is the weekly homework assignment. Students submit their work, and we review examples together during class. I provide feedback live and then follow up with written comments afterward. I invite students to comment on each other’s proposals.
There's another benefit that's easy to overlook: most nonprofit professionals never get to see grant proposals from other organizations. In this class, you'll see a dozen or more real examples. You'll learn what works, what doesn't, and you'll discover ideas and phrases you can adapt for your own proposals. I’m all for stealing ideas!
Q – It sounds like you’re enjoying this.
Scott – I really love teaching this class. It's rewarding to help nonprofits tell their stories more clearly and watch their proposals come to life. Over the years, I've had many conversations with funders, and one thing I've heard repeatedly is that a surprising number of proposals are confusing. Most funders say at least 30% of the proposals are confusing. Many say 50% and one even said 90%!
My big win is getting the proposals from my students to be in the basket of proposals funders DO understand. I’m helping nonprofits. I’m helping people explain their programs better. I’m even helping funders in receiving more comprehensible proposals. All of that is super fun!
Members $375 Non-Members $475
Early-bird discounts of $50 until July 10
No refunds after 7/22/2026
Comments from Attendees at Previous Courses
I've gotta take this opportunity to say that the classes have been incredibly beneficial for me. I'm brand spanking new to grant writing and I've taken over a position that my predecessor exited about 6 months ago. I'm playing catch up without a compass. So these classes are my life raft.
I liked that we got to go through every major portion of grant proposal. The workbook is so helpful!
“Thank you again for such a wonderful course! It was so informational and practical, and I loved getting to connect with so many other nonprofit professionals.”
Scott's grant writing course gives you the tools to feel comfortable and confident in your grant writing skills. I enjoyed the class exercises and felt l like I gained a lot of insight from them. I am excited to incorporate the concepts we discussed in class into the next grants I write. Thank you, Scott!”
About the Instructor: Scott Evans has been a freelance grant writer since 2005 and is the former Director of Development for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. Scott has written proposals for many types of non-profits including education, research, human services, youth development, workforce development, and the arts. He also serves as the Administrator for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Orange County and our own Desert Communities chapters. His measurement of the success of the course is dependent on participants’ writing improvement and their better understanding of the audience that is reading their proposals and making decisions. With that, participants will create clear overtures that accurately portray their organizations’ good works.
If you have questions about the course, contact Scott Evans directly at 714-797-2240 or scottevans1@yahoo.com
