September 17, 2003 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Q. I live in Manhattan and am looking to move into the nonprofit arena after many years in the corporate world. Most of the positions I seek require some fund-raising or grant-proposal writing skills. Where can I find courses given in these areas?
A. You can find anything in Manhattan, and training in proposal writing and fund raising is no exception. You’ll find plenty of courses in grant-proposal writing at the Foundation Center, at a modest cost. (One forthcoming, basic, all-day proposal-writing seminar costs $195.) You may also want to check out several online seminars available on the center’s Web site, which give you an overview of the entire grant-proposal- writing process. Readers in other parts of the country will also find courses in their cities listed on the site. Look under the menu marked “Learning Lab.” And be sure to check out the Chronicle’s online calendar of workshops and other events.
For fund-raising course work, the Greater New York Chapter of the Association for Fundraising Professionals is offering “Fundamentals of Fund Raising,” a series of eight courses starting September 18 at the Graduate Center at City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue. The sessions cost $50 each, or $275 for all eight. For more information, call (212) 582-8535 or go to the chapter’s Web site. If you can’t make that series, you might want to consider an online course offered through the national Association of Fundraising Professionals. Called “First Course,” this is a class that’s designed for people who are new to the field. You can take the course online for $400 if you’re an association member, $600 if you’re not.
In addition, sometimes state or regional umbrella associations; of nonprofit groups or nonprofit management-support centers sponsor workshops in fund-raising skills. Contact your local groups to find out what they offer.
