The Public Manager's Grant Writing Intensive: Build Skills, Write Proposals, Secure Funding

Schedule

If paying by credit card or e-check, please register online via the "Register Online" button above. If paying via a purchase order or voucher, please complete the registration form linked below and submit via the email address listed on the form.

Registration Form

The Public Manager’s Grant Writing Intensive is a six-week professional development program designed for public managers who want to strengthen their ability to identify funding opportunities, write competitive grant proposals, and manage grants responsibly after an award.

Billions in grant funding go unclaimed each year, often because public managers lack the time, tools, or training to pursue available opportunities. This program helps participants build the skills needed to move from a funding idea to a complete proposal draft, including scoping a fundable need, researching grant opportunities, crafting persuasive narratives, developing compliant budgets, and planning for grant management and sustainability.

Each week, participants will learn through short readings, expert videos, peer discussions, applied assignments, and live sessions with experienced practitioners. By the end of the program, participants will have a complete grant proposal draft, a repeatable framework for future proposals, and greater confidence pursuing funding for their agencies, organizations, and communities.

By the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• Explain the essential elements of a competitive grant proposal
• Develop grant writing skills applicable to foundations, federal agencies, and corporate funders
• Identify strategies to cultivate and sustain donor and funder relationships
• Prepare a compelling, complete grant proposal

Students who complete the certificate program may apply for up to 3 credits of waivers towards the Rutgers-Camden Graduate School Executive MPA or MPA programs. This credit follows the guidelines for other transfer/transient credits, meaning that no more than 1/3 of the total degree requirements can be transferred.

A camera and microphone are required to participate in live Zoom sessions.

For information related to taking our online courses, visit our Online Course Information page.

Online Course Information

Module 1: Grants 101: The Public Manager’s Funding Landscape

Before you can write a winning grant, you need to understand the world you're entering. This module orients you to the grant ecosystem from a public sector perspective — who funds what, why it matters, and how grants fit into a broader resource development strategy. You'll identify the types of funders relevant to government programs, learn the language of grant-making, and begin scoping a funding need within your own agency or community.

Module 2: Building the Case: Needs Assessment and Problem Framing

The most compelling grants don't just describe problems — they prove them. This module focuses on the art and science of crafting a powerful Statement of Need that makes funders pay attention. You'll learn how to use data, local evidence, and community context to build an airtight case for your project. Public managers will practice translating bureaucratic program descriptions into persuasive narratives that resonate with reviewers.

Module 3: From Vision to Plan: Goals, Objectives, and Program Design

A grant proposal is only as strong as the plan behind it. This module moves you from problem identification to solution design — translating your Statement of Need into clearly defined goals, measurable objectives, and a program plan that funders can trust. Public managers will learn to write SMART goals, structure a logical program narrative, and align their planned activities to the outcomes funders care about. Budget preparation is covered in depth in Week 4.

Module 4: Show Me the Numbers: Grant Budget Preparation

Funders don't just fund ideas — they fund plans with credible numbers behind them. This module is dedicated entirely to the grant budget: how to build one, how to justify it, and how to avoid the most common mistakes that raise red flags for reviewers. You'll learn the anatomy of a grant budget, how to calculate direct and indirect costs, what in-kind contributions look like on paper, and how to write a budget narrative that tells a compelling story alongside the numbers.

Module 5: Writing to Win: Proposal Assembly and the Review Process

In Week 5, it all comes together. You'll learn what separates a fundable proposal from a forgettable one, and assemble your complete grant proposal draft by integrating the sections you've built over the past four weeks. We'll cover writing strategies for clarity, voice, and persuasion — and you'll get an inside look at what grant reviewers actually see and score. 

Module 6: After the Award: Grant Management, Reporting, and Sustainability

Winning the grant is just the beginning. This final module prepares you for what comes after the award letter — managing grant funds responsibly, building relationships with funders, meeting reporting requirements, and planning for sustainability once the grant period ends. You'll also reflect on your learning across the program and leave with a complete proposal draft and a practical roadmap for your first — or next — grant submission.