The Diocese Hosts a Grant Writing Workshop
Workshop presenter, Cindy Cutts
[May 15, 2019, Honolulu] The Diocese of Hawai'i hosted a Grant Writing Workshop on Saturday, May 4, 2019, at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Honolulu. The Rev. John Hau'oli Tomoso (Good Shepherd), who recently retired from a career of grant writing, and Cindy Cutts (St. Jude's), a successful grant writer (who jokingly says she thought she was retired), worked together to create a three-part program, breaking down the various pieces of grant writing. Unfortunately, Fr. Tomoso was unable to attend due to a medical conflict, but Cindy Cutts took the reigns and led a very successful and engaging workshop.
Writing a grant can be a daunting task, but those in attendance learned insider strategies to finding a grant and completing a grant application. The workshop began with an outline of the many steps in grant writing; forming a grant writing team, assembling data, identifying goals and objects, planning for outreach, creating a budget, etc. A second presentation was dedicated to the actual writing of the grant, and how to make each word of a grant meaningful.
The workshop was attended by a mix of seasoned grant writers and beginners, who asked questions and shared their experiences in grant writing. Hal Barnes, experienced in writing federal grants, offered his wisdom throughout the day. Plane diversions and delays made Ed Reiners from the Church of the Holy Apostles, two hours late for the workshop, but he still found great value from it.
Writing a grant can be a daunting task, but those in attendance learned insider strategies to finding a grant and completing a grant application. The workshop began with an outline of the many steps in grant writing; forming a grant writing team, assembling data, identifying goals and objects, planning for outreach, creating a budget, etc. A second presentation was dedicated to the actual writing of the grant, and how to make each word of a grant meaningful.
The workshop was attended by a mix of seasoned grant writers and beginners, who asked questions and shared their experiences in grant writing. Hal Barnes, experienced in writing federal grants, offered his wisdom throughout the day. Plane diversions and delays made Ed Reiners from the Church of the Holy Apostles, two hours late for the workshop, but he still found great value from it.
"Even though I didn't get the full workshop, I was very impressed with the information provided," shared Ed. "Cindy is a valuable resource to the church and is so generous to share her knowledge."
A final session examined the different sections common on most grants, such as understanding the difference between goals and objectives, how to design a budget sheet, showcase sustainability or secure a strong letter of support.
"I thought the most important lesson of the workshop was the need to dream big, then create a sustainable program to fulfill that dream, and then write the grant," said Ed about his take-away from the workshop. "It is the opposite of writing grant proposals and then if you get the money, figuring out how to put the program together. Sustainability is the key to grant writing. Now I am beginning to write my first grant, trying to get some funds to do a water line repair at the church."
A final session examined the different sections common on most grants, such as understanding the difference between goals and objectives, how to design a budget sheet, showcase sustainability or secure a strong letter of support.
"I thought the most important lesson of the workshop was the need to dream big, then create a sustainable program to fulfill that dream, and then write the grant," said Ed about his take-away from the workshop. "It is the opposite of writing grant proposals and then if you get the money, figuring out how to put the program together. Sustainability is the key to grant writing. Now I am beginning to write my first grant, trying to get some funds to do a water line repair at the church."
Tips from the workshop included confirming the math on the budget sheet, meeting deadlines, answering each question succinctly and putting together a strong team to help write a grant. The Rev. Cn. Alexander "Sandy" Graham, who hosted the event, closed out the workshop with a final group discussion.
“Grants are a viable possibility for many congregations,” says Cutts, “but it can’t be done by one writer. It takes a team to assemble all the data, information and different pieces to build a strong grant. If your team works together, plays by the rules of a grant, follows directions and meets the deadline, you will be competitive in the grant world.”
Sybil Nishioka, Editor and Communications Contractor, Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i
