TargetED Series: Shifting Perspectives to Enhance Your Grant Competitiveness
April 14 @ 2:00 pm - June 30 @ 2:45 pm
$175 – $475
April 14th – 2:00 PM – 2:45 pm
April 28th – 2:00 PM – 2:45 pm
May 12th – 2:00 PM – 2:45 pm
June 2nd – 2:00 PM – 2:45 pm
June 16th – 2:00 PM – 2:45 pm
June 30th – 2:00 PM – 2:45 pm
Registration Fees: $175 per person OR $475 for 2-10 people
REGISTER NOW
Series Overview:
The funding landscape is changing rapidly, requiring nonprofits to innovate and adapt to remain competitive. Funders are shifting their priorities, expecting organizations to go beyond traditional grantwriting approaches and demonstrate long-term impact, sustainability, and strategic alignment.
To succeed in this ever-evolving environment, you must rethink your strategies and adopt new perspectives that resonate with today’s funders.
In this six-part TargetED series, you’ll gain the insights and practical tools needed to strengthen your grant proposals and position your organization for funding success. Each session will help you embrace a key strategic shift, allowing you to navigate the modern funding landscape with confidence.
Throughout the series, you’ll learn how to:
- align your proposals with emerging funding trends and strategic priorities;
- communicate economic impact effectively to strengthen your case for support;
- craft strength-based narratives that highlight resilience and community assets;
- design innovative, scalable programs that demonstrate long-term sustainability;
- develop strategic accountability frameworks to showcase measurable impact; and,
- use compelling storytelling to create memorable and persuasive grant applications.
Each TargetED session is 45 minutes long and begins at 2 PM ET.
Session Descriptions:
April 14
Shifting From Traditional Giving to Strategic Investment*
The current federal grant landscape is marked by confusion and shifts in funding priorities, with many organizations reevaluating their strategies. A likely result is increased competition for private and corporate funding. During this session, Alice Ruhnke will explore key trends in funding along with strategies to align your proposals with evolving priorities, including economic value, innovation, and long-term sustainability.
April 28
Shifting the Focus of Your Grants From Social to Economic Impact
As funders increasingly prioritize economic value, nonprofits must demonstrate how their initiatives stimulate local economies, reduce public costs, or contribute to workforce development. Learn how to quantify and communicate your program’s economic impact, making your case compelling to funders seeking social investments with tangible returns.
May 12
Shifting From Deficit-Based to Strength-Based Grant Narratives
Funders are moving away from deficit-focused narratives and toward initiatives that celebrate community strengths and capacities. This session will teach you how to craft proposals that highlight resilience, empowerment, and assets, resonating with funders interested in sustainable, community-led change.
June 2
Shifting From Static Program Models to Scalable Innovations
Innovation and scalability are now key requirements for competitive grant proposals. This session will focus on designing programs that are adaptable, scalable, and replicable—demonstrating potential for broad impact and long-term sustainability.
June 16
Shifting From Basic Grant Reporting to Strategic Accountability
Accountability and transparency are more critical than ever in building trust with funders. Learn how to develop advanced reporting frameworks that go beyond basic metrics, showcasing clear and transparent outcome measurements that demonstrate accountability, effectiveness, and sustainability.
June 30
Shifting From Data-Driven Proposals to Compelling Grant Narratives
In a crowded field of applications, storytelling remains a powerful tool to connect with funders on both an emotional and intellectual level. Learn to balance data-driven evidence with compelling narratives that resonate with reviewers and effectively communicate the impact of your programs.
Who should attend:
TargetEDs are designed with beginners in mind. This series is ideal for nonprofit leaders, grantwriters, development staff, and program managers looking to refine their grant strategies and stay ahead of shifting funding trends.
After each webinar, you’ll receive:
- slides and handouts; and,
- a link to the webinar recording.
*The session on April 14, Shifting From Traditional Giving to Strategic Investment, is a free TargetED event. All other sessions are paid. You’ll save $20 by joining the entire series.
Full participation in this webinar is applicable for 6 points in Category 1.B -Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
Can’t attend live and still want to watch the webinar?
Want to review the materials after the session?
You will receive an email with the full recording and any handouts within 10 business days after the webinar.
After you register, you will receive the following emails:
- A sales receipt for your bookkeeping records
- A confirmation email from Zoom with the login credentials
- Instructions for other attendees if you registered a group
If you do not receive these emails within 48 hours of registering, please email or call 1-877-784-7268.
GrantStation does not refund registration fees. Fees may be applied to any webinar scheduled within 30 days.
Alice Ruhnke
Alice Ruhnke is the President of GrantStation. Having raised over $45 million from federal, state, and private grantmakers, she knows what it takes to get funded. As a former nonprofit program coordinator and director, and Founder of The Grant Advantage, Alice has a deep understanding of the challenges that nonprofits face. Over the last 20 years she’s worked in the trenches with hundreds of nonprofit organizations to improve their capacity to raise funds. Alice is an author and educator with a passion to share her expertise. Her insightful trainings on grant proposal writing and development, community change models, service projects, and measuring outcomes have helped over 4,000 individuals positively impact their communities. Alice earned the Grant Professional Certified (GPC) credential in 2025, a distinguished certification that recognizes expertise in grantsmanship through a rigorous, experience-based examination.
