Learn Grant Writing - Anchorage, Alaska

N Barry-Jansson

There seem to be tons of grant writing courses, but when I found the CFRE-approved LearnGrantWriting.org (LGW) certification program and learned about The Global Grant Writers Collective (aka Unicorns), I knew it was worth pursuing!

My expectations for the program were very high. To me, the cost seemed high, as well, but I knew the value of networking with fellow students and professional grant writers was priceless! If the cost of the program is a concern, don't let it deter you. Reach out to LGW and consider looking around for local job retraining grants or funding sources. What you'll earn will cover the cost of the program and software. Many working Unicorns hire others within the Collective on a contract basis, so students who can work that way can cover the program cost and more.

Once I joined LGW, I completed the coursework, took the assessments, committed myself to each assignment, and submitted my certification materials within 3 months. The Collective forums are available to students from day 1, and are both a source of additional answers and immensely positive vibes! (Success stories are amazing. Nothing like reading that a fellow Unicorn just won $59M in grants for their organization. The Collective to date has won more than $1B in grant funding.)

Within 5 months of beginning the program, a fellow Unicorn referred me to a business owner supporting nonprofits looking to hire a remote grant writer. Two months later, I accepted a remote position with that company and I know what I learned in this program helped me clinch the job!

There are also many Unicorns who previously took grant writing courses elsewhere, including getting a degree in Grant Writing, only to discover that the LGW's content was so much better! LGW real-world content is created by senior grant writers, constantly updated, includes all the templates and resources to streamline the process, and is verified by working grant writers in the Collective. Guest presenters bring additional bleeding-edge bonus training materials and the LGW team is always planning more.

I rarely write reviews, let alone give 5 stars, but Learn Grant Writing plus the Collective have been game changers for me and I'd give them 10 stars if I could! If you are considering LGW, don't hesitate.

Gabi Lorino-Tyner

NOT RECOMMENDED for freelancers without established grant clients. This program is for people with grant writing jobs and freelancers who already have clients. It’s not for the freelancer who hasn’t done grant writing and who has no clients or connections, because 1) the training does not spell out how to look for clients most likely to need a grant writer and 2) you could be an accomplished writer, a scholar, and an excellent worker, but unless you’re good at selling your skills, this program will not work for you.
If you’re hesitant about joining, lean into that feeling. This may not be the right program for you. If you don’t have grant work already, I’d suggest getting certified through an accredited university program and/or obtaining experience in other ways first. If you’ll have to work for little to no money to gain experience, you don’t need a year-long program with the option to hire a coach at $100/hour on top of what you’re already paying for one-on-one help.
You have to find your own clients and work. They don’t help with that. If you’re like me, you’ll keep looking for clients until your intuition reminds you of the definition of insanity, and then you’ll stop and look for other work, plus maybe support some nonprofit that can’t afford to pay you just to get experience. A year-long grant writing program doesn't make sense in the absence of ongoing grant work. Eight months in, I was ready to move on.
The educational material, for the most part, is good. Did I learn a lot from this program? Yes. Am I certified? Yes. Have I used grant writing and research already with successful results? Yes, but as a volunteer. Do I imagine I could turn this into a career? Not really. Maybe eventually. Definitely not within the 1-year contract period I’m locked into paying.
At the 11-month mark, I got this message from the founder: “We want you to be taking home at least $100k in salary. If you're consulting, that means hitting $150-200k in revenue. How close are you to that number?” I'm still at zero, and I know I'm not the only one. Maybe it’s motivational for some, but I find this tone obnoxious. Not a match for me. Something to consider.
PS I never told this org that I earned any money from grant writing, nor did have I earned any money from grant writing as of this update, so Meredith's response about my earning $3k from grant writing is incorrect.

Sue Hinton

I joined LGW 2 1/2 years ago and haven't looked back. It is hard for me to imagine that you could find the expertise, training, resources, templates, and group/individual support anywhere else like you will find at LGW. The sheer volume of resources available to you is staggering and it is always growing. The LGW team is always looking for ways to increase their value. I am so glad I decided to take a chance on the goofy unicorn--it has changed my life!

H. Barnes

I have been with Learn Grant Writing for almost a year now. They give me the tool set to feel more confident in my work. This organization is beyond online education, creating an online community to support individuals gain key skills, time, and confidence to be successful in the field of grant writing. Would recommend to anyone looking to explore the grant field.

Sarah Peterson

Learn Grant Writing has allowed me to learn how to become a grant writer and start working for myself, at my own pace, with all of the materials easily laid out and VERY easy to follow. Earning while learning is a great approach and has sped up the process for me. SO glad I joined!

Lindsay Hosseini

The Learn Grant Writing program is a minimum 1 year commitment to learning the technical skills of grant research, grant writing, and project management. It offers self-paced training in the form of online videos/modules and an extensive community of coaches and fellow learners with various types/levels of expertise and experience. The program is definitely worth the cost, and having access to the community for support/advice/encouragement is really what makes it unique. If you're craving a career pivot and desire to become more autonomous professionally, look no further.

Haleigh Jinkins

Being a member of the Global Grant Writers Collective has paid off 10-fold in my grant writing career! As part of a small nonprofit team where I had a development role, I looked for ways to better structure our grant plan. I took advantage of the countless “freebies” on the Learn Grant Writing website and YouTube page to help me in my role, eventually using these templates to land a $15,000 salary support grant from a funder in a different state (this is big for the small nonprofit I worked at)! That grant was the beginning of my journey with Global Grant Writers Collective as I ventured out on my own to begin my own grant consulting company in 2022. I finally decided to commit to becoming an official member of the Collective and stop “lurking” in the background. 🙂 Since officially joining, I have so much more confidence in not only writing grants, but providing excellent service to clients and managing multiple projects. At this time, I have secured over $1 million for my clients and created 20 Funding Strategies, all with the guidance from the LGW Collective. I love being able to connect with other grant writers and have even made some friends along the way. I can’t recommend being a member of this group enough - it has certainly strengthened me professionally and personally. If you’re on the fence, DO IT!

Jason Williams

I'd been following Learn Grant Writing for a couple years and gaining helpful strategies along the way. I finally made the jump becoming a member and I have no regrets whatsoever. I'm utilizing the tools and coaching on a daily basis for my already successful grant writing business to help us be even more successful! Highly recommend!